Monday, October 30, 2006

And he emerges from his lair...

Zokutou word meter
94,000 / 90,000
(104.4%)


That little tidbit above represents my complete first draft of Skin, which I just emailed to my agent. My eyes are kinda bleery still from the final push, and I've already got about 20 questions running through my mind about things that need fixing, or at least careful examination. And that's without doing a complete read-through. Heaven knows what I'll find when I actually read it. But just reaching this milestone feels good.

Of course, the moment I types "...this milestone feels good" the raging self-doubts arose. Omigawd, what if it sucks? What if I'm not nearly as clever as I think I am? What if I'm too clever for my own good? What if I didn't explain enough? What if I explained too much? What if I said "she shrugged" too many times? What if everyone "totally knows what's going on from like, chapter three, dude"? What if it's dumb? What if I'm exactly like every other writer on earth at the "finish" of a draft?

Because even though I emailed it, I was thinking about a quick change to make before I forget. Oh my.

But at least I can catch up with my blog buddies again!

9 comments:

angie said...

Yay, you! Felicidades! Congratulations! And stuff...

Try not to get hung up on the "raging self-doubt," though. You finished a frikken first draft, not the final edits. So good on ya!

Brett Battles said...

No matter what, you finished that first draft! Way to go!!!

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

LOL I'm the same way. What is it with titles invovling the word "skin" this year? Stewart's latest was supposed to be "Broken Skin."

Tracy Sharp - Author of the Leah Ryan Series said...

Oops, that's Stuart. I'm always screwing that up.

mai wen said...

Congrats Congrats Congrats!!

Enough said, enjoy it... I know that's easier said than done though.

Rob Gregory Browne said...

Hell, I'm already feeling the exact same way and I haven't even finished yet. Mine is "She frowned."

But at least you're "done." Congratulations.

anne frasier said...

woo-hoo, bill!!! it's all downhill from now on.

and uphill.

and downhill.

and up again.

heh!!

anne frasier said...

mine is she squatted.

just kidding.

Bill Cameron said...

Ha hah!

I read a short story once in a workshop class where the writer thought she was being very clever by saying, "She gave birth to a Muppet," to indicate anger.

Okay, so it was a weird metaphor, but there was always a chance it might have worked—except she used it FIVE TIMES in a ten page story.

I gave birth to a Muppet.