Ohhhh!
Shiny new idea!! Better write it down.
Spend a month or two writing the first draft.
Feel good once you finish it.
Go to another project because you’re exhausted from writing this one. Also look at cover images from iStock and fuss over the title.
Do a second draft weeks later because you’re excited about it.
Go to another project for a while because you need space.
Do a third draft weeks later.
Repeat five more times (minimum).
Start to feel amazed at your productivity. Then as you stare at the manuscript again, you shout at it for not being as good as you thought it was when you finished it.
Cry and stress because you ultimately know that it’s you that is the problem. It might be a good story but are you good at writing it or vice versa. Is anything you ever write, the definition of good?’
Do another draft and restrain yourself from throwing a tantrum because you just want it all done now!
Still frustrated, so you cope by playing the sims and realize that you’ve started down a terrible path of addiction.
Somehow wean yourself off the drugs and go back to the unfinished draft. Find you have a bit of renewed energy for it.
Make a funny blog post about your process because you need stuff on your blog or no one will see you or buy your book.
Realise that your following is so small that if you somehow fail to self-publish then no one is going to call you out. But if you do put it online then no one will even find it and if they do they will buy it even less because you’re unknown 😦
Stephanie Haggarty 