I finished my never-ending draft...why am I not whoo hooing?

Congratulations!

I recommend letting it sit for a while before you dig back into it. You're still close to it, so you may not see all that needs to be fixed, cut, altered...so let it sit, then read through it and get back to work!

Congratulations Miss Java, finishing a draft is a great accomplishment no matter what state it's in! Good luck with the next stage!

You sound exhausted. Congratulations on finishing that first draft! Now shove it into a drawer for a month or two, stew on it in bed at night, start something else, take a long walk or two, play your favourite band LOUD, eat some chocolate, read a few books. When next you look at it, you'll have a better idea what to do with it.

I don't always woohoo when I finish a draft. In fact, I rarely do. Only articles get that kind of reaction out of me. With fiction it's more of a sigh, and then I force myself to put the thing away for at least one month before I look at it again. The one I have sitting now is going to require some more research to properly finish, but I wanted to tie off the plot and let that sit while I focus on gathering the facts I need (which can also contribute heavily to an article I'm drafting).

So, IMHO, nothing wrong with no woohoos. Sometimes it's just exhausting to make it to the end.

Whenever I finish a piece of writing (a short story or my novel) I feel relief first, and then... well, just relief. Seriously, congratulations, and like IrishScribbler I suggest you put the manuscript away, and start working on something else.

Trust me, you will feel good about having finished it, once your brain realizes that it doesn't have to push so hard to get it out any longer.

Congrats, Miss Java! You have accomplished something that a large number of struggling writers never accomplish: a completed first draft. Good job!

I write in scenes. Then I connect them. It was more surprise than enthusiasm when my first draft was complete. I realized there wasn't anything left to connect.

It was cool to read it front to back that first time. Then I started editing, and editing, and editing...

Be proud you got this far. Good luck with the rest.

Congratulation!

You're probably very tired. Put the draft away for a bit, do something else, give your brain a rest. The hard part is done. Go enjoy yourself then come back to it later.

I very rarely woo-hoo over anything to do with writing. Often, when I finish a draft, I feel a mixture of relief and whatever it is the end of the book was supposed to make me feel.

I did woo-hoo when I sold my first published article, but that was because I was so surprised.

Celebrate when you're done. Now you have to hop onto the query-go-round, and get this sucker in print. When you've finished handing out all your ARCs at Book-Expo-America, you've networked and you're in a bar flirting with a very drunk, and very bad ducky...

Congrats on the accomplisment. I second the opinions of letting it sit...a few days to a few weeks even. That may be difficult ( start another WIP ) but it will clear your vision and enable you to "see" corrections that need to be made.

Best of luck!

There's no right or wrong way to eat a Reese's/ feel after you've completed a 1st draft. You're not "woo hooing" possibly because you realize that, at least in some ways, the hard part is just beginning. Progress is more important than feelings, anyway. I, myself, can feel many different ways about a WIP depending on something substantial and sometimes nothing at all. I've strangely felt great about a WIP when, objectively, I realized that the rate and level of progress was poor, and I've felt pissy about a WIP even while I realized that it was moving along well. The only times feelings should be given a lot of weight is when you feel you could be burning out. Its great to feel great, but sometimes even positive feelings can be a blinder.

That being said, congratulations on completing the 1st step!

BS

You just know there is a lot of hard work still ahead. We will woo hoo for you.

You're not alone. I never feel that excited over finishing a novel or even a short story. There is always more work to do.

I finished my never-ending draft...why am I not whoo hooing?

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As they complete or near completion of a novel, a lot of writers go through the "Oh my gawd" shut down stage. This can sometimes turn out to be driven by an uncontrolled fear of rejection.

While you were working on the novel, rejection was always sometime down the road, you still had plenty of work to do, and you knew you were going to make it better, fix any problems you knew about, etc.

