And with ten minutes to spare, we have two new pages finishing off Chapter 2. Final word count is 53,770; final page tally is 219.
I’m going to walk away for a short break, and then when I come back I’m going to start the read-through and trimming process. If I finish early enough, I may add the prayers I mentioned in the appropriate places. But otherwise, this is it.
Ceri reminded me this morning that I always feel this diminished on the day I hand a book in. I wish I could feel more triumphant than tired. It’s been a long three months, and yet I wish I had more time to add all the final bits I wanted to include… except then I’d have to really take out even more than the 3.5K that I ideally need to remove this afternoon.
Bravo! I’m happy for you, and I completely understand the feeling you’re describing. I actually hate what I’ve done once it’s in print. It’s like I always feel my best work is what lies ahead. I guess, in a way, it’s what keeps us on a path of striving for perfection. (You wouldn’t be a Virgo by any chance, would you?)
I think it’s true of almost all artistic endeavors seen ‘close up’. I tend to only like things I’ve done (writing or art) after I’ve had a fair amount of time away from them. Then when I go back I’m often plesantly surprised at how much I like the work I did…
I’m a Cancer, actually, Rosy, which means I am Angsty About If People Like My Work, Woe, Woe! But you and Jan have hit the nail on the head: we’re too close to it, and we always see how we could have done it better (if only we had [insert reason here: time, insight, hindsight, you name it]).