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Writing a book doesn’t just happen. It would be nice if we could just spit out a whole book without having to do anything, but if that were the case, completing a novel wouldn’t be nearly as rewarding.

Writing a book happens step by step, day by day, word by word. It is a true test of patience and perseverance – but it’s also one of the most beautiful and rewarding things you can do.

But to get that rewarding feeling isn’t easy.

As I’m plucking away at Project Pea, I’m realising more and more how important it is to have the kind of discipline to meet a word count every day. It’s something I do anyway with my other works and my jobs, but with this WIP, it’s something special. If you’re new, let me tell you that Project Pea has been a pain in the butt. In a way, it’s like it doesn’t want to be written – or maybe it’s insisting that it only be written once I get it right.

In any case, working on this project over the past couple of years has sometimes felt like pushing against a brick wall. Even when I’m making progress, it feels like I’m not.

But now, on my third attempt this year to start this thing, I’m finally feeling like I’m achieving something. I’m finally understanding that there is joy to be found in watching that word count go up and up. I’m realising that with every single word I write, this story is finally coming together.

So no, I don’t have a full novel yet. My total word count so far is just shy of 15,000. But hey, that means I’m about 1/5 of the way there, and the story is only just getting started.

Remember to celebrate the small steps. Big achievements are wonderful, but don’t forget to see how far you’ve come along the way.

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Photo by Maksym Kaharlytskyi on Unsplash