In Which I Finally Finish a NaNo Novel (!!!)
Thus it is that for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013 I still have a bunch of unfinished first drafts. Sad, isn't it? Now, I got somewhat closer to finishing something with my 2013 novel, Petrichor. But despite my greatest efforts, my plan to finish it before November failed. (It will be finished soon, however. I promise.)
Thus it is that Lost Girls is the first NaNo novel I've ever finished.
I made it my goal to finish my novel this time. I was going to do it. I set my goal on myWriteClub for January 15th.
But no, that is too small, I decided. Let us make it December 5th.
My dear friends challenged me to a word war today. After about three of them, I was realizing: this book could actually be finished today. During the word war, I had a stroke of inspiration on how it could end.
I had come up with my ending. Now it was just a matter of writing it.
I put on a playlist on Spotify and right as Eye of the Tiger came on, I knew... this novel would be finished tonight.
I wrote the very end of the climax, which was actually really violent and gross (and I still don't know how to feel about it). And then I wrote my last scene which wrapped everything up. Well, kind of. Because now I need a sequel (it's official). And in that sequel, things happen. Difficult things. It isn't unprecedented, though. In this book I separated my OTP, and there was lots of angst. (Which, I'll admit, made me happy. For a couple days, I wasn't sure how to end it. Then when I came up with the idea to separate my OTP, I knew that was the right ending. Call me sadistic; it's probably true.)
I couldn't decide what line to end it on, so I may have finished at 4:55, but I kept tweaking the end sentence. I decided I couldn't tweak it forever, so at 5:00 pm on-the-dot I decided to call it: Lost Girls was DONE at a grand total of 141 pages and 53,157 words.
It feels fantastic, really. I'm proud that I finished what I started. This is the fourth book under my belt, and overall, I'm really satisfied.
Now, we just have to survive revisions!
3 comments
Congrats on finishing your novel! That's such an amazing accomplishment! =)
ReplyDeleteI wish I could finish the many drafts I have started that are still left awaiting me in Word. xD
~Adi
This was my first year of NaNo and I didn't finish, but your post made me rethink just giving up on my book entirely. Just because I didn't finish in November doesn't mean I shouldn't keep on going! Good luck with rewrites and love the Supernatural GIFs!
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS!!! That's so fantastic! There's no better feeling than finishing a novel, is there? You did awesomely, girl. You absolutely deserve to celebrate and relax for a while. I mean, you just WROTE A WHOLE NOVEL. Bask in the awesomeness. :D
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