Eva Is Complete!

I finished writing a book today! Wait. This could be better...

I finished writing a book today!

Much better!

The first draft of Eva, my latest novel, is complete. It is a break from my usual straight fantasy novel. Eva is a screwball adventure spliced with magical realism. There's feng shui, genetic engineering, lots of handcuffs, paranormal apparitional personality divinations (I told you there was magic), an elephantini, ninjas, FBI, and a topping of romance.


It's a strange blend of genres, which might make it difficult to sell. But you know what? I don't care. I loved writing it. This story has been humming and clacking in my brain for three years now. Finally, it (and I) am free!

Because I love stats, here are the few I compiled for Eva:

• Book length: 444 pages
• Word count: 124,497
• Days spent writing Eva: 72
• Hours spent writing Eva: 127
• Number of dances I've done today: 5 and counting

With this being the sixth (!!) novel I've written, I'm well aware that I've finished, at most, only half the work on this novel. There are edits, more edits, critiques, edits, and did I mention edits?

• Original book length goal: 300 pages
• Minimum number of words I will trim in edits: 34,497
• Time until I begin those edits: At least two weeks

Right now, I'm full of energy. I'm riding the high of having completed the novel. However, I know rushing into edits will lead only to burnout. I'll satisfy myself with printing it out and having it ready to read.

Until then, there's always the edits of the novella I wrote last year. And notes on my next novel, which I'm really excited about. And edits of Faye, the novel I completed before this that needs a massive overhaul. And structuring a nonfiction I want to write...

Today, though, there's only one priority: celebrating!