Of Midnight Madness February 8, 2008
Posted by Jen in : Journal, Novel , trackbackThat’s it. I’ve finished writing The Novel. I was quite prepared to stay up until it was time to get up if I had to.
I wish I could say I felt happy. But I don’t feel anything. Well, utterly knacked out. That’s not very writerly or funky, is it?
Time for The Novel to ferment now. A month should do it. Yeah, right. I’m already thinking ways to tweak the ending. And bits I want to add in. Obsessed.
But. Tomorrow I am not going to think about it. Well, not much, anyway. I’m going to walk the dog, do yoga, snip at things in the garden. And we have tickets to see Mark Watson. Friday evening comedy. Bliss.
‘I’ve finished,’ I wearily told Lovely Bf. ‘That’s it, the first draft done.’
‘That’s brilliant,’ he exclaimed. ‘Any chance you could have a wash now?‘
Oh, yes, sheer glamour my life.
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A huge congratulations to you, spiral skies. I’m opening a virtual bottle of bubbly in your honor. I hope you treat yourself to something lovely while the first draft incubates.
What she said!
Well done for finishing. The editing can wait for a while, so if you must write then perhaps work on something other than The Book for now.
OMG well done you!!! That is fantastic.
(Though I’m with you on the feeling nothing - I didn’t either.)
Oh Jen, well done! You are beautiful and clever and actually finish things that you start/do as you say. CONGRATULATIONS! It’ll probably take a couple of days to let go so make sure you have fun planned…thats what I would do if, I did what I said and finished what I started EVER.
CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS CONGRATULATIONS!
Very Very Very Well Done, gold star, go to top of class etc etc. I had the knackered nothing feeling too, but it wore off after a day or so. You have written a whole novel, that is a real and huge achievement and you have every right to feel proud of yourself. It is hard to put it down, but you need to - if you have thoughts about tweaks that won’t go away, write them down somewhere separate from your novel and keep them until the month is up. And celebrate, this weekend - you deserve it!
I’m so impressed well done - I will take you as my inspiration today and while I will certainly not finish my novel I might just get to the end of a chapter.
Have fun when the celebration mood kicks in
P.S There’s a well deserevd award for you over at mine
Well done you!
That feeling of relief never goes away, even after seven novels!
Well done!!! I was also completely wiped when I finished my first draft. Now you can relax! I was surprised at how quickly I forgot about it. Have a brilliant break!
Oh God Jen - you put me to shame! I want to congratulate, really I do, but am struggling because I still haven’t finished the second bloody chapter of mine. Oh Bugger it - WELL DONE! Thank god someone is working hard!!!
Yay! Congrats Jen. Well done! I gave an enormous sigh of relief when I finished mine. Still opened the champagne though cos it’s not every day you write and finish a novel is it? Celebrate the moment!
Yay!!!! Well done you! xx
K Imaginelli - thanks for the virtual bubbly. I may well treat myself to lots of somethings!
Cap’n Black - Hmmm, yes, short stories to be scrubbed up and sent out. Might have to try having More Ideas too.
Helen - Weird, isn’t it? I thought I’d be jumping for joy but, well, I keep wanting to pick it to bits and make it better. Gluttons for punishment…
Pacha - I’ve walked the dog, taken some pics, done some gardening and now sitting in the gorgeous sunshine reading a funny book. Lovely. You’ll get there. Luckily, you’re not reading blogs again
Zinnia - of course, making separate notes about tweaks, you’re a genius. Sort of obvious but it hadn’t occurred to me so thanks. Am making the most of a quiet house today then comedy tonight. I’ve written a bloomin novel - I seriously can’t believe it?
Sarah D - thanks for the award, that’s made me even more smiley. And ooh, I’ve never been an inspiration before. Eep.
Rachel - Seven novels, that’s so awesome. You’re amazing!
Yvonne - am starting to chill and smile now. Will be chasing your re-writing tail before you know it.
Hesitant Lisa - Ta! We’ll cut you some slack. Only a little bit though. You’ll get there…
Cally - Cheers. Yes, sigh of relief kind of covers it but the glow’s creeping up a bit now. Pass the champagne! We deserve it!
Kate - Thank you so much. I still can’t sew or make funky stuff though.
Brilliant, Jen. That’s a fantastic achievement. Well done!
Give you a mighty slap on the back and cyber hugs and champagne from me!
I’m blimmin’ seething with jealousy. Not that I’ve any right (write) to be of course. You clearly sit down and Get On With It and I..er..don’t.
But I’m going to. I aAM. You’re an inspiration. Well done :o)
(See how I’ve gone full circle there? The meds must be wearing off).
Fan Flipping Fantastic!!!!
