Monday

Finished!

makeshift workspace

Sadly I have neglected blogging for a couple of weeks, but I assure you is was for a good cause. That cause being...finishing draft ONE of my first novel!

It is a fantastic feeling to finally be done with this sometimes joyful (largely painful) experience. Today I began reading my manuscript from the beginning for the very first time (!!). I am putting together a summary of each chapter and working out the kinks. In the next few months I'll be working on editing/culling scenes, researching the multitudes of details that I fudged my way through, expanding and colouring my characters, beautifying my at times utilitarian prose and giving it an overall spit and shine! I have an few friends and an editor lined up to read through it all and then who knows, it could be time to look for an agent or it could be time to take a vow of silence, curl up into the foetal position and cry myself to sleep every night using the awful pages of my failed novel as punishing, nose-scrapping tissue paper.

Look it’s possible that I am the most talentless person to ever attempt fiction writing and it's quite likely that this loosely structured, chaotic story is in fact unsalvageable, but I feel incredibly proud of myself for sticking to it! 


Starting my first novel draft has opened my mind to the possibilities of creativity, it's sparked a hundred conversations with others who have an inkling of starting their own creative endeavours and it’s given me the confidence to aim bigger in my life. Finishing my first novel draft has taught me a lot about how I work and what kind of process I need to apply to completing big tasks and most importantly, it has helped me to apply discipline to my work habits.

I’m hoping that today you get a little bit more excited about your own novel (painting, song, poem, sculpture, short story, sewing project, photography…) and finish it!

13 comments:

  1. Congratulations! It's a great accomplishment, and I hope you take time to celebrate your success before digging into those revisions!

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  2. Congrats! This is a huge accomplishment! You even have a very professional process planned for your future work. Awesome!
    My advice is to rest between revisions and edits.

    I usually read at least one writing craft book and one novel by a favorite author after completing one stage and beginning the next. This process refreshes both the muse and my professionalism.

    Enjoy the journey!

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  3. Thanks Terri :) I've got a few ebooks on crafting to help me keep my sanity as I edit!

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  4. Congratulations! I remember when I finished my first novel, I was so proud of myself too, for many of the same reasons you listed. It gets easier to finish them once you've done it once and proved to yourself you can do it!

    Wow, just reading the comments ... that's great advice, terripatrick! I may have to pick up that reading habit in between drafts too.

    Congrats again, zz!

    P.S. Love your photos!

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  5. Thanks Tracey - I missed your comment yesterday!
    A.L - Thanks! Yeah, I'm hoping it gets a little easier with each new novel that I write after this first one!

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  6. Huge congratulations. It's a huge milestone to reach the end of the first one - and like you say, it shows that you have the strength to follow a project through. Let yourself celebrate for a few days - and then I guess it's time to start the rewrites :)

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  7. Omg!! Congratulations!!! That's absolutely great news!! Now comes the part I hate...editing. Good luck!

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  8. thanks dan and hannah! exciting times ahead...

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  9. cant wait for it to hit the shelves!! i promise to camp out the night before to get my copy !!!

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  10. Oh Simon, spoken like the very best of friends :)

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  11. A great feeling indeed. I always feel a little anxious when something big's done, but you know, I work in newspapers, it's always on to the next thing.

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  12. Congrats! What a thrilling experience! I love your outlook. Hopefully, your story will survive the processes it will now go through. Wishing you much success!

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  13. Thanks for visiting my blog. Good luck with your book.

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