I’ve finished!
I mean I think I’ve finished… I’ve written several drafts, re-structured and revised, added some pretty bits, deleted some rubbish bits and I think it’s time to say the words out loud.
My book is finished.
I think.
As we’re talking about our works-in-progress at the moment, I thought I’d share with you an extract from my diary – a week in the life of my book and my head as I get into final edits. But only because today is Friday. If today was Tuesday or Thursday, you’d have no chance.
Monday
I think I’ve finished. Yes, I really do think it’s finished… I shall spend the rest of the week having a final read through before the book goes off to Lovely Agent. Here we go – Chapter 1 … Hmmm… not bad. That bit’s quite good. Ha – I actually like this – in fact, it’s GREAT! Look at me – I can write! In fact, it’s more than great, it’s a work of TOWERING GENIUS! It’s the BEST BOOK EVER!
Shall celebrate with cake and wine.
Tuesday
Oh. What’s this? Who wrote this? I didn’t. Did I? This is terrible. Awful. This is the biggest pile of rubbish EVER! Who sneaked on to my computer and wrote this? Who replaced my lovely book with this nonsense? Was it YOU?? This is awful. The worst. I’m going to burn it all. I’m going to burn my laptop as well, so no one else ever has to read this DRIVEL!
Shall commiserate with cake and wine.
Wednesday
Hmmm… Well, maybe it’s not that bad. Maybe if I just re-write this bit and that bit, it’ll be okay…
Shall ponder this over cake and wine.
Thursday
I can’t write. Why did I ever think I could write? I’m so stupid. I haven’t seen daylight or tidied my house for a year and for what? 90,000 stupid, meaningless words that don’t even make sense! My book is terrible. I am terrible. I’m going to take up cake decorating or scuba diving instead.
Need to buy more cake and wine.
Friday
Inspiration! YES! Middle of the night, cats miaowing, children crying, husband snoring and the answer came to me… I know how to fix everything! Just a few final tweaks and the book will be PERFECT! Brilliant! BEST EVER! I LOVE writing… Love it, love it, love it. Even more than cake. And wine.
Talking of …who ate all my cake and drank all the wine?
This is the abridged version. Take the above, repeat over the course of a year, add a few swear words and a lot more cake and wine and you’ll get a truer picture of my relationship with my work-in-progress. Why do I do it? Why do any of us, published or unpublished? Is it worth it? Yes, of course it is – it’s worth every pain-filled moment just for the pay-off of that Friday feeling…
Please, someone, tell me it’s not just me that goes through this???
Anyone?
Vanessa x
The Romaniacs 
I think you have been secretly filming my house this week! LOL! Right there with you 🙂
Phew – glad it’s not just me! But I promise, no secret filming has been going on 🙂
Thanks, Mandy!
Vanessa xx
Oh. Dear. God.
Get out of my head! That is exactly how I feel, week in – week out!
So it’s not just me then?
Please published authors, tell us this gets better!
I’m so happy to find out it’s not just me!! But I have a horrible feeling it might get worse when published. Imagine the pressure to make sure the next book is as good as the first … Eek!
Vanessa xx
Absolutely brilliant, Vanessa. 🙂 xx
Thank you! Have stocked up on cake and wine now in readiness for notes from Lovely Agent 🙂
Vanessa x
Ah, the ups and downs of writing. Glad I’m not the only one!
…and I’m already getting twitchy fingers, desperate to start the next one. I must be mad!
Vanessa x
Thank goodness for cake and wine! (and the warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from discovering almost every other writer out there feels the same way). Thanks for a great post, Vanessa.
Thanks for the lovely comment, Kat. I have to say, it’s a relief to find out everyone else seems to go through the same!
Vanessa x
Sometimes I think I should start with cake and wine and then just leave it at that. It is definitely a good remedy.
Sue x
I resort to that only on really bad days, Sue! Hope you’re having a good writing-filled day as well as a cake-and-wine-filled one!
Vanessa x
OMGod! You are definitely a writer! Love it! Thanks for the laugh – and, yes, that is exactly how I feel. Forget the cake, gimme the wine… and a chocolate, or two… 🙂 x
Thanks Sheryl! I’ll keep all the cake then 🙂
Vanessa x
Vanessa, love the thought of cake and wine. Have to confess more of a dark rum girl myself!
It’s the agony and ecstasy of a masterpiece in progress.
Worth the agony of writing. Then comes the ecstasy of the wine!
Loved your post.
Lorraine.
Thanks Lorraine – lovely to see you here! Enjoy your dark rum 🙂
Vanessa x
Try shouting at yourself very loudly. I quite often yell ‘just sit down and get on with it, Rach!’ It seems to work – the shock of hearing myself like that must send extra blood to the brain. Failing that, wine always helps. Always. It has to be more than one glass though … :0)
We are clearly all kindred spirits in this writing malarkey, Vanessa.
Every day I consider whether I’m cracked up for this and (for a fleeting moment) consider giving up… And every day I am surrounded by cake and wine (and biscuits and vodka,) and my lovely on-line friends somehow keep me believing, and hanging in there with my WIP.
It’s nice to know we’re not alone. THANK YOU.
xx