Nearly Almost Just-About There.

I am the Queen of unfinished manuscripts. Grovel before me, those with less than three drawers full! I am far mightier than thou when it comes to giving up half-way. Mwaha... (unfinished evil laughter).

However, that has all changed forever! Or at least, for now. Yes, I have almost finished a manuscript. Okay, you caught the word 'almost' in that sentence. I'm not actually finished. But I'm so very close. I can smell the fear coming off those two tiny words 'The End', who haven't been used for so long they've forgotten what duty they're meant to perform.

I am up to 38,000 words and I have only about 5,000 words to go. Easy! Hopefully it's long enough for it's intended audience (YA). And hopefully the critique group don't tear the story savagely to shreds. But I reckon that finishing an entire first draft is the second-best feeling in a writer's life. (Getting a story accepted for publishing, of course, is the hands-down, no-contest winner).

First drafts are easily the hardest creatures to wrestle into being. Second drafts, third drafts... even fifth and sixth drafts are like the weak, easily picked-off kids cowering behind the first-draft bully. Having a first draft nearly complete gives me such a feeling of satisfaction, it almost gets me wondering why I don't do it more often? Hmmm. Now that's a question to ponder.