Does Time Matter? by Jess Lourey

I just finished the first draft of Octoberfest, the sixth book in my Murder-by-Month mysteries. I’m ecstatic, relieved, and a little guilty. Why? Because I wrote the book in six weeks so I could get it to my editor on time.

When it comes to deadlines, I’m normally so anal that I have to remember to unclench so I don’t take the chair with me when I stand up. And here I am, just getting a book in under the gun. It’s given me gray hair and made those around me miserable.

I found out over Christmas that I would be writing the novel, and I chose the May 1 deadline because I wanted as short a time as possible between the release of books in the series. That only gave me four months to write it. I wrote September Fair in six months, my record, and that felt rushed.

So why did I fritter away almost 3/4 of those four months? Because I was in love. It’s been eight years since my last relationship, and I am happily consumed by sitting next to the couch with this guy and reading, going to movies together, talking about the SyFy channel scripts we’re going to write (we have the titles already), and generally acting dopey.

Add two kids, a full-time job, stir just until moist and voila! You have the recipe for a six-week novel. That brings me to the title for my post: does time matter? Most authors are vague about how much money they make and how much time they spend writing. I get why. A $3 bottle of wine doesn’t taste as good as a $30 bottle, and a six-week novel doesn’t read as good as one an author spent years crafting. Or does it? When it comes to writing a novel, does time matter, even if only in our heads? And more importantly, should I be padding my timeline when promoting this book next March?