Another week of musical themes as I try to decide what I want my website to say about me. I think this one is quite zen, only for some reason it's not giving me the theme options in my dashboard, so it might change before you've even read this.
But the real news for the week is that I finished my book. Really.
No, stop laughing. I'm serious.
I spent all day Sunday in a marathon of editing, and at 9:30 pm a box popped up to let me know I had no more comments or tracked changes. The manuscript was clean. My eyes opened wide and then squeezed shut, and I put my face in my hands and squealed. I'm sure it didn't look weird at all.
At the end I still had some formatting tweaks to do, but the story was done, damn it, so I saved the formatting for Monday morning. Once that was finished I began assembling the package to email Sara, my agent, and soon found that I'd not done an important step: rewriting the short synopsis to fit the new ending. Rackin-frackin mumble mumble... At this point I was so close I could smell it, and it smelled good. Gah!
So Monday was spent rewriting the rackin-frackin synopsis, and then late Monday night I composed possibly the most momentous email of my life up to this point. I attached the novel, the regular synopsis, and a longer, 17-page synopsis specifically requested by an interested publication...and hit send. My agent confirmed receipt just a few minutes ago. It's out of my hands.
I really had no idea I'd be so relaxed once it was gone. I've gotten used to the low hum of anxiety that always, from the very beginning, accompanied this book. All day my thoughts would drift toward that waterfall: "Why am I doing this? I should be writing!" Now usually, the next thought is smashed on the rocks below: "I can't write, okay? I have to clean the toilets sometime!" But today, I realized the waterfall was behind me, and whatever whitewater tossed my thoughts about, a sparkling pool lay beyond.
So basically, that was a beautiful metaphor for why I cleaned toilets without guilt today.
I have so many thoughts and feelings about finishing, some will have to wait for another day.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Absolutely amazing. Glad to hear you're finished and it's out the door. Hope to see it on bookshelves in the near future. :)
ReplyDelete*applause* WOOOO!! That's so awesome! I am so happy for you and proud of you and doing that goofy jumping up and down while we squeal thing. Yay, you did it!
ReplyDeleteI knew you would. :D
*hugs* sweetie. You did good.
I'll be able to say I knew you when :)
ReplyDeleteThanks a million, guys, for all your support through this long journey.
ReplyDeleteThat is so awesome!
ReplyDeleteIm so proud of you too.
i cant wait to find it in Barnes and Noble.
Now its my turn to write something. :)
CONGRATULATIONS!! Woo! Job WELL DONE!
ReplyDelete... now start the next one. :)
Okay, I like the way the boxes in this theme's comment form highlight in this one, but it's a little boring for you, I think. Zen can be very boring. I like it if you can jazz it up just a little bit.
Knyt, I won't be starting another one for a while. I need a break desperately, as I'm sure you know.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rachel. Now you get busy! :)