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In my career as an editor, the majority of authors have been late some time or another, and when it happens it often becomes impossible for the author to nail down just when they'll actually be finished.
But, WHY, they might ask them selves (and their agents and editors might ask). It's a horrible little bit of psychology, likely stemming from anxiety. Been there myself!
If I had to bet, when someone misses a date (and chronically does so) they start to get into their own head about it-- beating themselves up, directing a fair amount of flack at themselves.
Once someone gets in this self flagellating mode, it sort of... gets all over everything in the process. Suddenly the author CANNOT figure out a character or a plot beat really hangs them up.
They're hitting roadblocks that never bothered them ever before-- and it's because their mean brain is getting in the way.
Then it's just like... well, I'm so late now, I can't move forward until this character or plot point is PERFECT because I won't have time to go back later. And now the author is fixated on a tiny, frustrating part of the process.
So now the author is fixated, obsessive, self flagellating, and feels terrible about being late, so all they can do is tell themselves to KEEP AT IT, WORK HARDER, and if they're not doing that, then, repeat self flagellation.
They get an email from an agent or editor. "No pressure, but how long do you think it'll be?" (They mean this. They can accommodate delays if you give them a timeline.) Rather than answering the question, anxiety brain beats up the author more.
Now the author is so freaked out that they can't take a step back and estimate exactly how long it'll take them. (AKA, it took me X long to get those first 10 chapters done, there are Y chapters left, divisible by 10 means it'll take XY to finish)
And the author promises a date, hoping that giving themself a deadline will light a fire under their butts, but it doesn't, and then there's more shame.
Another check in. The author is so freaked out and trying to get it done so that they don't communicate ANYTHING. Silence. (The agent and editor knows what's happening.)
The author is hoping to make up for the lateness and noncommunication by just DELIVERING already, but that's harder than they thought because they're now totally mired deep in the bog of anxiety and self criticism.
The agent and the editor GET all this, but also, they don't know if the author is 5 chapters in or 30. They can help the author, but not if the author doesn't tell them what's going on.
If you're only 5 chapters in, it's in your best interest to move the book off by a season if you can, so you can get it right, your editor can get it right, marketing and publicity have time to do their job, and sales has a runway to help you take off.
Your editor or agent might be able to do the "math" for you of a new date if you give them the info! Anyway, all this is to say that if this feels very "you", please know that your agent and your author know what's going on but can't help you if you don't talk to them.
Use your allies and your team. Anxiety brain is not on your team. We get it. We want to help you. We know that YOU and your skill is not the same as your anxiety brain. Believe.
