Closing In

I’m closing in on the end. 40,000 plus words. 10,000 to go. When I am finished this novel, I am going to let is simmer for awhile. Not touch it. Not think about it. And I am going to read a book. A glorious, long, indulgent book.

Then, I am going to get back at it. Edit the thing. Shiver at the horrible parts, as there will be many. Smile at the moments of beauty. The good bits. As there might be some. And strike a pen through others.

In the words of Anne Lamott (whose picture, coincidentally, has been sitting beside me through this whole process, on the cover of Writer’s Digest – somehow it has become a good luck token, a muse of sorts, making me feel like I can’t remove it until this is over):

Writing is about hypnotizing yourself into believing in yourself, getting some work done, then unhypnotizing yourself and going over the material coldly.

Can I be cold?  I don’t know.  But, at least I know I’ll give myself the chance.  Because my first draft, of my first novel is – that’s right – almost done. Ha.