Last week I typed the words “The End” at the end of my first manuscript. About 75,000 words after I began. But “The End” is rarely, and it shouldn’t be, the end at that point.
That was just the first draft.
I have no idea if my final book will look much like my manuscript when I’m done with it and my editor is done with it. I’ve had a BETA reader read segments of it and give feedback, and I have a subject matter expert reading a few sections, just to ensure it’s technically accurate.
I am getting ready to sit down and do the first full read through since I started. I’ve read large sections of it, and I spent much of last week doing keyword searches for overused words, so I’ve been looking over segments many times.
I know I have some holes. I know I have some things I want to change. But, I’m pretty excited to send it off to my editor in about a week and see what she has to say. I’m bracing myself for a file full of red, but I look forward to learning so much from her first edit and strive to have a better first draft each time.
Equally exciting, I started a new manuscript this weekend. This one is not in the same series, and it’s a bit of a secret right now, but I’m excited to be working on my second manuscript as well – this one will be a novella around 25,000. And for those who know me, brevity is not my strong suit, so this will be a challenge!