I finished it!!! What do you do?

IntoTheBlack

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Hello everyone,

I finally finished my second draft, I even sent it away for editing:oops:...All in all one hundred thousand words. I feel elated, the sense of achievement is massive, so my question is. What do you do after finishing a project (size irrelevant)?

What I did:

Have a socially distant drink with close family. Discuss next steps post edit. Of course during this I gained inspiration for another story :) I also re-connected with my past and purchased and intriguing RPG based on the Aliens universe as I feel I have more time at present. On a whim I started to look at how films are written, I have some interest there but not super strong.

Let me know what you do, do you have a ritual? For more experienced authors do you get the same sense of achievement having written more than one novel?

IttB
 
Well, finishing a novel is like having a child. That's the joy you feel! So I'm happy for you, IntoTheBlack.
Now, IMO, I recommend that you let it rest and dedicate yourself to other things. Although, by the tone of your question, I'm going to dare recommend you read Stephen King's On Writing. I'm sure you'll love the review and editing chapter! King gives simple and useful advice not only regarding this part, but actually about the entire writing process. I hope this will help you.

What do you do after finishing a project (size irrelevant)?
Precisely at the moment do nothing with that particular book. There will already be time to review the rules that apply to each specific work. For example, it is not the same to write Fantasy as Sci-fi.
Now you just have to realize that you've accomplished an important goal. Actually, only now do you know how hard it is to just finish. So it's okay to rewarded and distracted.
Because if you start tweaking a big project as soon as you've finished it, your brain will actually continue the process. This is harmful to an unconscious level. Remember that the brain is constantly learning.
 
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Congratulations!

I go to bed, because usually I finish in the early hours of the morning! Otherwise, eat, as maybe I was holding that off to finish. If it's daylight and I haven't been awake overnight, I may go outside, whatever the weather. Or anything I find relaxing, like watching a film.
 
Congratulations!

I immediately worry about what I wanted to do, forgot to do, meant to do, make plans to break into the post office to steal back my manuscript to fix it, realizing it's already on the way, so I have to hijack the mail train and sort through 90-tons of other mail to discover mine is already at the publisher, devising a mission impossible like system to break into their offices and intercept it before reading, probably accidentally burning down the building in the process...only to go home, scorched, battered, and exhausted to find it was returned already for lack of postage...discovering I did make that change, so I send it out again.

Rinse and repeat... :confused:

At least that's what I imagine, I've never published anything, so good on you! Best wishes for your work's success!

K2
 
Well done!

I edit my novels as I go, so when I finish the draft, I go straight into my final edit without a break, then send it off to my two trusty readers. When they come back I immediately go through their notes/suggestions and amend anything I agree with, then I start submitting. That sounds quick, but from 'finished' to submit can be a month or two depending on how much work is involved.

I find I can't concentrate on a new project until the submission stage of the previous one, so I'm not interested in putting the manuscript aside or otherwise delaying the process.
 
Thank you for all the replies. I have indeed read Stephen Kings 'On Writing'. A good read :giggle: Yes I need to just do other things now, which does include starting another book.

I like the mission impossible style approach to fixing a script. I have worked out I need a distraction project. One that will take my mind off the one I am working on. Its this book I will work on more.

Thanks again,

IttB
 
"Done" happens a whole bunch of times. There's finishing any of various drafts; that's one sort of done. Sending to the editor is another--it means I myself am no longer rewriting driven by my own assessments. But then the manuscript comes back and there's more writing--not just rewriting but sometimes new writing.

It's not really done until I hit Publish. Even then, there's more writing to be done, for no matter how many times I drafted them, there are still blurbs and summaries and ad copy to be written, all of which require me to be "in" the story to some extent. I figure it was a year or more after publishing my first novel before I really felt it was behind me.

So, at which point did I celebrate and have a drink? Why, after all of them, of course!
 
Congrats, that's very exciting! For me, I took a couple days off to celebrate, and then started doing marketing and promotion research for self-publishing. Honestly, that's been as hard as writing the book for me, but I'm slowly learning how to potentially turn this from a passion into a career.
 
Work out what the film rights are worth and decide who you want to play the protagonist. Then head for London and schmooze with Neil Gaiman and Hilary Mantel.
Alternatively you can do what I do and wake up with a start at 3:30 AM realising there is a huge plot hole :(
 
Getting it back from the printer is like being given a new baby. The ritual is to let others know the book exists. And to make sure that message is repeated since some people will miss the first announcement. Sometimes months after release, I hear: "I didn't know it was out." or "When did it come out?"
 

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