New writer here, not one that has been writing for a lifetime, but one who knows how to learn and has a lifetime of material that needs to be told.
I wrote 134,000 words in about 6 weeks. After that, I spent six years finishing the first of two books that 134K words were the very rough draft of. It wasn't close to an actual novel, more like half outline, half rough chapters, some I kept, some I put back on the shelf. At the same time, I had to learn how to write. That did delay things a bit. But I found a critique group with an excellent writing teacher and along with a lot of homework and the critique group, I learned to write.
Right now I'm struggling with the final edits. I need to pace myself. I've gone over the first 1/3 of the book until it's close to perfection for what I want. I love it.
Now I'm in the middle 1/3 and I just don't feel like I'm doing this in an organized fashion. If I didn't have important political issue to address, if I didn't have to to work, if I didn't have to take care of my house, my dogs, laundry, dishes I could tackle it. If I didn't spend so much time on forums and current events, on reading books, sigh....
When I get book one of the duology finished, I'm going to retire and write book two without so many distractions. I already know the story, that's the hard part and the story is there in the rough draft.
The second hardest part is discipline. I'm getting there.