Endings, Beginnings

It's a strange feeling, the day after finishing a new manuscript. I've spent months immersed in another world, surrounded by characters who are dear to my heart, lost for hours in the twists and turns of plotting and craft, then all of a sudden...it's over. The ride ends with the last words on the last page, leaving me adrift. Curiously empty.

Oh, it's not OVER, of course. I'll have between two and five more self-editing passes and rewrite rounds before sending it off to my (amazing) editor, but that's a matter of error-catching, structure and style. The story's told. The story's done. There's a small sense of sadness, like parting from dear friends (if only for a little while). That's mitigated, though, by the thought that soon, when the book is polished, tight, and ready, I can share it with all of you.

Tonight I just feel...peacefully quiet. I'm going to cook up a steak, pour myself a drink, and boot up the Playstation. Sounds like a good night off, to me. Tomorrow? Tomorrow I start plotting the next book. And so it goes.