What it Means to Type “The End.”

I’ve been quiet for sometime working on the draft of a new historical fiction novel set in 1800s Abeokuta, Lagos and Freetown. Yesterday, I finished the draft. Minutes after completing it (still basking in the euphoria) I wrote this on instagram:

“What does it mean to write ‘The End?’ To a writer, it’s more than mere words. It’s an end to late hours writing, questioning, researching. It’s months and sometimes years of living out the lives of your characters. It’s living on coffee and hoping that will carry you for sometime. For us women writers especially, it’s the feelings of guilt for not making enough time for our children when we are so heavily pregnant with this one. Completing the first draft is an accomplishment. Now to the hard task of editing!”

I still have some distance to cover to get to the final product, but this is a first step.  I can’t wait to share this multi-generational story with you inspired by actual events.