Being an Author – Glowing at the finish line.

Those magic words “The End” are two very bittersweet words. When I finished my first novel, Do I Know You, I was filled with mixed emotions. I’d completed a major accomplishment, and I was pumped and proud of myself. I couldn’t wait to tell someone, anyone…but I was home alone. I wanted to shout from the rooftops, run up and down the street yelling “I did it”…but instead I let the adrenaline run through my body as I paced the house waiting for my husband to come home. All I wanted was to share this significant event. I stared out the window hoping someone would stop by for a visit, at which point, I would rapidly spill the good news. It’s an incredible experience…one that is quite difficult to put into words.

Then the reality of being done set in, and suddenly I was sad. I began to miss my characters, miss the story, and regretted bringing it to an end. What a sad state of affairs when you find yourself wanting to hit the rewind button and undo everything I had worked so hard to write.

Here’s the deal, while I was writing I was living it. Yes, I know it’s all in my head, but I became a part of each scene as if I was standing on the beach. I can feel the movement of Sara’s hair as if it is my own. Being a writer means having the ability to project yourself right into the world you are creating. When each day is done, and you have to stop writing and be part of your real family, it’s hard…you almost want to refuse, but fair is fair…right?

Times when I have been a bit stumped and can’t get going with a scene, I realize that I have just taken the wrong bus to the party…so I grab another bus and get moving. Because I write the end of the story before filling in the middle, I can see the finish line and find it easier to create the scenes to get there…but still “writer’s block” is real, thankfully it’s not something I deal with often, but I’m not immune.

When I started the project, I only cared about finishing it…making my dream come true. Now that I was finished, what was I to do then?

Stay tuned for my next blog and I’ll answer that question.