‘Twas a Dark and Stormy Night when I Finished My Novel…

Seriously though, it is and I did!

It is a dark and stormy night and I did finish my novel!

Amidst thunderous crashes and brilliant flashes of lightning, I typed two very important words onto the last page of my novel: The End.  

I stared at the screen for a minute, reveling in the beauty of the moment.  When I started Song of Leira in September, I had the tiniest smidgen of an idea, scribbled down one evening while working on another story and stored away until I had time.  That idea has grown into a story that was far bigger than I first imagined and will eventually fill three books – that’s the plan at least! :)

Right now, the first draft of Song of Leira stands at 121,441 words!  In Times New Roman, font size 12, double spaced lines, that equals roughly 408 pages on my computer!  Unfortunately, that’s a little too long for a young adult fantasy novel according to most standards, but that’s ok!

I know there is plenty for me to edit.  That’s why this is the first draft!  And I can’t wait to start going back through the story polishing, shining, cutting (yes, hacking away at my beloved story) until the diamond shows through the rough stone of the first draft.

And so, it’s not truly the end.  Well, the story has reached the end, but I’m not finished with the story yet!  And I’m glad because I really have grown to love my funny little characters with their odd ways and individual failings.

I’m so thrilled that I’ve finished!  And so thrilled that there is work yet to be done.  Thrilled that I don’t need to leave Leira yet, that I don’t need to say goodbye to Birdie, Amos, and Ky, or Gundhrold or George.

I am so thankful for the opportunity I’ve had to write this novel!  Taking a year off from school was a big step and there were many times when I asked myself why I did this and what I could possibly have been thinking.

But if I hadn’t taken a year off, my writing would not have grown the way it has, I probably would not have written this novel, and, well, I would be studying right now which is a lot less fun than writing the ending to my novel!  :)

So thank you Lord for the gift of writing!  I pray that my writing would always glorify You!

I can’t wait to edit this story and I can’t wait to start on book two!

But wait… I finished… so that means I get to go to sleep tonight!  (See previous post for context!)  Haha, but I’m way to excited to sleep right now… and tomorrow I will be wielding the dastardly red pen!

[The title of this post was suggested by my awesomely clever Mama!  Thank you Mom for your encouragement!]