Grace and Space

It's been a little over a full week since I wrote those coveted words - "the end" - on my draft.

There is still so much left to do - hear back from the rest of my critique partners, do a full read-through with a developmental editing lens, eventually work through line edits, research next steps in the long road to publishing, and more. That being said, I've been giving myself the last week to rest. I desperately needed space and grace when it came to the book, meaning I needed distance from the manuscript while not putting pressure on myself to be doing any writing-related work. Over the last year, I've developed a guilt-complex with it; if I wasn't producing new content or editing previously written pieces, I'd feel like I wasn't doing anything of value. On one hand, this ultimately helped drive the work forward and get me to complete the full book; on the other hand, at times I hated the entire project and was annoyed with myself for ever starting it. I could be a little ridiculous about it.

Despite this love-hate relationship with the project, I'll be honest: while the reprieve from writing was welcomed, by the time I got to the end of this past weekend, I was itching to get back at it. Sharing the story in this book, and the ones that will hopefully follow, is so important to me. I can't wait to share the journey of my characters with you. Leading up to releasing the book, I plan to write a couple of blog posts that talk about the why behind this book. It's just as important as the story itself, I think.

So, what's next? What comes after "the end?" What am I doing now that I'm finished sitting around and taking a break?

Like I said before: edits, edits, and more edits.

Currently, I'm working my way from the beginning to end of the book, trying to take it one chapter at a time. I need to do a full read-through to make sure the story line makes sense, has consistency, and follows the intended arc. Meanwhile, I also need to walk through the script with a fine-tooth comb to ensure that proper grammar is implemented. As tedious as that sounds, I secretly love doing that. #EnglishMajorProblems. My plan is to edit a chapter a day, but we'll see how that goes.

Simultaneously to editing, the goal is to also continue writing. Like anything else, it's a craft that must be practiced and honed so that the words don't grow rusty being left on their proverbial shelves. I'm currently toying around with two other book concepts that could serve as sequels to the one I just completed. I also have an idea that has been niggling me for some time now about writing a fantasy-fiction novel with Celtic mythology undertones. More to come on that; it needs to incubate a bit longer in my brain before seeing the light of day on the page. It will also entail quite a bit of research, so I've been work-avoiding it to be honest.

Many thanks to everyone who has signed up to receive updates about the book, expressed interest in this process, and offered general love and support. It has been an amazing, albeit challenging, experience so far; I'm eager to share my little project with you all.