Writing Rhythm

I've already published fourteen books in 2023, and I have two more to go before the end of the year. They're all multiple-author projects. I have to laugh at myself when I wonder how I built such a hectic writing schedule, and I've promised myself to never do this many in one year again. Great opportunities came along, and I accepted some of them. There were others I could have written for, but I did have the sense not to schedule more than two in any one month.

I've developed a routine that allows me to keep up. I write intensively for two to three weeks and get a rough draft finished. Then I take a week off from writing new material to edit a previously written manuscript and get caught up in other areas. I always do about six of my own edits on each book before I send it to a professional editor. Using this method, I have been able to stay about four months ahead which gives my editors and Audible narrators time to work. Interestingly, I've had to have two or three editors because one couldn't keep up.

I love writing, and it amazes me that I haven't burned out on it even with the rigorous schedule this year. On the off-weeks, when I'm not writing on a new manuscript, I miss it. However, I am looking forward to less pressure next year. Right now, I have eleven scheduled which is still a lot. I've vowed to never write more than twelve in one year again, but I think eleven will be it for 2024.

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