Dramatic drumroll
I did it! I did it with more than a day to spare!
Ahead of my December 19th self-imposed deadline, I finished my first draft at 195K words (WAY over my 150k goal), hitting a new record of 4,202 words in a few hours.
It is a huge relief to have this finally done (even at two in the morning), especially right before the holidays. The last thing I wanted was to have this hanging over my head the last week of December. Not only that, but I went back and looked at some original documents I started this story in. I’d forgotten how long I’ve been working on this idea.
Back in October of 2015, I discovered the steampunk aesthetic and found a character nestled in the idea that quickly followed. I distinctly remember sitting in our tiny apartment living room, cluttered with costume making paraphernalia, and jotting down my first notes about my MC and her struggles to save the life she’s built for herself.
If memory serves, I started drafting by hand. I didn’t get far, apparently. Looking at my computer documents, I started typing my draft and trying to continue during the summer of 2017. There isn’t much from that year, same with the following. The pace really picked up in 2019 when I started drafting in earnest, cutting or merging unnecessary characters and plots to distill the story to its essential pieces. And that’s when I decided to introduce myself to the world, starting a website and blog where I could share my journey and the results.
That’s the short of it, that’s how long this ride has been up to this point.
So now what?
Since I’ve never made it this far with a novel before, I’m honestly apprehensive about the next steps.
Following advice I’ve heard from every author I’ve encountered, I’m putting distance between me and this draft, a month’s worth of distance. This will help me see the story with fresher eyes that have had time to rest with a full eight hour of sleep! Finally. While I revel in the break, I’m going to do a lot of studying about editing and rewriting for the following drafts (it desperately needs it).
Come mid-January, it’s back to the trenches.
First to go will be all the extra scenes this story doesn’t need. As I was writing, I realized that it was bloated with excessive meandering that wasn’t vital to the story. Worldbuilding can be done without wandering.
I don’t expect this will be easy, but I look forward learning as I blaze a brand-new path.
Next post (as a nod to new year goal setting) I’ll share specific ones I have for writing in 2022.
Thanks for stopping by and check back next month for more news!