Post-Writing Emotions

[Uilos]

Hello gang, got a quick question to all you writers. I'm working on the second draft to my first novel. I had to stop the first draft because my thoughts on what the book should be no longer grooved with the manuscript as it was, so it's now sitting in some dark corner of my computer. May god have mercy on it's zombie bones.

Anyway, I just finished working on the first chapter. Finished, I felt relieved, satisfied and that I had accomplished something. This happens all the time, no matter what I'm writing. I'm rubbish when it comes to working towards endings, I can't end things well, as my ex-girlfriends will atest to. So when I come to a conclusion to either a chapter or a short story that jives well and fits, I feel pretty damned good about myself, and that I cans stand back, take in a breath and enjoy the moment.

How do you feel when you've finished a chapter, or an overall story?

[blgarver]

Honestly, I usually feel like I've rushed things just to finish the darn thing, as I've normally been working on it for waaaaaay too long.  I normally feel crappy because I have let the story down.

But then again, we are our own hardest critics.  Everyone that reads my stuff seems to love it.  That keeps me going.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

How do you feel when you've finished a chapter, or an overall story?

Finishing a chapter is usually a buzz, it's one step closer to a completed story, more so if it's a key plot point or something I had reason to suspect would be difficult; sometimes less so if I'm not sure it's come out right or if something very difficult is due immediately next.

Finishing a whole novel is disorienting, because usually I've been living with the thing for a year or so and am used to thinking about bits of it and working them out whenever I get a spare moment, so there's rather a lot of "hang on a minute, that one's done" to get through.

[Lisa™]

I've actually been thinking about how I'll feel when the story I started last November is finally finished...

I'm close to the end, now, having let it lie for God knows how long and then recently picked it up again.  When I put it down, the thought of ever finishing it hadn't really occurred to me.  Now that it's an actual goal, I'm wondering "what'll happen next?"

I'll probably end up at a bit of a loose end when it's done, but hopefully something else will fill that space soon enough...

[meg_evonne]

ahh.  got it, Hi Lisa!

You mean it's possible to actually finish a manuscript?  That would be nice...

I get my satisfaction when I complete a scene and realize, 'hey that doesn't suck!'   

[prophet224]

Yeah, I have to say, I love finishing each scene and/or chapter.  It just feels like another step closer to the top of the mountain.

At the same time, I also feel many times like I'm just working to get the plot down, so I sometimes have to fight with myself over going back and 'playing' with stuff I've just written, and second-guessing myself all the time.

But generally, I get a sense of step-by-step completion.

[Starbeam]

Don't think I've ever really felt much of anything, because for the most part I don't consider it finished.  I don't do any kind of chapter separations the first time through, and I'm the kind of person that will get to some random point in the story, then go back to the beginning and start rewriting/redoing things that don't work right.  Then I'll put the chapters in.  And so far I've not finished anything, so can't comment on that.  The one thing I do get every now and then is surprise at how well something actually held up when I go back to do rewrite.  In one story, there are several chapters I read over that only needed grammar and wording redone, no story elements.  The kinda odd thing is that they're all the chapters from the villain's POV.

[THETA]

When i've finished an overall story my first thought is, "On to the first revision!"

I don't think i'm satisfied until i get reader reviews or my editor/beta gives it a thumbs up.