Endings and Beginnings

This weekend I finally finished self-editing my novel. I sort of feel the same way I do when I’m at home alone, when the girls and my husband are out and I suddenly have all this time and all this quiet to do whatever I please.

I have no idea what to do with myself.

On Sunday, I sent my manuscript out to beta readers, which was nerve wracking but also exciting! I’ve been working for so many years in a sort of vacuum. Writing and writing with only a couple of people to give me feedback, usually on what was wrong, which is necessary but not always encouraging. Luckily, I’m very self-motivated but sometimes it can still be easy to forget what it’s all for. Hearing that people are enjoying it now makes it all worth it. Already I’m getting feedback like this:

“I can’t stop reading your book… Honestly, I’ve forgotten you wrote this book. It feels as if I purchased this book on amazon. Amazing. Just amazing.”

and

“I had to force myself to put the book down to get to sleep. I haven’t been this into a book in a really long time.”

It gives me hope that when I attend my first writing conference in September and pitch to agents, I will get some interest! With any luck…

In the meantime, I’m starting my next novel and it’s fun to be at this stage again! It’s all brainstorming and ideas. Everything is so open and fresh with no pressure to make it perfect just yet. This book is the first one I ever tried to write, but I wasn’t ready back then to do it justice. I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned since and see if I can’t get it on the page the way I see it in my head. I’m ready for the challenge!

So finally it’s time to take the next step. I’m feeling like a “real writer” now (whatever that means) as I prepare for queries and pitches and conferences. But despite the challenges and potential disappointments, I’m loving every minute of it, which only further confirms that this is the life for me. You can’t go wrong following your passion, right?