Nearing the End

I'm getting to that point near the end of a book where I keep thinking that today will be the day I finish because I'm almost out of story, and yet at the end of the day I still seem to have the same amount left to write. In this case, that's kind of a good thing because an unexpected development occurred during Saturday's writing session that amplified the situation the characters were in. It will make for a more exciting book, but it seriously delayed the "the end" part. I'd thought that this book was going to come in really short, but it's looking like it'll be right about where I want it for a first draft, where I can flesh out anything that needs it and cut anything that needs to go and still have it end up being a good length for a novel.

I think I'll likely finish the draft on Wednesday. I have a funeral to sing for tomorrow morning and a rehearsal tonight for that, which may eat into my productive time (it's not someone I knew, just a need for singers, though I am acquainted with the widow).

Then I'll take some time to wrap up one of the other projects still left on my plate, do some reading and house cleaning and then it will be draft two time. I was rewriting along the way (one reason it's taken so long), so most of the taking apart and putting back together has already been done. I think it will mostly be a fleshing out and trimming revision, not a rewriting the whole book adventure.

And then I'll have to figure out what to write next. That will probably come in a talk with my agent about strategy. I'd like to get another book done in summer/early fall so I can take some time off during the good part of fall. I know I say that every year, but my publishing schedule seldom cooperates. I'm planning to be in research mode for some new things during that time, in addition to taking some time to just go hiking, sit on the patio and read and otherwise enjoy the brief phase between bursting into flames when you go outdoors and turning into an icicle when you go outdoors.