"The End" I wrote.

Except, well, I didn't actually write the end.  That part was already written.  (See my previous post on writing the end before getting there.)  I was missing a chunk in the middle, or late middle perhaps.  I had been whittling it down for some time.  Never a large piece in one sit down, and much time between sit downs, so I got kind of discouraged.  I also, like most folks, had a lot of responsibilities to take care of (many of which were new and not entirely expected, so it was difficult to adjust).

Anyway, that's enough sob to the story. ;)  Now that I have, as a friend said earlier today "a beginning, middle, and end" (and I added, "And they're connected!"), it's as if a weight has lifted off of my shoulders and I'm more ready for the next adventure now that the very first step of this one is completed.  In many ways, though I'm happy and excited, I'm not quite as much as I thought I would be.  Instead, I'm content and satisfied.  Not quite as ecstatic, but a comfortable and pleasant place to be all the same.  Although, it is very nice to be told "good job" by friends and family and to get excited with them, especially those who have been with me through this process. 

And it's been a long process.  It took me about a year from start to finish (of the actual writing part, not the pre-planning and all the jazz that I figured out before I even started the first sentence) to get "Makani's Serenity," the rough draft all the way through.  Now I know, writing the end before I get there is not the best way for me to tell a story if I hope to finish it.  So, I should just write faster. ;)

But, even though I spread writing the story out over a year, all in all, it really was just what I needed when I needed.  Writing my book and where I was at every stage helped me write the right emotions, moods, and pace, since I was quite frequently alongside my characters with their struggles, hopes, and efforts.  But that it perhaps, beside the point...for now.

For now, I am glad that I have finished something.  And not just any thing, but a full length novel manuscript.  I am a writer.  Maybe I can do this after all.

My thanks go to many people in many places, but Rebekah Roberts, Hadassah Fey, Jaimie Krycho, Ami Hendrickson, and the Write2TheEnd crew get special shout outs right now for encouraging me, challenging me, and persisting with me (and Jaimie keeps asking if Makani is all right, bless her.  I'm not gonna spoil the ending!).

...Now on to the next story and the next adventure, and mixed in, the wonderful world of editing!