Joy, pride, relief, disbelief, sadness, emptiness…

I’d forgotten what it feels like to finish a first draft. There’s a moment when your brain switches from “what’s next?” to “oh, I’m finished.” It’s anticlimactic. It’s strange.

And then the emotions kick in. This story has been gestating for so long it feels like a weight has lifted, but there’s a hollowness filling the gap. Plus the knowledge of a lot more still to do before the book’s released. More drafts, maybe changing the title, feedback from beta readers, cover design, layout, clicking Publish, celebratory punting…

But for now: hooray!

STATS! STATS! STATS! 119,600 words (98 scenes) in 94 days – that’s just under 1300 words a day, every day.

I’m pleased with that.