First novel jitters

Reading this brought a tear to my eye. It's a special time you're at right now, cherish it. You're right...the second you write that last word you'll change, forever. It may be a small change, imperceptible to those around you but inside you'll know you're different.
"With great sacrifices comes great rewards, always son!" Tito Ortiz(oh I'm sure someone said it first but Tito added the 'always son')

Congrats and welcome to the club of those few of us who can actually finish a novel. A the end of the day a lot of people find they're all talk. If you can finish your work you're already lengths ahead of them.

-Gromhard

I think it's always a bit sad and a bit of a relief. I just finished the first draft of a novel a few days ago, and had been working on it every day since the 29th of May.

It takes some time, I feel anyway, to unwind from the experience and recharge. I think that you'll find yourself back at it again, but it doesn't have to be right away.

When I was about 3K words away from finishing, I just wanted to push through and do the end all at once so I wouldn't lose the energy of the build up, but after I had printed it all out and tied it up with string, I was kinda sad. Like at the end of a great party.

Well done and congrats for making it to the end, btw. That's an accomplishment you should feel go about.

LeftUnsaid said:

And what if this is as good as it gets? It must be hard to top the completion of a whole novel, that many stringed together words and sentences is incomprehensible. Does it get better than this?

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Yep. It gets better each time you reach this point and realize, "Hey, I just finished my second/third/fourth/twentieth novel."

The sense of completion is a great feeling. Aim for that, and you'll never stop writing.

LeftUnsaid said:

I have never given birth, but will it be anything like a mother forgetting the labor pains as soon as her newborn is placed in her arms?

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*choke* Yeah, come on in, the water's fine...

When I finished my first novel, it was incredibly elating--the only thing I could compare it to was the first time the Broncos won the Superbowl. No matter what happened to that ms. afterwards, I had written a whole book. Empty? Nah, I was pretty damned full of myself.

Yes, there was trepidation--what if everybody hates it? what if I can't get it published? But the feeling of accomplishment was terrific, and has never yet been repeated, at least at that level (despite having 5 completed mss. now).

Go on, finish. And enjoy!

Savor and remember that exultation when you reach THE END. Take however long, and jump as high as you can.

Then put it aside and start on the next one.

I went through what you're going through (at least as far as I can discern from your post). I put off writing the last chapter of my first novel for TWO WEEKS! I blasted through the rest of it, riding the momentum, but when it was almost, almost over...I backed off. It scared the crap out of me. I had one scene left to write. I could have finished it in 30 minutes if I'd have just sat down.

It was a weird feeling. A mix of "Oh wow, I reached the end!" and "Oh crud, it's over! Waaahhhhh..." Just let all the emotions wash over you and know it's not abnormal. I felt a deep sense of loss when I finished (finally), something like losing a friend. I'd told my character's stories; they had no further use for me. Even though I'm still working on pulling that pile of papers into something publishable, it's not the same relationship we once had. Now it's business.

And for zero consolation, I went through the same thing on novel #2. I was able to finish without the long stall in productivity, but the feeling of loss was still there. You don't forget it (and neither do you truly forget the pain of childbirth), but you move past it, slide into pride and accomplishment eventually.

As for what's next? Write another one. Polish this one. Submit. Repeat. Enjoy your writing.

Wow, I can't remember what it felt like with the first one (either it was too long ago or I have old timer's brain) But there is a definite warm fuzzy feeling when you reach The End.

It usually lasts about 10 minutes, then you start The Edits

Relax, enjoy yourself for an evening. Revel in your success. Then start another one. Think of them as your children, but think of yourself as a bunny - if you get my drift.

Good luck with your submissions.

I'm rather ashamed to admit that this big browser gets misty eyed and quite emotional when "The End" comes around. You've lived a life right along with your characters, and they've taken you on all kinds of thrills and spills to exotic locales, with experiences no one has every seen before. I've been misty-eyed 15 times in the past 20-years, and it happens without fail every time. I allow myself a glass of burgandy wine when it happens--and I don't drink at all. It is a time to relish the momment. Then...you must, because you know you can, start all over again to relive a different life with new people and new problems.

My characters just plain wear me out, because I put them through such hell. but we survive in the end and we figure things out together.

A book is like a magical vacation, one that you hope will never end, but we all know that they must.

Tri

That was a nice post, LeftUnsaid, and I can identify with your feelings. I have finished my novel too and am probably halfway through the editing/revising process. In a way I don't want to get it completely polished off because I like spending time with my characters, and it'll be like missing friends. I'm not sure I have another book in me, but maybe I'll have to let go of this one completely before I'll know.

Or...I'll write a sequel. Yeah, that's it.

Congratulations. Enjoy the moment. I just finished rewriting the conclusion to my novel, and that feels good too, even though I know I'll probably end up revising it some more.

LeftUnsaid

I read your quote about firemen. Water aint it. It's balls & faith.

I started so many novels before I ever actually finished one. It's scary finishing a first novel for some reason. The day I finally wrote the last chapter of a novel, I cried a little, and then went out for a margarita. Now, I have to go back and finish all the others.

I'll never forget the time when I finished my first novel. When I woke up in the morning I knew the end was in sight, and I felt simultaneously scared and exhilarated.

I began writing at 8 o'clock and finished at 3 am the next morning. There was no way I was going to stop while I had the bit between my teeth and the ideas and words were flowing. I wrote 7,562 words in that session, and not all of them were crap. In fact, in subsequent edits the story elements of that day's work barely changed at all. I merely polished everything up (about ten times!) to make it smoother, with a bit of backtracking to fill in some setups.

As others have said, it's a wonderful feeling and something that can never be taken away from you. Whether or not you ever become a published novelist, you are at least a novelist, by dint of talent, imagination and perseverance.

Even if the future turns out to be a nightmare, at least for now you can live the dream. Well done, and welcome to the select cohort of those who've completed the journey along the road less travelled.