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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Results.....I finished the BOOK!

The weekend was a wild, whacked-out writing-stravaganza!

And I finished the book!!!Yay me!

I started it back in April and really thought I'd finish it by the end of the summer, but it had other ideas. (The other ideas being the fact that I had no idea how to get to the ending, even though in hindsight, I was just worrying too much...which is something I never do. Really.)

Anyway, the timed writing worked well at first. I mean, 2000+ words in a day for ME was huge. I mean, when I get about 1,000 in a day I am flying high. But I knew I'd never get to the end by Sunday evening unless I kicked it up.

And I REALLY needed the first draft of this book to be done.

So Saturday, I tried some more timed writings, racking up 2,500 more words, which was awesome. I was really getting into the zone. I could sit down and just start cranking out words.

By Sunday, I didn't need the timer. I just sat in the chair in my pajamas and refused to get up until I was finished. 4 and 1/2 hours later, I WAS DONE. (I typed the last words at 12:00 noon, lalalalala.)

The grand total on the book is 47,317. I reckon some will be cut and some will be added to the final draft, so it will probably end up at about the same length, which is good I think for middle grade.

My total for Fri, Sat and Sun was 8,869 words. Sheesh. That is a bunch.

But I am sensing a pattern in my work. When I get to the end, it seems like I get to a point where the only thing to do is sit in the chair and push all the way through to the end. I get so scattered in balancing all the different aspects of my life (teacher, coordinator, mom, wife, writer, whatever) that weaving the strands of the story together to create the end takes more concentration than I have most of the time. I must sit in the chair and type away.

Two things you might want to know:

1. When I was worrying about how to get across the Grand Canyon I had created for myself in the book, I discovered that I had indeed packed all of the necessary information to get across within earlier bits of the story. Yay for rereading!!

2. I hate my chair right now.

hrh.

12 comments:

Stasia said...

Woohoo. Getting to "the end" is such a great feeling. Give that chair a rest--stand up while you're drinking your champagne :) - Stasia

Shannon O'Donnell said...

Hurray! You are AMAZING! there is no way I could write that much so quickly. :-)

Anonymous said...

CONGRATS on finishing the book!

Tricia J. O'Brien said...

*jaw drop* Whoa, that's a lotta words! Congratulations on pushing through.

Laura Pauling said...

That's a lot of words in one weekend! But sometimes that is what it takes! Congrats on the end.

Sherrie Petersen said...

Congratulations!
Nothing like butt in chair to get a story done. It's worth it, right? Even if you do hate the chair now :)

Myrna Foster said...

8,869 words is a lot. I've never written that many words in such a short time. Congrats on finishing!

storyqueen said...

Stasia-No champagne yet.....it might not be that good. But at least a draft is done.

Shannon-I'll probably never be able to do it again.

susanne-Thank you!

Tricia-Just hoping that it was time well spent and not a big fat waste. but I am not yet brave enough to find out.

Laura-Is it weird that I know exactly how many words?

Sherrie-Still hating chair.

Myrna-I don't really think I've managed even half of that in the past. I think it was a case of do or die.

Michelle McLean said...

congrats on finishing!!!! Wow, getting to the end of a book is a feeling like no other :) What an awesome accomplishment - time for some well deserved celebrating! :D

Jackee said...

I think I'd be hating my butt right now, not the chair. LOL!

Huge congrats, Shelley. You did it! You sprinted across the Grand Canyon. Now for the Himalayas. :o)

Kimberley Griffiths Little said...

Yay you!!! Congratulations!

My biggest drafting day ever was 8,000 words in about 10 hours. And I managed it on the last drafting day for my Armageddon Book Deadline this past August. I was desperate to just be done because I had to turn in the book so fast to my editor. Those last chapters can be motivating to push through just so you can write "The End". Enjoy the feeling! Raising chocolate cake to ya!

(In case you're curious, it was 45,000 words and then during the second draft I added 17,000 more words and rewrote whole scenes all over again.)

Catherine Denton said...

**vigorous clapping**

So proud of you!! You give us all the courage to finish our drafts!
Making Life a Work of Art!