When One Story Ends, Another Is Just Beginning

Yesterday afternoon I finally typed the words 'THE END', on my second novel in my Irish series, 'Deceive Me in Ireland'. When I first typed those word on 'What Happens in Ireland' I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. It wasn't my first novel ( I had written a fan fiction the year before) but it was they very first of my own series of books. I felt so excited by those words, one step closer to one day seeing my name on a shelf. That was a year ago.

But this time was different. I was relieved. I had finally finished. My hero and heroine finally had the Happily Ever After they deserved and I'd finished it at just shy of 80 000 words, my shortest novel so far.

I was a little scared by how short it was. I thought it was something to be alarmed about. But I realized it's because over the year, through the many drafts and the houses I spent working on my novels, I have refined my craft.

But, the worse feeling was not my fear of having written too less, but my growing sense of loss. I didn't want to say good-bye. I'd fallen in love with my hero and I thought of my Heroine as a best friend. They'd become a part of my everyday life over the last twelve months and suddenly, it was all coming to an end.

But as the saying goes, 'When one chapter ends, another begins.'

'Deceive Me in Ireland' is just the second of four stories and I have so many plans for novels to write. As I said in an earlier post, my muse has been running wild with motivation over the last two weeks. I had written the first chapter of an new novel I have planned, a rural romance set in Scone. I'm really looking forward to writing this novel. My connection with it is strong and in just a day it has grown from 3000 words to 8000. Whilst I miss my Irishman, William and Cara, my timid heroine from Melbourne, I find myself making new friends already.

There's only one thing more satisfying than typing the words 'THE END' and that starting a new novel. There's the first time tingle of attraction, those awkward first impressions and those fresh starts.

My newest WIP, 'Fixing Fences' is all about new beginnings and how sometimes, they are the only thing that can fix the past.

Happy reading/writing everyone,

W