Getting Close to the End

I don't recommend losing a toe in order to get time off from work, but losing a toe has benefited my writing. I'm a few thousand words away from writing the end of my new novel, Agathon's Daughter--suspense in ancient Greece. I've decided to break the story into three parts. Book One will be, Hetaera, book two, Priestess, book three, Oracle.

This spring I had no idea how I would find the time to complete the book. I work extremely long hours at the airport: fourteen hour split shifts, sometimes longer, and I'm frequently too exhausted to write on my first day off. If someone had said, "Would you give up a toe to have time to finish your next novel?" I might have said, yes. Just kidding, but having time to write has been wonderful. In fact, if not for my poor foot, I'd have to say that I've been living my dream life this summer.

For me, the most difficult part of writing is getting out that first draft. I love to rewrite, and I usually edit as I go, because I find rewriting so much easier than getting out the story the first time. Perhaps it's because I tend to let my imagination go on the first draft, and that can lead me up blind alleys or on some crazy tangent. This was especially true when I was on narcotics. I'd end up with characters who had no business in the story, or go off into some fantasy which took the action into a whole other direction. The middle of a book is always a muddle for me.

But now I'm almost at the end. I can see it. Just have to write about eight more scenes, and I know what they are--at least, I think I do. Then, I'm onto bliss: rewriting. I could probably rewrite forever, but I'm forced to stop when I keep changing the same sentence.

On top of seeing the end, on top on being able to get my foot into a shoe and drive, on top of all that: I've worked out a deal with a major Literary Agency, The Literary Group International and they will be representing my work for trade publishing, but until that happens, I will continue to self publish! This a new model and very exciting.

And on top of that: The amazing, wonderful writer, Tess Gerritsen has written an incredible foreward for Agathon's Daughter. I worked on the book a few years ago in a workshop I took with Tess at the Maui Writers' Retreat. Her belief in my writing has sustained me through some very tough times, and I can't thank her enough.

Thank you, Tess!
Thank you, universe.

And for my Jewish friends and relations: Happy New Year! Shanah Tovah!