Victory (Pretending that the finish line looks closer than it is)*
Perhaps I should have noted this three weeks ago.
On February 13th, 2009, I finished the first draft of my novel, The Siege of Thaddeus Wilkes.
5 months (if you count planning and outlining, which I do), 128,000 words and 563 pages later, I have something that just might be something.
One day.
For now, I can’t really describe what it felt like to finish. It was euphoria mixed with fatigue, I suppose, since I finished at 2 a.m. on a Friday night and promptly climbed into bed.
What’s more, It’s hard to really describe what it feels like to be “done” with something that’s not really done. I know that the real end is probably at least a year away. Celebrating a first draft is probably like celebrating a basketball team that practices well, but gets pounded at game time.1
But then again, a pile of paper like this (printed on both sides)
has to be worth some sort of celebration, right?
It was. Sarah and I celebrated for an evening. We talked about all the hard work that had led me here, and I thanked her for her unending support and encouragement as I pursue this passion of mine.
Mostly we talked about our son who is scheduled to be born any day now, but the book came up once or twice. Who’d want it any other way?
After dinner, I laid the book aside. For about a month.
The month is up this Saturday, and at that point, I’ll pick the book back up and get to the real hard work of turning this first draft into a leaner (I hope) and meaner (I pray) second draft, ready for consumption by a tiny number of people upon whom I will rely to give me honest and biting criticism intended to make this book all that it can be.
In the meantime, I thought I’d share this little victory. It’s a big step, and I’m glad I powered through to make it. To everyone who offered encouragement and prayer along the way, I thank you.
Oh, an aside: That word cloud up there? That’s all 128,000 words compressed into one collection of the few hundred most-frequently occurring words in the novel. Click on it to see a larger version. Spot the major characters…
*Today’s post is titled in honor of Pop Punk songs with one-word titles and seemingly incongruous parenthenteticals in their track listings.
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- Thank you for breaking my heart this year, Baylor Men’s Basketball team [↩]
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March 18th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
Quite excited for you. I love to encourage you to send the rough draft to Carl Moore. He would be so excited to read your work and he’s 92, so he might need an earlier edition (not to put too fine a point on it). I, on the other hand, plan to buy the hardback, first edition!
You are loved.
Jim
March 26th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
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Brandon, although software publishing is a different stream, your description of “finishing” rings true and is very familiar to me.
Congratulations on your accomplishment and getting closure on your first draft. I know it’s a load off your mind.
April 14th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Jim, thanks for the vote of confidence, that means a lot.
If that’s the plan, I’ll send you a hardback version myself. 
Chuck, I can imagine. It is a load of…
of course, now that second draft is looming…