Enormous well dones to you my girl. You have done it — just like what you said you would:-)
Enjoy your yogery, snipping weekend and night of comedy. Well deserved:-)
WELL DONE!!!!!
So brilliant, Jen, I’m really chuffed for you. I hope you are (deservedly) sloshed by now
PS Have you had a wash yet?! (aren’t boyfriends lovely?)
Well done you!
I was the same when I finished my novel. I felt nothing. I didn’t jump for joy or burst into tears. It was a case of ‘Right, that’s that then’.
Hope you have a fantastic night tonight! xx
Starting is easy isn’t it? Finishing though, well that’s another matter.
Supercalifrag……I can sing it but not spell it. Very, very well done that girl!!!
oh hooray! how amazing! i can’t imagine how that feels. Have you got a publisher? When can we buy it??!!
Pigx
Oh well done! Not surprised you’re knackered!
Congratulations!
WTG!!! Fantastic:-)
Maddie - thanks me luvvly. Am quite giddy with all this virtual champers.
Karen - Take more meds immediately. It’s taken me over a year of getting on with it which would suggest I didn’t get on with it fast enough. Will be better next time!
Lane - managed the snippery but now ache too much for the yogery. Lying down is my plan for today…
Ms Diamond - I bravely managed to quaff a suitable quantity of red wine while chortling at Mark Watson last night. I even had a bath. Will have another one next week whether I need one or not!
A Writer - I thought I was peculiar, not jumping for joy and all that. Glad it’s normal (or that you’re all just as peculiar as me?)
Fiona - am smiling to think of you singing away. Starting’s not easy, you’re right. And finishing’s a bugger. Gawd knows what I’ve filled the ‘keeping going’ bit with. Will be painful to look!
Pig - No publisher or anything like that yet. It will have to rest for a while before I attack it with a meat cleaver and re-write the many duff bits. Only then will it be even vaguely fit for human consumption. (I used foodie metaphors for you there. Gosh.)
Helen - Knackered. Ugh. Yes. Doesn’t sound very glam at all, does it?
Mephitis - thank you!
Liz - Ta! Not quite catching up with you yet though. Ooh, and your comment has just reminded me to send off my app to the RNA. Ta again!
Jen, you bloody Genius!
Well done. Once you realise what you’ve done, you’ll start feeling well proud of yourself - and so you should. Now go and have a wash - I can smell you from here!
Mya x
Congratulations!
(Throw some bubble bath in for me!)
And, sorry - off topic - you’re tagged for the Good Vibrations meme!
Well done you !
*round of applause*
Well done you! A magnificent acheivement.
I hope you’ve enjoyed your first day of ‘not thinking about it’ and fermentation. If the weather down your way is anything like it is up here in the midlands, you picked a perfect day for it.
Mya - I’ve had two baths now. How’s that for a celebration? I even sipped champagne in last night’s candlit bathing extravaganza.
Leigh - consider yourself bubbled. Ooh, a tag, ta.
Breezy - thank you so much. New temping job on Monday morning, aarrrghh…
Nez - Yes, it’s been gorgeous here too. Currently drinking coffee in the garden with Mark Haddon! Hope the sun’s till shining on your new shoots?
That’s absolutely fantastic! Don’t put off the edits though - this project is LIVE so treat it as such. My first novel - some years ago now - never saw print because I balked at the suggestion of a major rewrite by a prospective agent, but with hindsight she was probably right. In any event I trawled round other agents for a further six months, by which time there was a baby in the house and a rewrite was out of the question. Give yourself a fortnight off, and then get on with it. If you hit hiatus while you wait for publishers etc to get back to you, then begin project B. Don’t. Ever. Stop.
But for now - congrats and hot chocolate!
It’s great to hear you’ve finished your book.
We all miss you at Hoopers!
HWz - Live? LIVE?? Crumbs, that all sounds rather scary. I was planning to lie in a dark room for a long while. I’m giving myself 4 weeks to recover. The cogs are still turning though. Honest.
Tom, hello! I sort of miss Hoopers too, especially the people. At least it got me used to managing on next to no money which is invaluable for this writing malarkey. Ooh, it’s lovely to hear from you!
I’m only getting round to catching up and wanted to say a huge CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
You did it!!!! I am so so proud of you!!!! Now I demand that you go eat, drink and be merry!!
C x
OMG! OMG!
Yayayayayayayayayayay!
CONGRATULATIONS!
I’m so thrilled for you. So thrilled.
(only late to this because of Malta … you’ve made me smile a real smile!)
x
Carol - ta! Have been most merry. Might not be so merry when I start the re-write, of course…
Caroline - smiling real smiles is just what we expect from Nice Caroline. Caroline Smiles. See? Even your name’s right.
X