inspiration

Circling Is Finished!

/ PaigeRandall / Leave a comment

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I feel drunk. Very very drunk. Yet I am pedaling (to nowhere) on a stationary bike at the gym. Everyone is very focused on their ear buds and tiny screens, moving very quickly and, like me, going nowhere.

Damn it the urge to stand up on my bike seat and shout at the top of my lungs I JUST FINISHED MY NOVEL is overwhelming. Not “I finished a draft but there is still editing to be done.” Not “I’m almost there but still working out a plot point.” Not “I need to refine dialog.”

I’m actually done.

I tried to let it rest. Three days passed. I gained a pound each of those three days. I couldn’t do it. Their voices were screaming inside me. Finish it!

What happens when a type A person starts getting creative? This is what happens. And I fucking love it.

I’m going out tonight — friends, food, booze and a band — a perfect night. I implore you, raise a glass tonight writers, photographers, musicians, inventors, creators of delicious snacks, all of you artists. Raise a glass to your fearless creations and celebrate with me.

Cheers to you all!

Writers, Please Advise

/ PaigeRandall / 8 Comments

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Hello Fellow Writers,

I am hoping for your sage advice on finishing my novel. The notion of writing THE END is very complicated for a former editor.  My revisions have continued and my book has increased another 13,000 words.  I want to develop my characters further and further. The plot becomes more in depth.  The narrator has more to say. The setting descriptions can become more sensory.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can’t seem to let go.

I am heading to Asheville in two weeks on a research and inspirational pilgrimage for my second novel. My goal was to have Circling completely wrapped before that new adventure begins.  I really like finishing one thing before moving on to the next.  Now I am wondering if I am doing Circling a disservice by forcing the end according to my arbitrary timeline. Or am I metaphorically delaying sending my baby away.

I truly can not decide. I am considering setting Circling aside to “breathe” while embarking on the first draft of my next project. My concern is that I’ll never “get back in” if I walk away and enter a new world.

Please advise writers friends.  Finish it now or let it rest? How do you ever let a book go?