I did it.

(Cue fireworks.)

Photo credit: Michael Fousert on Unsplash

“You finished your challenge? Isn’t that nice?”

No, dear. Not just the challenge.

I finished Draft #3.

(Cue more fireworks.)

Photo credit: Roven Images on Unsplash

Is the book done and ready for publication? No. As I edited, I identified three things I need to address involving minor characters. For the first, his story line needs resolution. The second needs to be included more (since she’s in the first book, I can’t just ignore her). The third (another recurring character from the first book) also needs to be woven in earlier, because he’s a big part of the climax and he can’t just appear for the first time forty pages from the end of the book.

I’m sure that when I sit down to read the manuscript, I’ll find a lot more to edit and clean up and flesh out. But for the first time, I feel as if I have a real draft of the story, something that really can turn into a book I’d be proud to show to people.

To be honest, I’m kind of dazed.

But I did it. I really, truly did it!

Photo credit: Keith Luke on Unsplash