Completion of the First Draft of My First Novel, The Hidden Land of Gre

First, the stats:

The Hidden Land of Gre is a story about a girl and boy who go on a great adventure to save a dying race from an ancient curse.

Final length 71,467 words.
Start date: February 2008.
End date: November 2008.

Wow. I'm overwhelmed and speechless. I've just finished the first draft of my first novel.

I can't say that I've ever stuck with a big project like this (outside of "work," that is) long enough to see it through. It's an achievement, something to be proud of, and I think that everyone should take some time out to recognize their personal milestones. It's too easy to say "Phew, that's off my list, what's next?" But on the other hand, if I've learned one thing from all the wonderful people I've met over my last few months of learning the writer's ropes, it's that my work has only just begun!

Here are my next steps:

• Format the novel, probably in Adobe InDesign, and print a copy or two on Lulu. It was actually my boyfriend's suggestion, and I think it's a good one. The novel still has a long way to go, but it will be fun to have a rough draft copy for posterity!


• Let the novel sit. Most authors I've talked to have suggested this step. Despite the fact that it's been ten months since I've read some parts, I think it still needs to "gel."
  
• Work on my "character bibles." My understanding is that these are documents used to get to know your characters better. I think my characters have changed and coalesced over time, so this will help when I get to the rewriting stage.


• I'm toying with the idea of writing the next book in the series before rewriting the first book. I know the rewrites will be a pain, editing tends to be harder for me than writing. Perhaps I could do both at the same time?


• And then, of course, rewrites, read-throughs, and edits for the foreseeable future!

Before all that, I suppose I should take some time out to celebrate... Thought it feels like a celebration just to know that I've actually done what I set out to do. Then again, watching a bit of Puppy Cam and eating chocolate is a pretty sweet, easily accessible reward!

Last but not least, I'd like to offer my heartfelt thanks to everyone on Twitter and elsewhere who've offered their congratulations. And of course, thanks to all those who've buoyed me through my writer's journey!

In The Name Of Progress

Here's a quick update for those of you interested in knowing more about the details of my Journey to Publication.

Short Stories

Disc Love

I recently submitted this fast-paced tale of Ultimate Frisbee glory to a new online woman's outdoor magazine. Fingers crossed!

About Face

I'm (hopefully) in the final stages of a series of edits and critiques for this story about a woman who struggles against a purposeless life and a unique disability. I'd like to start submitting it by the end of September.

The Secret Lives of Mushrooms

As I composed this story about a group of girls who learn some hard adult truths in my head, I managed to miss my exit on the way to my orthodontist appointment! I just finished the first draft of this one, but I'm still a little iffy about the whole thing. I really like the title and the first line: "In the beginning, our gang numbered three: Lillian the beautiful, Mia the strong, and me, Kay the wise." Maybe I just need to let it stew for a while.

Books

The Hidden Land of Gre

This has been my main project for the last seven or so months. I'm simply amazed that I've made it to 55,000 words on my first novel! I'm guessing that I have about 10,000 words and a month of writing left to go. The book did surprise me recently, though - it decided to turn into a series! Here's a quick teaser of a synopsis:

A girl named Elish from the Hidden Land of Gre, along with the boy Cade whom she kidnaps from our world of Lume, must fight to find the source of a secret curse that will mean the end of the Greling race.

Lueil's Lyre

This fairytale appeared on my blog a few months ago. I'm partnering with Konstantinos Tsiopanos, who is working on the illustrations for the story (along with concept art for The Hidden Land of Gre). I've considered submitting it to agents once the illustrations are complete, but posting it on my blog triggers the "previously published" switch, which doesn't appeal to all publishers. Alternately, I'll look into independent publishing.

Nonfiction

India Travel - More Than Meets The Eye

An article about some of the safety issues you'll come across when traveling in India, based on my trip there a couple of years ago. For submission to a travel magazine.

Upcoming

I'm still wondering whether or not to participate in the National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. Nanowrimo) this November. I should be done with The Hidden Land of Gre by then, and ready to start the next novel in the series. Probably won't be a bad idea to give the first draft of Gre a rest before I get to editing. Still... 50,000 words in one month?! That's almost 2,000 words a day! I can get in up to 500 words first thing in the morning, and 500-1000 before I go to sleep, but with a day job 2000 words will be a struggle. Then again, it will be good practice for the real life of a professional author. We'll see!