Wednesday, June 15, 2005

I finished my novel

Well, what I really mean is that I finished my first draft, and it's not even the first draft that I'm going to submit as my first draft in two weeks. But I can now say that I have written a novel. My target was 90,000 words, and it came in at 89,750. I'm frankly stunned that it came so close. 

I'm really pleased with it. I have not gone through a period of hating every word I type, whether that's because I've been on a fairly relaxed schedule with it or just because I have an overinflated sense of my own worth as a writer. I think it might actually be a darned fine novel.

I am going to leave it for a few days—print it out and let my wife read it and made her comments before I plunge back into the work of editing it. Then I'll turn it over to the editor by the end of the month. My final draft is due in September.

It feels very strange. Thinking about not going to Starbucks tomorrow morning feels strange. I sort of want to go, just to announce to all the baristas that the darn thing's finished. Maybe I'll stop in on the way to work and get my mocha valencia to go, just to throw them for a loop.

But right now, I'm going to play some World of Warcraft. 'Cause I've earned it. Hey, I've got a new Horde character on Dalaran: Ashhorn. 

Updating this site more often is on my list of things to do now that the novel pressure is off. So I'll be back soon.