Novel Update & a Well-Deserved Rest

It's a strange feeling to have finished the latest draft of the novel WIP. I had a similar feeling after completing the previous drafts, but this time it's stronger. The story is in a place I'm happy with, and there is little left to do.

Tae is going through the novel now. She's over halfway done, and the items she's found for me to revise are relatively straightforward. That means that when she's done, I'll likely have about a week or less of work to do. She's volunteered to go through it again as a reader (instead of an editor) after I work through her finds. Beyond that, I'll put it in the hands of some trusted beta readers. Those will be the first to see it outside Tae and my friend DeAnne, and two sample chapters I sent out from the first draft.

A lot has changed in the actual writing since the first draft. What will those people think? Honestly, I have no idea. I think that's part of the strange feeling I have. I've created a story, a full-length novel, and spent thousands of hours refining it to the point that I'm happy with it, and I have absolutely no idea what anyone aside from Tae and DeAnne will think of it.

That might read as some kind of anxiety, but it's more about the hope that what I've done will resonate with someone, somewhere. Only time will tell.

In the meantime, Cap'n Hammy Pants, my novel-writing co-pilot, is taking a well-deserved rest.

What's New?

• While Cap'n Hammy Pants is taking a break, I'm focusing my efforts on newsletters and thinking about precisely how to write a book blurb. My beta reader list has no idea what my book is about, and I can't just toss them a Word doc. I mean...I could...but that wouldn't really be the typical reading experience. Every book you usually pick up, you know something about, and quite often, you read the blurb about it (seen on the back of the book or on the sales page online). So, I'm researching blurb writing.
• Next Week: An American serial killer who appeared on a game show amidst his murder spree.