MANUSCRIPT FINISHED. OK – we’re two words in and I’ve already lied. What I mean is thriller DOWN TO EARTH (started circa summer 2016) is finally at a state where I can let someone/anyone read it, feeling that the story is generally intact. It feels like more of a relief than anything.
Desert. Summer. Early morning. People – animals – begin falling from the sky. It’s the alarm the residents of Salt never set. With no snooze button.
It only took around 3 months to write from start to finish, in that the story was there. Being fairly naive at that stage, I thought I’d done the hard work. Well, here’s a faux-warning for anyone who hasn’t written a manuscript (I’m really hesitant to call it a book yet); writing the story, creating characters, dialogue, story world etc is the fun part, the easy part, it’s the dream before you wake up to reality. Although I had other things preventing me from finishing the project (excuses…), the time it takes to write the book? – times that by at least five.
Proofreading is the next easiest bit. You can almost forget that the damned story is so familiar by just focusing on grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues. Then, you have the wretched story to deal with all over again, multiple times, and frankly that’s when it’s easiest to give up for months at a time, because you know the ending, you know the chapters, everything is stale, ironing out inconsistencies and timeline clashes becomes thoroughly boring. And then you’re finished! Ha! Nope, nope, nope.
You have to re-read the polished writing and hope that some higher power prevents you from gouging your eyes out at the self inflicted torture of going over familiar ground, or… you leave it by the bed and shoot it evil glances before going to sleep night after night, until eventually you have almost forgotten everything but the essence of it, and can read it almost as if new, giving it one last genuine critical review before some poor soul who’s volunteered to read it get their hands on it (thank you!). I now know why a good editor must be worth their weight in platinum, because to re-read the same text several times is fairly hellish.
I have a few people who want to read it, if anyone else wants to volunteer please let me know.
LionAroundWriting 
So true – all of it!
Congratulations on reaching the cliff edge.
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Thank you Andrew, it seems well overdue.
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Congratulations Finn!! Finishing a manuscript is no easy task! I hope your beta readers love your book and give you excellent feedback 🙂 I would volunteer to read and critique as well, but with all the projects I’ve got on my plate, I don’t think I’ll be able to devote the time your manuscript needs. Regardless, I am cheering for you and look forward to more good news in the future! Hopefully, one day soon, this book can be on the bookshelves 😉
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Thank you so much Jade.
And I appreciate you thinking of beta reading. I’m hoping there aren’t too many fixes needed, but I’ll see how it goes. I prefer brutal honesty to pandering, I’ll have to wait and see.
As for being on bookshelves thatd be very cool but I can’t imagine thatd happen unless I self publish.
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Aww, well are you not planning on publishing this manuscript? I would definitely support and buy a copy, since we writers gotta stick together! 🙂
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We totally do.
I’m kinda jaded to the whole publishing thing, but I’ll at least put it out in kindle format and sell 7 copies lol
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I believe congrats are in order. My first thought was “I wanna read” but then, I’m probably not a great choice. Anyhow, nicely done.
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Thanks my man 🙂
Appreciate the sentiment all the same.
How are your projects going?
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Well, realized yesterday, after some calculations, that my novel series will be done around year 2030 if I keep writing 1000 words a day (weekdays only). Kind of bummed me out. (doing sad face)
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Haha.
That’s going to be the biggest book ever.
Stick at it though, even when the prospect of going back to it may seem daunting, you’ll find the motivation 👍🙂
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