Just like many of you, I am constantly working on book projects…novels, nonfiction, and marketing of the books that have already been published. While I usually manage my days so that I am able to address every portion of these different aspects at some point throughout each week, I took a break from the blog to finish the first draft of my novel-in-progress.

This represented a new path for me. It’s a YA novel, whereas before I’ve written only for adults. It is also the first in a series while all my other works are stand-alone projects. Finally, it is a historic novel compared to all my other projects which have been contemporary.

It was a wild ride! The first draft poured out in less than four months. There is a lot of revision ahead (because, as I’ve always said, writing is rewriting) but it was worth taking the time off from the blog to move ahead on this.

I continued with the other necessary components of life: operating Writer’s Resource, the publishing consulting business this blog mines information from; helping individual clients move forward with their own projects; and marketing the existing books. When you are pressed for time and something has to give, know that it doesn’t have to be a permanent shutdown. Not only will you gain the confidence of having completed a project, you’ll likely find that you return to the task with a renewed sense of vigor…as I have with this blog!