I don't think I realized what an accomplishment writing 265 pages is until I hit print. I have a HUGE stack of pages in front of me. Pages I wrote. Pages I breathed to life. Pages that exist because of endless hours writing late at night, writing between weekend events, writing to get my ideas on the page.
It's easy to get boggled down in critiques and self-editing (which are both important), but it's refreshing to take a moment and realize what's accomplished. Writing is NOT easy. Those who think it is, have never written a fiction novel. I've learned so much these last few months from other writers and classes. Things I didn't realize about fiction: Don't dump back-story, get rid of adverbs and adjectives. Use strong verbs. Get rid of words like "that, just, was, even" etc. slowing pacing down. Writing is a whole new world with much to discover and learn.
But for now, I want to savor every step of this journey. Appreciate where I've come and where I'm headed. My goal is to reach about 80-85,000 words to complete this novel. I'm almost there! And when that day comes, you bet I'm going to splurge. Heck, I'm going to Disneyland.
And then, I'll be lost in revisions...lots of them...and then more revisions. It's all a part of this amazing journey--writing.
