I'm fastidious in the same way with deadlines, Karen, but I think you not only made the right choice asking for an extention -- which is the professional choice, and one which keeps your editor in the loop and allows them to adjust if necessary -- but I agree with Maria that you are being too hard on yourself. Just my vote, but I think there's no shame in asking for an extension, especially when you've obviously not made a habit of it, and you need the time. You're only human after all, not a machine. Have some chocolate, wine, and pat yourself on the back for doing the right thing, and not just letting your book slide into being late. Personally, I don't know how anyone can do that and sleep. LOL

Sam

This happened to me last year, Karen - tight deadlines for my trilogy and continuity book,and the teen TV series I created in New Zealand went into production 6 months early. The producers also wanted to run the show in a different time slot, so not only did we have to go back over the highly polished first five scripts and "age" them up for an older demographic, we also has to replot the remaining ten episodes and rewrite them. I had three months there where I had to write every single day or perish. I put on A LOT of weight! And I started to lose any sense of perspective on my work. In the end, I asked for a small extension on my continuity book, and got it. But you know what - at the end of the day, it's the work that you have to be true to. It's going out with YOUR name on it, it's one of the vital building blocks in building YOUR reputation and career, and it deserves to leave your desk when YOU think it's ready. And I bet they can squeeze a little more time out of the production process to make up for your extension. Needs must, and all that. Stay sane, and remember why you write. I have just read the first half of Steven Kings On Writing, and found it very inspiring, funny, sad and charming. I love to write. Don't let deadlines take that away from you.

Karen, hope you don't mind me asking an offshoot question, since I just handed in my August blaze and I'm feeling pretty burnt out myself at the moment, and I plan to take 2-3 non writing weeks (no book writing, that is -- I'll still be around here, LOL You can't get rid of me that easily...)

But I remember the first time I burnt out, August 2005, after I handed in my second book and my HotWires proposal, and I was whacked -- I couldn't write anything, and had total panic. I didn't write for a month, and was sure it was all over. ;) But shortly after, I realized it was burnout, and started realizing that's part of the writing cycle, and if you learn to recognize it, and deal with it, it's not as bad as you think.

So, how do people deal with burnout in their jobs? Or even with their kids, families, etc? For me, usually a little time off does the trick, but I think everyone probably suffers burnout from time to time -- how do you know it's burn out, and what are other ways of dealing with it?

Sam