Day 106, July 14, 2010

Here we are: After three-and-a-half months, 493 pages, almost 150,000 words, the first draft of my novel is done. Hallelujah. It was a long, hard ride but an extremely satisfying one. I read a newspaper story this morning about a guy who won an ultramarathon—135 miles—through Death Valley and other harsh places. Finishing this first draft feels about like that, only without the sore feet and the sunburn.

Knowing that I would be reporting my progress each day helped me to increase my productivity. I didn't want to report: "I slacked off today. Again." Not that I do too much of that stuff in any case but the blog was an added incentive to get to work each morning. I learned that when you love to do something you can set a pace that would leave you in a heap at the side of the road, if your heart weren't in it. (Sometimes using the subjunctive tense looks really funny.)

As to our heroes and villains: some got just what they deserved; most got varying degrees of pleasure or pain. Which is pretty much the way I see real life. In the story context, I think each resolution fits and will satisfy most readers.

Finally, for those who might care, when this novel is published I will identify it as being the subject of this blog.

Until we meet again, mes amis…

Day 105, July 13, 2010

Almost there. Tomorrow should do it. More details soon.

Day 105 of writing my new novel is done.

Day 104, July 12, 2010

It's wrapping things up time. When you write stories that rely on both character and action, you have to complete each side of the equation. You can finish on either note, depending on what you want to leave with the reader. That's where things are now for me.

I wrote five-plus pages today.

The first scene involves the antagonist and protagonist coming to terms with each other, much to the disgust of the story's third principal character. Two late-to-the-game characters do a favor for the protagonist's spouse. And young romance is deferred by two characters with goals to achieve.

Day 104 of writing my new novel is done.

Day 103, July 11, 2010

Just a short post today and two pages of writing done. But the pages were very important ones. The protagonist's spouse confronts the sexual predator in her pitch black house—power is out all over town. The cops are on the way. Sirens can be heard approaching at speed. If the spouse hides for just a few minutes, she'll be safe. But for reasons of her own she forces the issue.

The end of the manuscript is not only in sight, it will be completed this week.

Day 103 of writing my new novel is done.

Day 102, July 10, 2010

The hardest part of writing any novel is coming up with a good ending, one that's consistent with the logic of the story but still surprising and even more important satisfying. I work very hard to meet those goals. That's why as I'm getting close to the end of a novel I go over and over each scene, doing my best to make sure it's consistent with everything that has come before, that each word is chosen with the greatest of care and with the hope that the reader will like the conclusion so much he or she can't wait for the next thing I write.

Today's first scene plays out the antagonists' main plan: to show how even the most reasonable of people can be manipulated into reverting to humanity's default mode—us versus them—in the most primitive of ways. The second scene shows how even brilliant young people can rejoice in their accomplishments while overlooking any moral questions about what they've done. The third scene shows how the high and mighty can be reminded of basic decency by someone of more humble standing.

I wrote four-plus pages today.

Day 102 of writing my new novel is done.

Day 101, July 9, 2010

I'm starting to get tired. Not tired of the story. I'm still enjoying that, but I'm getting physically and mentally tired. Keyboarding isn't strenuous exercise, but the cumulative effect of doing it day after day with maybe only one day off every three weeks adds up. And keeping all the details straight in a story that's approaching 500 pages can be a bit of a mental strain, too.

But to heck with whining. The finish line is in sight, even if you're Mr. Magoo.

I wrote five pages today. In the first scene, the chief antagonist comes face to face with her spiritual nemesis, as opposed to her legal nemesis, the protagonist. In scene two, we see that even in fiction, at least the kind I write, not all the bad guys get caught. Some of them are born survivors and they get away clean.

Day 101 of writing my new novel is done.

Day 100, July 8, 2010

This was a really productive day. I didn't get out of the house, but I got seven pages done. Among those pages were four scenes. As I mentioned before, the pace of the storytelling has picked up. The scenes are shorter and more plot-focused. The interplay between story lines is quicker. Scenes end with hooks, which is the writer's way of saying to the reader, "I dare you to try to put my book down now." If their hair isn't on fire, chances are they won't do it.

As far as this blog goes, though, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma. I want to continue to provide a general idea of what's going on but I don't want to reveal too much. Don't want to spoil the ending. If you're thinking, yeah, sure, the hero always rides off into the sunset, you haven't read all my books.

So being a bit more vague than usual, here are some of the things that happen. One supporting character carts away the body of another supporting character, hoping to profit by his action. Two latecomers to the story opt to step outside their duties to heed a higher calling. A major supporting character is tempted to blow up the antagonists' entire plan out of envy. The protagonist's wife learns from her father how to get away with murder.

Day 100! Day 100 of writing my new novel is done.