Well, dear readers, at about nine o’clock last evening I do believe I finished writing a book, book number 24 to be exact. When I finally made the decision to write it about six or seven weeks ago, to take on another book in the same year I’d already written one that was 100,000 words because the lead character never shuts up, I thought what I was going to do would be a novella, a quickie, maybe 30 to 40,000 words and 150 or so pages. Yes, that’s what I thought. So, let me just say: Novella my ASS. As I wrote the first thirty-five pages, I knew there was no chance in HELL that it would be a novella. When I sent those pages to Muse Margaret, she knew there was no way in HELL that it would be a novella. As I approached page 200, I thought to myself, “Myself, I’m not even halfway through.” By page 300 I knew I still had quite a few pages to go. Finally, when I crossed 400, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I predicted then that there was probably another sixty pages to go, maybe a bit less. And that was a good prediction, as the manuscript as it stands now, runs 461 pages and over 91,000 words. I was fretting all day because I knew I’d finish last night and I didn’t have a good feel for the last few paragraphs and especially the last line, because I am very particular about last lines. Around three o’clock the last line just dropped into my head and it was just what I’d been looking for and it informed the five paragraphs that led into it. Basically, all I did yesterday was write, with a few breaks for sanity. But because I’d written twenty or more pages the day before, yesterday’s page count was seventeen to the finish line. Of course, I have to futz and finesse it before sending the last batch to Muse Margaret, and I’m sure there’ll be plenty to futz and finesse, as there was in the twenty or so pages from the day before. That took me two hours yesterday morning when I finally got up.
I got about eight hours of sleep, getting up at eleven. I had to answer e-mails, of course, and catch up on a few things, so I didn’t begin futzing and finessing until noon o’clock. About one, I decided to have that good mac-and-cheese again and it came about thirty minutes later and it was great. Once I was finished with the futzing and finessing, I began writing new pages. I wrote five, took a break, wrote five more, took a break then wrote four more. I knew I only had three pages to go but I wasn’t ready to write them yet. I wanted to stretch it out because I was very emotional at the thought of finally finishing it. I took a hot shower for about twenty minutes and came up with a really good way into the final three pages and how to do the final paragraph that leads into the final line. I went right to the computer and wrote all that and plugged in the final line and the book was finished. After Muse Margaret has read the pages and we do any fixes necessary, should there be any, then I’ll print it out tomorrow and begin doing my corrections before getting it to the proofers. That will probably take three or four days for me to do, because I go very slowly and then I have to run a few things by Muse Margaret before I enter them. My plan is to have this ready to ship by around 12/10 in time for Christmas. I’ve done so much revising as I’ve gone along, much more than usual, that I don’t think there’ll be much of that to do – it’ll just be finding typos and smoothing out anything that feels awkward, plus I’ve moved stuff around so much that I have to make sure it all makes sense. Happily, I’ve saved every day’s writing so I’ll be able to see how I moved things, should I need to. Anyway, I was SPENT and emotionally drained by the final surge but that happens with every book. And there you have yesterday. I’m anxious to tell you the title and what it’s about but can’t for a while due to prying eyeballs.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, but probably by eleven at the latest, I’ll futz and finesse and then get Muse Margaret the final batch of pages, I’ll do whatever needs doing and there’ll be plenty to catch up on, I’m still praying for a modern major miracle, I’ll probably go to the mail place, although I may wait until Saturday to do that, I’ll do some work on the new project with David Wechter, and then I may or may not have a dinner. If that’s not happening, then I’ll bring in something to eat, unless I can coerce someone to go for a celebratory e-mail. Then I’ll try to finish up Day of the Jackal, which I’m finding a bit of a slog and a strange movie.
Tomorrow, I’ll print out the book, I have a casting session to do from noon to three, then I’ll eat, and that should be that. Sunday I’ll pick up the printed book, have another three-hour casting session, begin proofing the book so I can get it to the real proofers, and then next week is busy with all manner of things and I’ll be able to announce what the musical is that I’ll be directing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up but no later than eleven, futz and finesse, get the final batch of pages to Muse Margaret, do whatever needs doing, pray for a major modern miracle, maybe go to the mail place, do some work on the new project with David Wechter and then I may have a dinner but if I don’t I may try to find someone to dine with. Then I can watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray/streaming device. I’ll start – CD, nothing. Streaming, Day of the Jackal. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, so happy and SPENT to have finished book 24.