Write Book, Check!

On March 29, I completed the rough draft of my first novel. It was a great feeling -- well, more than great, really. I've talked about this project for so long it's hard to believe I'm one step closer to being a published author. Now, the real fear of failure sets in. I've been afraid to even read the first few pages of the manuscript. This is the mental block that always kept me from writing my story down in the first place, only now it's bogging me down in what is supposed to be the revision process.

So I've had two weeks away from my rough draft, and it's time to pick it back up. I'm pretty sure the prologue needs to be revamped, and many of the first few scenes can be condensed into longer chapters. But deep down, I feel like I did a good job with character development, pacing, and dialogue. Only time will tell, I guess.

I just returned from a short vacation to visit family out of state, and I'm looking forward to diving back into all sorts of projects now. They include sending out more query letters for articles, setting up phone mentoring appointments, teaching a possible local freelance writing class, and maybe even an outline for my next novel idea. And of course, researching potential agents and fleshing out a query letter for my book!