I did it. At least I think I did. Last night I finished my rough draft. But why I say I think I finished it is because I am short a few thousand words. But the ending came and that was that.
So now I set it aside and breathe. But you know what happened? I'm sure many of you do.
I grieved. Over writing a book.
I'm already missing Lizzy, and Ryan and Paul and thinking about the next chapter and crying with them over some tragedy in their lives.
I'm thinking it is hitting me harder this time because I wrote this one straight through in about eight weeks plus weeks (Probably more like 12). I've been living this one more than the others before.
So I'm setting it aside to let it cool--then I will jump into the edits. In the meantime, I will try my hand at some short nonfiction to submit.
What do you all do when you come to the end?
32 comments:
YAY! COngrats! And no worries as you reread more words will come, they always do! And awesome! 8 weeks! You're a machine! Jenni
Terri, so happy for ya. Treat yourself well during the postpartum, then put fingers to keyboard again. Oh, and happy editing/revising! :)
Wow, you were really in the zone to knock out a book in 8 weeks. Congrats, Terri. Well done!
Congratulations! What do I do at the end? Wonder who to send it to ... so I'm not a good one to ask!
So proud of you! You're amazing.
And I'm with you - set it aside for awhile, get a fresh look later.
*hugs*
Congrats!!! Awesome job, Terri!
When I come to the end, I really don't feel like it IS the The End because I have so much editing to do. :-)
YAY!!! Woo-hoo! That's awesome!!
When I'm finished writing a first draft, I take some time away from it and read for pleasure. Then after a week or so, I'll work on edits.
Awesome! You really stayed focused and worked hard on this book! You amazed me at how quickly you progressed! Now it's time to enjoy a few days off before plunging into something new!
breathe a sign of relief but then I've never written fiction only historical non-fiction so guess I don't get so attached to my characters although I do come to know and love my ancestors that I write about.
Wow! Congratulations. You're a writing fool. I am utterly amazed at how much you've written in such a short amount of time.
You inspire me!
I've grieved my characters before too. To me, it's a sign that you poured a lot into their creation, that you "walked with them" so to speak. I allow myself to keep thinking about them for weeks/months after I finish (and still take notes) b/c I never know if something will crop up that in the long publishing process will end up being a gold ticket.
Hurray!! Way to go! Finishing a first draft is an awesome feeling. Now, I hope you enjoy a nice break! :)
Yoo Hoo, Yay, Congratulations! I'm giddy here this morning over this news. I'm so happy for you. Now take a deep breath, kick your shoes off, put your feet up, relax and enjoy the view for a bit...at least that is what I would do if I had just completed a "Masterpiece"...and that's what I think it is. I have strong belief in you, your writing and your book so naturally I'm going to call it a "Masterpiece".
Love you Terri,
Alleluiabelle
It's a relief to get that ending in place. I'm always surprised when I see the need for change when I edit. Take time to relax before you start.
I hope to find out the answer to that question in a few months. I can see where you could really get attached to your characters. Im only on my 4th chapter and I'm already feeling protective of the main character. I'm so proud of you for sticking with it till the end - or at least the beginning of the end.
Woohoo!
YOu did so awesome Terri! Congratulations. :-)
Don't worry. After revisions/edits, you'll probably be glad to say good-bye to these characters. But not yet. Don't feel sad because you're still stuck with them. Heeeheeee. :-)
Congratulations!! I don't feel sad when I finish because I think of my books often and know I can always re-read them. Go celebrate!!
Congratulations, Terri. What an awesome accomplishment.
I hear you with the grieving. I do that, too. But then I get right exhausted of my characters in the editing phase it seems. So don't mourn too long. Get into another project, clear the cobwebs out, then go get sick of those characters you love and miss so much now.
Hey, you should be doing the snoopy dance with finishing!
I don't know because I have never finished anything written that I have started. Maybe start on something new?
Congrats on finishing, what a great feeling:) I always am sad at the end of a story, but maybe after a few dozen rewrites I'm glad to say goodbye, lol.
way 2 go!!
so :) 4u. i've never written anything longer than a term paper but the more i blog, the more i love writing
Other than some short stories, many years ago, I've never tried writing fiction, but reading your blog is making me want to give it a try!
As often happens, the end is only the beginning. I've never written a complete book, so I don't have any "wisdom" to share. I'll bet this is the start of something wonderful for you though. Embrace the journey! Let's pray God opens lots of doors!
Wow! Eight weeks? I'm seriously impressed, Terri. It took me 4 months to crank out my first draft.
Blessings,
Susan :)
I can't believe I missed this post! I've been totally out of it...anyway, congratulations! What a great accomplishment.
I get sad when I finish a book, too. When I finished Kara's Star several weeks back I just sat and stared at the screen. I couldn't even put "The End" because it seemed too final. Just about the time I'm really starting to know my characters and enjoy them, they're gone. But, fortunately, then you get to create new ones :)
Whee! Congratulations! That is wonderful! Like finishing reading a good book--the ending is the hardest. Looking forward to reading this one!!!!
Endings are really new beginnings. It's the period at the end of one sentence, even as it's the capital letter that starts the next one.
You're advancing ... moving forward, and on so many levels. Methinks the best is yet to come!
Hugs,
Kathleen
P.S. Love, love, love the house. I hope it doesn't sell and you come into millions.
Congrats! That's great news!
When I come to the end? I take a day off, then print it out and start reading through.
Gongratulations! I would never have thought that you could grieve over the end of a book! That is a totally new concept to me and I certainly cannot imagine it! ;)
Sometimes they end before you think they will Congratulations...you've inspired me to start writing so I can find out what I'll do when I 'reach the end' for the first time!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving such a sweet comment. Actually, I don't even mind the Fridays sometimes because without the Friday, we couldn't have the Sunday!
God bless you Terri!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
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