I’ve just finished the first draft of my third book and sent it to my editor. It’s strange how something that feels so wonderful can also make you sad. Completing the book is such a relief, not only for the tale to come to a conclusion, but as an author, to know that the story which has been filling your mind for months, has been told. I find it strange that I feel a little bereft when I finish writing, as if my friends have left and I’m siting alone in my studio after a very noisy and eclectic party!
The adventure of writing and jumping into the lives of my characters is exciting and exhilarating, even though it makes me nervous and unsure of myself at times. Knowing that a story has come to a conclusion, means it’s time for everyone else to meet them and I hope they enjoy reading about their lives as much as I did writing about them.
I’m looking at my computer screen and thinking about the name of my next novel. The characters are already telling me about their lives and the story is beginning to grow. It’s time for me to clear my desk of  notes and  add a bit of festive cheer to my studio, with a trail of sparkling tinsel and a bauble or two.
It is so satisfying to complete a novel that I think I might cheer up and celebrate at lunch  with friends and even nibble on a mince pie or two, before the whole process starts again and that 80,000 word count seems like a long, long road ahead!
Congos on getting the words out Lizzie – right with you on the shinies and the pies! 😉