This interview with debut novelist Charles Bock should make everyone feel abundantly lazy:
Truth is I worked on this novel for 10 years. Not ten years of watching Seinfeld at 11 PM. Ten years of a high priority in my life. When I was dating the woman who is now my wife, I would only go out with her two nights a week because I couldn't give more time to that. She didn't like it, but now she's in grad school and understands things a little more.
Truth is I actually find that rather motivational. If I can only turn away from the idiot box tonight and do some work, I'll be on my way to doing some work. I can't worry about tomorrow, or what I did yesterday. Only tonight.
Um, not be cynical or anything, but ten freaking years? My last book took me a year and I was getting itchy by the end. I'd be drunk(er) and crazy(ier) if it took me ten years to work on one book.