9,000 Words (more or less) Left and Counting . . .

It's hard to believe, but the first draft of my first novel is almost complete. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't starting to get a little tired. I love my characters and everything, but we all need some time away from each other.

Who am I kidding? I'm leaving for Texas next Saturday to visit family for spring break and what do you want to bet I'll be holding my completed manuscript in one hand and editing with a red pen in the other while we're up in the air?

I can't help it. I can hardly believe I've made it this far and will soon hold a semi-completed piece of work in my hands. And I even managed to do it without pulling any all-nighters. For me, that is a miracle.

But this final leg of the journey is a little bittersweet. I know that once I return from my trip I'll have to go back to pounding the pavement for freelance work and crafting article queries for magazine editors, which will be hard because writing fiction has been so fulfilling. I can't believe how much it has renewed my spirit and energized me. I am hopeful for the future, and anxious to work on an outline for a new story in the next few months. I highly recommend the Book in a Month program to any writer who wants to take their writing to the next level. It's worked wonders for me!