This is the end

Beau-tiful friend, the end.

No, I'm not getting all apocalyptic on your asses, just wanted to share the two words I typed last night on my novel-in-progress:

THE END

What a relief. A year, this has taken me to do the first draft. A year! But the relief is shortlived, and within minutes you're back in there, chipping away at this big block of stone that vaguely resembles a novel...

I'll tell you what, though - I had a blast drafting it. There are many modes of writing and the first draft is the most fun (and the biggest pain). You're walking into rooms blind, not knowing what you'll find there or how compliant that new character you've cast is going to be. For me at least, going commando-style (ie: working with no visible outline), it's a proper adventure. The real graft begins on draft 2, but there's no recapturing that struggle to get your character's ass out of the flames. Or fully into them, depending on what kind of novel it is.

One more time:

THE END