HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Any of you who are authors will recognize this moment.
I have sat at my computer for the last nine solid hours. Working on my book. Why do that you ask? Because today, Tuesday, is the deadline. Today I have to send the book to my editor in New York. I never ever thought I would live to see the day. (Nothing new, of course--I thought the same thing about SAY NO MORE, too, I remember it well!)
But I am FINISHED with the first draft of my new book!
At one point my notes looked like this.
Later, I was typing so fast one of my pages looked like this.
If you look at a different page in track changes, it looked like this.
But how does that happen, sisters and brothers?
How does it happen that there’s one little idea, and notebooks full of (often unreadable) scribbles, and page full of changes, then pages and pages and pages of all changes, and then it becomes a book?
At 8:03 Monday evening, I called my husband into the room, and I said: ”Watch this!” And I typed the title page. I don't like to type the end, because I know it isn't the end-end, many edits and revisions are to come. And that is the fun part.
But I am on the verge of tears, because I wrote this book, and at this moment, at least, I love it.
I know that will inevitably change, and I also know that inevitably, I will love it again.
Thank you, all, so much… For giving me a wonderful books to read, teaching me, and supporting me, and for being such dear and valued friends.
How do you all feel at the end of a first draft? Readers, do you think we are all bonkers?
Congrats on finishing another first draft!!!! I get that feeling of accomplishment. It just feels so good.
Posted by: Mark | January 03, 2017 at 08:33 AM
I always feel sort of empty when I finish. I wander around and wonder what I'm going to do. There's a bereavement that comes from ending a project. I feel that way about making dollhouses and miniatures, too. Weird, eh?
Posted by: Joanna Campbell Slan | January 03, 2017 at 04:47 PM
Yes, so interesting..I was floating today! Yes there's an emptiness--but I cannot wait to fill it up! And I am SO relieved!
Will you be at Malice, Joanna? Cannot wait to catch up!
Posted by: hank Phillippi Ryan | January 03, 2017 at 07:11 PM
I recently finished a manuscript during NANOWRIMO and experienced the same feelings. It was like, well, what do I do now?
Posted by: Linda Holbrook | January 08, 2017 at 11:14 AM