October 12, 2003
Weekly progress report
Heh.
Weekly word count: 12,239
Last week: 8633
Highest day: 4356 (today!)
*goes back to singing her new favorite song: "Done, donedonedonedone..."*
The 15th? The 15th did I say? HA!
After blasting out the end of Chapter 17 this morning, I went on to write all of Chapter 18 in a long marathon day of writing.
4500 words later, the first draft of The Exile's Daughter is FINISHED!
I love the way the ends came together and tied themselves up at the end. I love the way it ends. I think for once I've managed to write something that doesn't have a totally wimpy and weak ending. I think I may have something here.
Tomorrow, I am SO taking tomorrow off.
And to think it all started with me just wanting to write a combat scene. That was June 6th. By July 7th, I knew I had a novel. And today, October 12th, that novel is complete. I don't think anything feels as sweet as that.
You heard it here first:
There are no sweeter words in the English language than the following two:
THE END.
As of 10:15 this evening, the first draft of The Exile's Daughter is FINISHED. I was so exhilirated, so overwhelmed, I nearly burst into tears. I don't recall being this emotional when I finished the first draft of The Host, but there you go. I am riding high right now.
The final numbers, for the curious:
97,172 words
440 pages in standard manuscript format (340 in my draft format)
18 chapters, cut into three sections.
I did it. I really really did it.
Note to self:
Forget about trying to write while listening to the finale from Les Miserables. You're going to short out your keyboard if you keep sobbing into it. And not crying is not an option when Jean Valjean dies.
Final chapter
I just finished Chapter 17. Diving into the very last chapter. There's a chance I might push through and finish today. If not today, tomorrow. Holy shit.
If anyone hears a scream coming from my corner of Michigan later on today, you'll know I finished. :)
