I did it. I finished my historical novel!

87,026 words. 214 pages (1.5 spaced). Thousands of hours of writing and research.

I began it during the school year a couple of years ago, working from 5:15-6:15 AM most days of the week. Then I put it aside for awhile to work on other projects, but I kept up my research, since I was interested in the time period and event I fictionalized. I finally picked it up again a few weeks before Edwin was born, editing the 32,000 words I already had and deciding how to continue it.

There were times that I didn’t know where the novel was going and what the characters would do next, and I dreaded sitting down to write for the day. But I kept at it, 1,000 words a day, as many days as possible, and just over three months after Edwin’s birth, it’s finished. Finished! I can’t really believe it’s true.

There’s still a lot of work to be done, of course. This is only a first draft, and I have many things to fix and change, many revisions to make, many more drafts to go through before it’s ready to see the light of day. (Though I will probably ask for friends and family to step in and help me read and edit after a few more drafts.) But the hardest part is over. All the paint is on the canvas; now I just have to keep it wet and move it around until it’s picture perfect.

12/12/12 is a very special day for me! I hope it’s special for you too!