So you made the mistake of telling someone that you're writing a novel, and now you feel a sense of urgency to get the book finished. But why do this to yourself? How long has it been since you first started charting your course? Six months? A year? Two years? Maybe you have even written quite a bit, but you know that it's a long way from perfection. So what do you do - rush it, just to get it done? The answer should, of course, be no - not if you are passionate about what you are writing and want it to be something that makes you proud. After all, there's a lot of precedent from successful novelists, and comparing the time frames of their writing to your own could do you a lot of good to help relieve that pressure you imposed upon yourself.