Once you have a finished first draft, second draft, or final draft, you no longer have anything to hide behind. It is time for the reveal. Time to pull away the drop cloth hiding your work and let it stand naked before the public for review, without any "yeah, I plan to fix that in the next draft" defenses.

I've known a surprisingly large number of authors who go through this stage as they draw near the end of the first draft, or near the final draft. They suddenly find that it is most urgent for them to rearrange their lint collection or put a new coat of wax on their cat, or something, anything, so long as they avoid writing, and avoid finishing their current draft.

So, that might be part of the reason you don't feel like "woo-hooing". maybe. If so, then just know that you are right on the standard writer's schedule for being confronted. The thing to do is simply acknowledge this is the problem. And then keep writing.

Above all, keep writing. keep at it. Keep in motion. Keep moving towards publishing.

It's not too late to "woo-hoo." Get up. Wave your arms wildly about. Jump up and down. Dance. Shout, "Woo hoooooooooo!" Even if you don't feel like it at first, you probably will be in the mood once you do it. If you can simply not "woo-hoo," then, that's ok. Just be quietly happy with your accomplishment, and I'll do a dance on your behalf.

Oh yeah, congratulations!

Congrats! I'd also recommend that you leave this for at least a month and work on something else, or give yourself a break if you feel that you need it. Once some time has passed you'll look at your manuscript with new eyes and it will be easier for you to spot your own errors ;-)

Perhaps it seems anticlimactic compared to the main event: Collecting Rejection Letters...come on in, the water's fine! Seriously, congratulations on finishing your manuscript!

I think the absence of elation after completing a first draft is healthy. It probably means you're not thrilled with it and know you're really just getting started.

Being not thrilled with a first draft is a VERY good thing. I know of only one writer who writes excellent first drafts. Subsequent drafts will determine the manuscript's success.

Take your time on your journey to final completion. Get started on the next draft when it feels right. That might be today, or it might be next year. You'll know.

Congratulations and good luck!

finishing first draft of first book

Memories....

I remember typing The End on the first draft of the first novel on my birthday last year and what did I do? I cried! Not only was the ending touching (it wasn't planned, just came out), but it was after 2 years of blood sweat and tears and obviously a milestone. We learned SO much in that project, but little did we know how much was yet to be learned about the business aspects of writing. That is still a mountain peak to be reached - publication, but it will happen, if not on this book, on the next.

The second time I was reaching the end of a novel was during Nanowrimo this year. Instead of starting a new project (I already had two going), I decided to finish my solo manuscript (I co-author as well, which is why I mention solo). In the first 2 weeks of NNWM I was writing every day and saw the end in sight. I actually skipped day 15 and 16 because I wanted to put off 'the end'. I wasn't ready for it, but finally sat and did it. Now I know about putting first drafts in a drawer to simmer, getting beta readers and crits, the amount of rewriting that will be needed, the submission prep and resulting rejections, etc etc etc. I think that may have been why I put off 'The End' as well, as I'm trying to juggle subs of number one and will soon be facing rewrites of number two. But this time I had a smile on my face and did let out a few whoo-hoos.

BUT the idea that this is #2 is amazing to me! The efficiency in the process and confidence in my writing is 100 times higher now. I can't imagine how much more it will increase once I get a breakthrough to print.

Congratulations on finishing your first of what will be many first drafts!!!

I've finished my novel so many times that when I'm done, I don't do much of anything because I know I'm just going to go right back to the beginning and start again. Every time I submitted my novel, it was never the most current version because I'd always make changes. Now that publishers are reviewing my manuscript, I've decided not to look at it anymore, so now I lurk here, but wouldn't you know that I've thought of ten changes I want to make!!! ARGH!!! But I'm going to wait. I refuse to look at my manuscript. Part of me wants to start writing on another novel, but I'm too excited about the first, wanting to get that out.

Ah, after reading some of these posts, I wonder if I'm the only one who woo-hoos. : (

Reaching The End is a heck of a milestone. Congrats and best wishes on the edits!