Monday, August 13, 2007

Writing "The End"

I've been MIA on this blog for a week and a half because - I finally finished the story I was writing! Okay, it's a novella, so it's not like I've been working on it for the past year. More like two months off and on of writing and self-editing, showing it to critique partners. But, damn, it's such a rush to finish, type "The End" and say "I wrote a book!" It's the second one, but for some reason the feeling of accomplishment is even greater than the first time. I was actually dancing around the room in excitement, which seemed to traumatize my cats. (What, they were afraid I'd step on them?)

Maybe it's because I felt more connected to this story? It's fiction, but loosely based on an incident from my life. Once I started it, the ideas and words flowed the way they never have before, the emotion was a lot stronger -- and I think I was more eloquent in conveying it.

Do all writers feel this way when they complete a story? I don't know, I'd be interested in hearing. I know my critique partners vary in their reactions. One of them hates to finish a story, it actually seems to make her sad to have it done, no more following the lives of those characters.

And now the next step - getting brave enough to submit it.

2 comments:

Gail said...

YES! Writing "The End" is fantastic every time. For me, the reasons it’s so good differ with each book. However, the hard part is waiting to hear after you've submitted it. That’s when you suddenly think of all the brilliant things you could have written in it.

Just finished the eigth book this week. Now I have to submit it. Yikes!! The other seven were contracted, so I'm hopeful.

Gail said...

Oohhh, I meant to say CONGRADULATIONS!! Way to go!