Difference a Year Makes

I have to post this, because I find it so hilarious.  I was looking over the stats for this blog and one of my popular posts this week can be found here.  It is a post from EXACTLY a year ago, today.

How much different do I feel about my life!!  I could absolutely be a stay-at-home-author and get work done.  I think I needed some serious work grind to remember there are things out there I love to do - and writing is really one of them.

I may not be the most fabulous writer ever to grace the halls of of the printed word, but I love what I do and I think that shows.

Yesterday I wrote three chapters (Yes, I did manage to get all three, haha, my fiance can't yell at me!)  It averaged out somewhere in the range of 3.3k in words.  I went back today and read over it, tweaked a bit here and there.  I don't know if it's the outline I made so I can see the path clearly... or just that the more I write, the more naturally it comes... or if I'm in one of those "It's just writing itself!" modes... but I did them in record time yesterday.

I feel like a total bundle of nerves about the whole thing.  Only ten days ago, I ordered a cover for my almost complete first novel.  Only a year ago, I wondered if I'd ever finish writing a story!!!

Well, I am proud of myself, and I hope you, dear reader, can share in the warm rays of my ego also :)

Geeking Out

I just want to put out there, into the digital world, that I am geeking out a little bit.  Why?  I just crossed the 40k marker a few minutes ago.  According to my outline, I have 10k and 6 chapters to go.  Then, this book will be finished.

I feel absolutely amazing right now.  I am almost finished.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... I can feel the wind kissing my face and hear the birdsong of freedom.

Why freedom?

I feel like this is a very serious turning point for me, when I can finally shake off the last vestiges of doubt from childhood trauma (as pertains to writing).  I felt so much shame over the whole PotP incident (which I have not fully cataloged yet, sorry)... as I said, I felt so much shame over my failings that I haven't completed a serious work since.  In fact, in the roughly 12-14ish years since then, I have finished only 1 short story.  What a waste of time on my part!  Oh, hindsight, you are truly 20-20.

Finally getting up the courage to tell the story, and to the wide world of strangers (aka: internet) was a huge step.

I feel like walking around and laughing with every person I meet.  I want to share my jubilation with the world!

I am almost finished!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(I must be a good writer, look how many exclamation points I used!)