One of the most difficult aspects of writing is…

For me, one of the most difficult aspects of writing is…wait for it, wait for it…

HOW LONG IT TAKES TO WRITE THE BOOK!

Surprise you? Maybe you expected plotting, or coming up with ideas, or writing a synopsis, or even querying a publisher.

After 17 (really? 17?) completed books, I believe I have conquered all of the above. And I have a bit of an in with my current publisher. 😉

But, logically, you’d also think that the amount of time it takes to write a book wouldn’t be so daunting anymore, right?

Wrong.

Before I started writing, I worked as an auditor for the local school system. My job entailed sifting through records to see that checks and balances were in place and that the school operated with good accounting practices. Every day, or every couple of days, I worked at a different school. The longest audits took a week, maybe two, but those were rare. Basically, every time I wrote the report, I wrapped things up and moved on to the next school.

Not with writing.

A writer’s work is NEVER done.

Besides all the planning, the marketing, the promoting–all those extraneous tasks–the actual writing of a book takes months, sometimes years, depending on several factors such as word count, how much time a writer invests, etc.

one of the most difficult aspects of writing writers Dora Hiers Fiction Faith & Foodies

So, coming from a background where I experienced that sense of accomplishment on a daily basis to working on the same project for months…how do I recondition myself? How do I measure my time and feel satisfied with my progress? I…

  1. set daily word count goals to track my progress in an Excel spreadsheet.
  2. don’t focus on the end date, just what I plan to accomplish each day.
  3. write books with varying lengths, just to shake up my schedule a bit.
  4. discovered my peak writing time and use it. With my body clock, I can pump out double the words in the mornings, but after lunch, my word count and creativity declines drastically. So, I write only in the mornings. Of course, that’s not possible for everyone. The point is to find your peak time and reserve that window for writing, as much as possible.
  5. garner the support of family and friends. My family and friends all know my writing schedule. OK, so I might’ve growled and answered in monosyllables when they called in the morning just to chat. But, hey, I don’t bother them while they’re working, either.

For my writer friends, what’s the most difficult aspect of writing for you?

For my non-writer friends, how do you gauge your work day? How do you measure your satisfaction for a job well-done?

Excited about Eating by Ernie & Dora Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the base of Sugar Mountain and to the Painted Fish Café & Beer Bar in Banner Elk, NC. This casual local restaurant serves salads, sandwiches, and a variety of entrees to satisfy everybody. Dora here. I’m bummed that it was too chilly to sit outside. Can’t beat those views!

Painted Fish Cafe & Beer Bar Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Can’t beat those views!

You know how some restaurants try to cram in as many people by squishing the tables close together? Not here. We appreciated the generous space between tables and the private booths.

Painted Fish Cafe & Beer Bar Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Appreciated the generous space between tables and the private booths.

For my lunch, I started with the soup of the day, a crab chowder. This chowder was great, loaded with potatoes and crabmeat in a creamy sauce. Dora here. We knew that soup was coming before it ever reached the table! lol. Strong scent of crab, but I liked it, even though I’m not a huge seafood fan. Hey, don’t hate! 🙂

Painted Cafe & Beer Bar Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Soup of the Day: Crab Chowder. Loaded with potatoes and plenty of crab.

I followed that up with the special of the day, a fried catfish sandwich served with cole slaw and tartar sauce on a soft bun and house-made chips. This huge sandwich was outstanding! Crispy and lightly breaded, tender and juicy on the inside, and the slaw added just the right crunch to the sandwich. And those chips, they were like waffle chips but were crunchy and had great flavor.

Painted Fish Cafe & Beer Bar Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Fried Catfish Sandwich (special), outstanding! Crispy, tender, huge!

Dora here. A couple of the salads sounded interesting, but the protein up-charge pushed them to almost $20. Too pricey for me! So I opted for the turkey brie sandwich. Sounds good, doesn’t it? Two slices of whole grain bread packed with turkey, cranberries, melted cheese and spinach. Yum! Great flavor, texture and, like Ernie’s sandwich, huge! I’d definitely order this again, but the fried catfish won me over, too. This place might make me into a seafood lover. 🙂

Painted Fish Cafe & Beer Bar Fiction Faith & Foodies Ernie & Dora Hiers

Turkey Brie Sandwich, packed with turkey, cranberry, and spinach. Great flavor, texture, and huge!

What about you? What food doesn’t make your “favorite” list? And has a restaurant ever turned you into a fan of that food?

We rate this restaurant 4 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving great food.

Painted Fish Cafe & Beer Bar Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato