How difficult is it to actually write a book? Here’s an answer you’ll hate: “well, it depends”. How’s that for not equivocating?
The truth is, it does depend on any number of things—your creative bent, your grasp of the rues of grammar, your ability to create and flesh out interesting and believable characters, your ability to create and effectively use plot twists to keep the reader interested and guessing. In my experience, more than anything it depends on the time the writer is able to devote to the craft. I don’t mean simply learning and polishing the craft. That’s a given. Because most writers don’t start out with the financial ability to write full time right from the beginning, you have to make time for it in your busy schedule.
Because there always are exactly 24 hours in each day, it usually means something has to give in order to free up the time to work on your magnum opus. Doing that means being totally dedicated to creating that book. It also requires discipline to adhere to a schedule of sorts that will result in the production of a complete manuscript over a given period of time. Third, it means being determined to adhere to the schedule you’ve set, no matter who/what tries to interfere.
And that’s where the rub lies. Everyone has responsibilities—financial, social, civic, etc. Your family and day job(s) have to take precedent over everything else. Once you hit the New York Times bestseller list (is that my tongue wedged firmly in cheek?), your writing becomes your primary financial responsibility. Until it generates that kind of income, it’s just moonlighting or a hobby.
My point is that there are innumerable interruptions in each day that make crafting a coherent, interesting, and imminently readable book very difficult, if not almost impossible. The demands of your day job have to take precedent because that’s where your current income stream is generated. For me, that’s real estate development. Our market is on fire and deals are screaming to be done. And they’re lucrative. Plus there are all of the daily and weekly household choirs that must be done. When you have a family, you want to spend meaningful time with its members. There are appointments with professionals such as doctors, dentists, lawyers, and accountants. Then there’s grocery shopping and food preparation. There are social and business events that require attendance. The list literally is endless. That’s where the devotion, dedication, discipline, and determination mentioned above are critically challenged.
When you or someone you know actually finishes a decent manuscript, congratulations definitely are in order!