Here’s my big dirty secret: Since late February, I have been working on a novel. Tonight I finally — finally! — finished the first draft.
Clocking in at 420 pages, it is bad.
It is very bad.
But it is there.
There’s a couple of continuity problems to fix, but afterwards I’m going to take some time off from it before I begin revisions. During this time, Brian will have the thankless task of reading it and telling me which parts are good (I’m already fully aware of which parts are not). Come January, the revisions will begin, and boy howdy. About 120 of those pages have gotta go.
For now, however — time to boogie. My reward for tonight is a big mug of hazelnut cocoa and Community on Hulu. And then maybe a few rounds of my own personal happy dance.
Oh, and please don’t ask me what the book is about. I’m going out on a big enough limb just to admit what I’ve done; I don’t need any further humiliation. Maybe around Draft #11 . . .
Casa Camisas 
Congrats! Hooray!
My first draft of my current WIP was 240,000 words. I ended up cutting it down to 90,000 and then throwing the whole thing away and starting over with a significantly younger protagonist. It’s been a delight to write again.
Regardless of the project, its value in the world, or how well it’s done, the process of writing is, for some of us, a wonderful, happy thing that brings joy, gives us something to work on besides dishes and laundry (and while we both dish and launder!) and is worth every second we spend on it.
Hooray for you! What is there to be embarrassed about?
That’s awesome!! Congratulations!!
WOOHOO!!!!!
What’s the book about? 😉
That is awesome!! I am very proud of you, I think your writing is superb, you have a great way of telling stories. I am a little jealous too, I keep wanting to write something but get discouraged because I suck at writing and don’t have any good stories to tell. Can’t wait to read it one day when its on the best seller’s list!
That is amazing! I look forward to hearing more about it when you are ready.
You are very brave. Good Luck. I have a feeling it will be wonderful.
No sparkly vampires I hope.
That is totally awesome! I have had thoughts along that line, but where on earth did you find time to do it? I wish you the best of luck and hope you get it to a point that you are willing to share more!