I FINISHED MY NOVEL!
It's like finishing a snail race; a slow drawn out process but I finally made it to the end! I even left a slimy trail to prove it. I didn't quiet make it to the 85K mark (79,700) but I have so much to rewrite, edit and clean up I'm not worried about my word count. And the funny thing, my story has changed SO much from when I first started writing it. Has that happened to you?
Confession time: The last chapter is super short with about three or four notes made in the middle. So I'll have to write it out later but I need to go back and do some clean up so I can more clearly see how the last chapter will pan out. Also, I will probably write an Epilogue later but I want to sharpen up my story before I write it. Having a cleaner story will make my Epilogue more meaningful.
Now, how do I edit my first draft?
First I need to send my critique parter the next chapter to review. We took the summer off critiquing each other's work so we have to get back into the swing of things.
Second, I think I'll tackle an overall outline. Yeah, I'm a pantser so outlining before I start is impossible. Outlines cramp my writing style. I end up working toward an outline and my story lags. Yes that means twice the work on revising but hey, you gotta do what works for you.
Also later this week, I will have another SCBWI post up about Literary Authors.
