90,423 words later

I have finished the rough draft of my first novel.

It’s gone past the critical eye of two critique partners, so it isn’t as rough as it would have been. In fact, some parts aren’t too bad at all.

I thought I’d feel elated. I thought a giant whoo hooo would come bursting out of me, that I’d be jumping all over the house and popping the cork on a bottle of something fizzy. Done! Done done done!

But…now that I’ve actually typed the words the end at the bottom of the last page, I feel kind of … sad. Let down, somehow. Aimless. It’s finished? Really? But I’m not ready for it to be finished yet. I want to know what happens to my characters. What will they do? Where will they go? I want to keep on living their lives.

But that’s the way of it, I suppose. Every story must end.

So what happens next? Off it goes to Beta Readers, and then I start revisions.

Revision revision revision. Edit. Rewrite. Edit some more. Maybe more Beta Readers.

Until I hit the bottom of the last page. Again.

At some point, I’ll have to give the poor novel a title.

And then?

We’ll see.

Meanwhile, some yarn therapy:FullSizeRender

7 comments

  1. Congratulations on the first milestone! That’s a big first, and it’s natural to feel that emptiness. You’ve pushed on so long for this goal, a what next? is normal!

  2. Yarn therapy is all and good but Lisa is right – you need to celebrate this accomplishment!!! You wrote a book! How many people can say that?! Big woo hoo from here to there!!! Can you hear it? 🙂

  3. I feel like that every time I finish reading a book too. I’ve been wondering what you’ve been up to! CONGRATS!!!! Good for your girl! YOU ROCK!!!!!! Saw you are one of the profits for H2H…very cool!!! Thinking of ya. I have two weeks tills spring break…of which I plan to spend at home…wish we were neighbors. Teeheeee….with smiles. V:)

  4. That is how I feel when reading a novel. I almost feel bereft at the end and exhausted as though I have lived through it. I will give you a very loud woohoo from my little corner of the world. Be very proud of yourself Nita. You have done it.x

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