How do you celebrate finishing a first draft?

I put it away and let my mind wander back into my head for a short visit before I edit.

"Twins."

This time it will be with my birthday cake, thanks to my self imposed deadline of March 24. Most likely followed up by an eye exam.

Congratulations in advance!

I start the second draft.

Smile.

Then think of something new to write.

I print it out... hold it in my hands and say out loud.

"I MADE THIS."

I sit back for a second, think wow! and then print it out to start editing! editing is actually my favorite part, so it really is a treat

I always feel that reaching the end of a first draft is an occasion to be marked by a suitably grand gesture.

I tend to crack open a nice bottle of wine. But with the last one, I think my husband and I and a few people from the writing group went out for a meal to celebrate!

Shara

Go off and write short stories for a few weeks...or maybe work on a separate novel.

How do you celebrate finishing a first draft?

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Same way I celebrate finishing a sentence...cocktails!

I usually get some exercise (for a change).

i call a high-priced escort. oh wait, that was how i celebrated being governor of NY.

when i finished my 1st draft (of my 1st novel) i kind of had a pounding my chest, "Me Tarzan" moment, only it was, "Me real writer." Then i started a short story that i have yet to finish and began making notes for the next novel. "Me writer with very short attention span."

Usually? I print it out-and while it's printing I cook some sort of comfort food (lately that's been chili). Then I settle down on the couch with snacks, drinks, a comforter and usually a kitten to read through it--NOT read it with an eye for wincing at every boo-boo, but read it just for the story.

I celebrate with lots of exercise, which sounds weird, until I mention that I also love music and the only time I get to listen to it is when I exercise. . .

Oh, yeah, and chocolate, I eat lots of it. I'm not old enough to drink alcohol yet.

Anyway, congrats WW.

I start a sequel or a short story--that keeps me out of trouble until I'm ready to edit

Two days away! congrats in advance I don't think I celebrated finishing the first draft of my last novel, but I WILL be celebrating finishing the first draft of my current WIP. If possible, I'll probably crack open some wine myself, or possibly make the hubby take me out to dinner.

Then I'll start plotting my next project while waiting a few weeks to start editing

I started laughing when I finished mine. Then, I felt a strange buzzing sensation in my head that was similar to the first time I made out with a girl.

I printed it out and held it in my hands.

Then I told a few people, who said the proper things: "That's nice." "Oh, cool." Stuff like that.

Now I've got about two weeks left before I feel ready to read it for myself. In the meantime I've celebrated by coming up with a second book idea that's better than the first!

I forget, for a moment, all the reasons I have to be miserable.

SMOKE BREAK

Smoke 'em if you got em. Then I play a round of Golf. Reflect on what I did. I wont edit for almost a month. That way I'm fresh, and ready to crit my work hard.

donroc said:

I start the second draft.

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That's the one.

I love this question - it's so fitting for me! I just finished my own first draft a few days ago and am still in celebration mode. *does another jig*

We'd just begun our vacation, and all I'd known heading into our trip was that I would work on the WIP. After my progress during the first day's drive, when I saw several sub-plots begin to wrap up, I said to myself, "I could potentially finish this tomorrow" - and I did! We were on the interstate somewhere in Georgia when I turned to my husband and said, in my best matter-of-fact tone, "I just finished it." He cheered, offering to take me anywhere I wanted for dinner. It was a grand gesture, but our family was so tired we merely descended upon a hotel and ordered pizza.

I quickly decided our Florida vacation would offer the best possible break from the manuscript, but plan to tackle edits and polishing when we return later this week.

Good luck to you, Wannabe! And make sure to let us know when you've officially finished.

I pick up a a hockey stick and shoot a few pucks out in my garage.

The first time was literally while sitting in a pub on New Year's Eve, so celebrating finishing that one came kind of natural

Second one I just leaned back, stretched for a while and archived the stuff for a couple of months.

And that's the total extent of my experience from finishing novel length first drafts

Sten