THE END: And There Was Happy Dancing

Yesterday I typed two of my favorite words in the English Language...
THE END. The 2nd Baba Yaga book (tentatively titled The Baba Yaga's Sister) is done. Well, done for now, since this is just the polished first draft, and will go through a number of revisions before coming out in book form late next year. But still, DONE.

Insert the happy dance of your choice here :-)

This book has been interesting to write, since it is an odd combination of a series novel with completely new characters and settings, but the same basic world set-up. It actually got off to a slow-ish start, as I was trying to find my way, but apparently then it Ate My Brain, because when I looked at my whiteboard, where I track my daily word count [I'll put up a picture later, when I have more time] I discovered that somehow--don't ask me how, I have no idea--I wrote 65,432 words in July. Yoinks! The one time I did NANOWRIMO, where you are supposed to write 50,000 words in a month, I barely made it through, and swore never to attempt it again. So, well, there's that.

[Honestly, I think that part of it is that I was in so much pain from my dental stuff, I literally wrote to put myself in a different world. I am not, however, suggesting using dental torture as a writing too.]

Mind you, I'm assuming that my writing that fast means that there will probably be more editing down the road than usual. I do a polish on the previous day's writing before I start each new day, so my so-called first draft is really quite neat.But I'm sure I  missed things in the rush.

The book has now gone off to Elaine, my agent, and a couple of first readers, who will all very kindly tell me what's wrong with it, so I can make it all shiny before sending it off to my editor at Berkley.

Of course, I now get to go back and do the edits I got from Leis at Berkley for the first BABA book. But still...

THE END! DONE! HAPPY DANCE!!!!!

Finished! Snow! And Your Feline Friday Fix!

In today's news...

I finished writing the new Llewellyn book, A Broom for Every Witch, last night! Huzzah! (Working title only, of course. These things change.)

Happy dance time!

I'll spend today (and maybe some of this weekend, depending on how long it takes), reading over the manuscript for boo boos [yes, that IS the technical writing term, why do you ask?], and then send it off to Elysia, my fabulous editor. Who started doing her happy dance last night when I messaged her on Facebook to tell her it was done :-)

In other news, they're calling for snow here. A LOT of snow, although not nearly as much as Boston and some of the other coastal areas are looking at. I've seen reports ranging from 6 inches to 16 inches. Er, I'd like to put in my vote for less, please?

On the bright side, I should be home well before the worst of it hits, and have no place I need to be tomorrow, so I should be fine except for the shoveling... And I'm sure it will be pretty. Also, in even more news, it's winter in upstate NY. So, there you have it.

If you live in the area that's being hit by snow, check in and let me know you're okay tomorrow, yes? You know how much I worry.

And here it is, your Feline Friday fix! That's Samhain on top of the pellet stove. She seems to have nabbed it as her spot this winter, and who can blame her? Stay warm! Stay safe! Have a great weekend.

Done! Done! Done! And also, DONE!

Huzzah and hurrah! The massive revisions on SEEDS OF CHANGE are done and I will be sending the manuscript off to my beloved agent in a few minutes. You know, as soon as I finish doing my happy dance.

The book went from 90,300 words to 111,058 words...that gives you some idea of how major some of the changes were. I guess that's what I get for naming a book "Seeds of Change," eh?

Did I mention, it's DONE?!

Of course, this is publishing, so it is only "mostly done" sort of like the "only mostly dead" of Princess Bride fame, but still. There is a distinct possibility that Elaine will have more (probably minor) edit suggestions. And when it sells, my then-editor will have still more. But for now, it's done. And you know...I think it doesn't suck :-)

What's more, it is done in time for me to take the weekend off to relax and celebrate my birthday, which is Saturday. Speaking of which, I have a special surprise gift for YOU my readers, to celebrate with me. So check in tomorrow to see what it is.

DONE!

*does happy author dance then falls over*

Done!

Two of my favorite words in the English language are "chocolate" and "wine."

But I'm also really fond of THE END.

There is nothing like the feeling you get, as an author, when you type those two words at the end of the first draft of a novel. After months of hard work (and much pounding of head on desk, and sometimes some cursing, and almost always at least one point at which you swear you're giving it all up and becoming a spot welder) you have finally crossed the finish line.

DONE.

Of course, if you're an author, you know you're not really done. There are still edits and revisions, and critique partners to read it and send you suggestions for more edits and revisions, and in my case an agent to sent it to. Who will also give me suggestions for edits and revisions.

So, not done.

But still...

I just finished the first draft of Seeds of Change, my sixth novel, (which makes it my twelfth finished book, if you count my nonfiction--and you'd better believe I do). That's something to celebrate. I was aiming at 90,000 words (as you will know if you have been watching the word count meter) and ended up with 90,553. Of course, after all those edits and revisions...who knows.

Still, for right now, it's DONE.

*does happy dance*