I’ve finished the first draft!

Just thought you might like to know<insert big grin here> After so many stops and starts, I’ve finally done it, I’ve written THE END. I know some of you writers may know how that feels, but to anyone else, well I don’t know how to explain it. But it’s good, satisfying and scary all a the same time. Satisfying because this tiny germ of an idea has grown into a 90,000 word  novel. Scary because rather than being finished, I’ve barely begun.

I had to run to my alpha reader to discuss my story goal. Like what is it? And after lots of discussion we have come to terms that it’s mostly a love story. The reason for this dilemma, reader, is that I originally only started out to have a short 3000 word story and the story goal was more about survival in a foreign land. 90,000 words later, things have changed but I hadn’t really identified the goals and motivations.

So today, I’m taking a bit of time to do a story timeline. This is just like any timeline, with all the pivotal points marked. After this, I’m going to put a summary of each scene on a index card and have a look at it. I’ll be looking to see if each scene  flows, if it’s in the right place.

I read an article on Donald Miller’s site, (never heard of him reader? well I hadn’t either, but I really liked what he had to say) here is the link that was provided by Lia Keyes in Wordcount Warriors, a FaceBook writing group. Have a look for yourself if you’re inclined.

http://donmilleris.com/2012/02/09/the-power-of-knowing-your-story/

There’s lot’s to do reader, so I’ll be getting on with it.

Is that confusing enough for you reader? Let me explain.

My WIP is an Historical Romance, of sorts, set in the Hunter Valley in the early 1800’s. I’ve been basing the fiction around actual events and some real characters, and so far, it’s coming along quite nicely.

The thing is, I don’t really read this kind of book, I love Mysteries. So why don’t I write what I love to read, I hear you ask reader? MMMM good question.

I guess I can only answer that by explaining how I came to be writing an historical romance. I have several half finished and a few barely started manuscripts. I had been stalled in my writing for almost a year. I wanted to write, and yet my life kept seeming to conspire against my desire to do anything about it. I would swing between guilt at writing and not doing other work, such as invoicing (eekk) and then guilt at not writing because I really want to. Is my desire to write selfish and should I just forget about it?

No, reader, it’s not selfish to want to write, why shouldn’t I be able to pursue my own passion. Other people are allowed to have hobbies, though heaven forbid I should insult my writer friends by implying their writing is merely a hobby! I don’t think writing is a hobby, although if I am not earning money, maybe it is one for the moment. Anyway, hobby or not a hobby aside, the reason I have written 80,000+ words in an Australian Historical Romance reader is because I decided to enter a 3,000 word limit writing competition. I have never previously written for any competition, but I wanted to get myself back into a writing head space. I thought a writing competition would do the trick reader. So I said to myself, “Self, set it locally to make research easier.” Local being the Lower Hunter in New South Wales. Where I live reader. So I read about the early settlement of the Hunter River and Patrick Plains, now known as the Singleton area. I became intrigued by place names that I’d heard of and signs I’d seen a hundred or more times. I’d had no idea we had such a rich and exciting history. Then I began to write, with no idea at all what I was going to write about. So I imagined a girl on a ship, having sailed for over 4 months, then arriving to find things not at all as she’d expected, not at all as she’d been promised. Guess what reader, three thousand words were not going to cut it! Maddy, my willful MC had other ideas. She just seemed to have so much more to say.

So here I am reader, a few thousand words away from an ending that I dreamed one night, jumped out of bed and scribbled down before that elusive wisp of inspiration was burned off under the harsh glow of the kitchen lights.

The thing is reader, I’m enjoying it, I love my characters, they are interesting and I never know what they will do next. Maybe one day I will write that mystery but in the mean time, I’ve got Maddy and Daniel waiting for me to sort them out. So I shall do get back to it.

Why do you read what you read, and write what you write? Really reader, I’d like to know 🙂

I’ve saddled myself with lots of deadlines and work this month dear reader.

February for me will consist of all the usual, book keeping, BAS (Business Assessment Statements – tax payments) plus joining an online Word War group on Facebook. I find the immediacy of a writing challenge that lasts an hour invaluable for my writing. Somehow it forces me to get stuck in.

A time is set and, posted on the Facebook page, then we wait and see who joins in and then it’s a countdown until write off time. I try to give myself a few hours to get other stuff, like the BAS or invoicing done, then I write flat out for that hour and see what comes. It’s usually good! Which is why I loved NaNo so much.

To add to the insanity, I’m a fully paid up member of the “Pacing” course with Mary Buckham via the WriterU courses. I know this will be invaluable, but I think I could have done with it being run in March rather than February. Still I’d much rather be writing than doing book keeping or house work as well you may have gathered reader.