...'Cause The Same Old Story is done! I typed "the end" last night, 46 days and 57,000 words after I got back to work on the already-started manuscript on August 16, averaging about 1200 words a day, for those keeping score. But, really, this exercise wasn't about clocking words and tallying a score; it was about finding a rhythm and setting a goal that allowed me to be more productive with my time and energy.Today, I'll zip copies out to a few trusted friends for a first read and comments, as well as to an agent who I've had looking at my stuff.
In a couple of weeks, once I've heard back from those readers with their comments and critiques and I've had time to clear my head so I can look at the manuscript with fresh eyes, I'll go back in to smooth some of the rough edges and fix all the continuity gaffs and other errors that have inevitably crept into the story.
But...it's done!
Today, I'll clear my psychic pallet by cleaning up all the stuff that's accumulated around me while I was focusing on the book, catching up on e-mails, respond to some interview questions that have been waiting, check on the status of other work, file paperwork, etc. Tomorrow, I'll be ready to get to work on my second young reader Superman storybook for Stone Arch Books, the plot of which was approved a week or so ago. After that, I'll be starting on a non-fiction book for young readers about Jerry Yang, one of the founders of Yahoo!, for Chelsea House.
And, in a day or three, I'll start on my next 500-words a day project: a YA novel called Supertown. I've already got about 16,000 words, or about a third of it, down on paper and the rest of the story outlined.
If nothing else, this line of work sure keeps me from getting bored.
