I’m one.

And if you’re a writer who isn’t a Guinness World Record holder for most written novels in one year, you’re a slacker too.

Who are the writers who set the bar ridiculously high?

Romance writer Barbara Cartland, the 1983 Guinness World Record winner for most novels written in one year. 23.
Science Fiction author Issac Asimov published 500 books in his lifetime.
US author Lauran Paine wrote over 1,000 books.

I’ve heard of writers taking a decade to write their novel, and I’ve heard of writers writing a novel a month. It’s a myth that slow writing equals great writing and it’s also a myth that fast writing equals poor writing.

What’s also a myth is that we’re more prolific than we actually think we are. Or maybe we don’t.

What’s not a myth is that up against these record holders and epic writers, WE ARE SLACKERS.

If your goal is to write a novel this year, or maybe one a quarter–like me–you’re slacking. We know their names and their works because of the sheer volume of work they produced. If I want to write for a living one day, then I need more than the measly 19 titles I have published.

If you write it, they will come.

If you write it 1000 times, for sure.

These writers did nothing but live and breathe writing and they probably pushed themselves to do more and be better. Ugh. Just the thought is overwhelming.

Well, it can either raise you up or push you down into the pit of despair.

I’ve got to get writing.

Photocredit: amazon