The endorphins are kicking in. I did it! I wrote a 463-page contemporary fiction novel, and a full day ahead of my deadline. Real quick, let’s get one thing out the way. Yes, I intend to publish, but I do not have an agent. As a first time novelist, I need a polished manuscript to draw an agent.

This one’s pretty, but it isn’t polished yet 🙂

This is just the first draft so there’s still much work to do. I’m pumped to get started, but first I’ve gotta make myself step back from the novel. I’m taking a couple weeks and doing a writing challenge to sorta reset my brain. Then I get to dive into editing. I’ve been taking courses and am looking forward to implementing the things I’ve been learning.

Here’s something crazy, y’all — I haven’t even read my own book yet! I used a fast-drafting approach that was crammed down my throat in the hundreds of hours of novel-writing courses and workshops I’ve taken these last 9 months. I might write about my approach later (subscribe if interested) but for now I’ll share my motto with you:

Don’t Look Back.
Just keep typing … just keep typing

The fast draft approach worked for me and so I’ve only read enough to re-familiarize myself when furthering plot points. It’s astonishing how much I’ve forgotten. It’s hard to keep track of 126,000+ words! To add one more complication to that, I didn’t write the book in order — and yes, that was on purpose. I’ve heard a few others say they do this, but it’s not anything I’ve learned in my courses. It’s an approach I refined as I went along. It’s another thing I might write about in the future, but for now it’s that much more reason that reading the manuscript will be such a treat.

Look at my novel beckoning to be read (my novel, did you hear that?!)

This stack is for me alone. No one else ever gets to read it. But there will be slots for beta reading starting upon completion of my second draft. Be sure to subscribe if you are interested in that or other potential opportunities.

Until next time, how about reading the official blurb for the completed first draft?

If you were to pick this book up in a store, this is what you’d find written on the back cover.

As my valued readers, I thank you all for your support. It helps me keep going. That’s why you guys were the first to know about my novel being completed. Now I’m going to tell the rest of my friends and family that aren’t on this list. 🙂

Until next time,

Brandie