Ticking Time Bomb

Yesterday I mentioned my self-imposed deadline for HATSHEPSUT: FEMALE PHARAOH so today I thought I'd elaborate a bit.

When I first set out to write this book I gave myself three years just to finish it. I'm not sure if that meant to write it through the first draft or to get it totally polished, but I figured I could write a book in three years, seeing as how I didn't really know what I was doing. I started in January 2008 so I'm ahead of schedule regardless.

My new goal is to have the manuscript out on agent submission some time in February of next year. I feel like there's this fire under me, keeping me hopping with this book. Part of that is due to a little fortune cookie. I still have the fortune taped to my printer, reminding me every time I sit down to goof off online what I should really be doing. According to the cosmic fortune telling cookie (feels like the Mayan doomsday calendar), I'll have an agent by July 16, 2010. It darn well better be right! :)

I also have this terror that someone else will write a book about Hatshepsut and it will get published before mine and end up on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Egad!

Now, this may seem completely irrational, and I'll admit it probably is, but there's always a chance catastrophe could strike. Dearest Hat has been in the media a fair bit the last few years since her mummy was "discovered" by Zahi Hawass. And historical fiction overall is in higher demand in recent years. I might be a little paranoid, but at least it's motivating me, right?

So this is yet another reason that this six weeks cure time is killing me!