Sit back and enjoy the finale…

Unless I miss my guess, I am now three-quarters of the way through this book. If all goes as planned, I should write another 25,000 words or so. Normally, under these circumstances, I sit back and watch the show unfold. I’ve laid the groundwork; I know where I’m going. Time to enjoy the finale.

… er, maybe?

Here’s the thing. I start school in – let’s see – twelve days! Yikes! That’s also only nine working days. Now, to get this book done in that time, I’ll need to write, ewwww, nearly 3,000 words each day. That ain’t gonna happen. But I should still have it done shortly thereafter. Good thing, too, because my first class is “Argumentation & Writing” and that might take a little brain power.

Oh, there’s one other reason why this one might not be so easy.

I don’t know how it ends.

Yep, this is a first for me. I can usually lay this shit out in my head with little or no problem. Rarely, if ever, do I write an outline. I use my training as an actor and let the character drive the story, keeping events and things fluid. But that’s what has caused my problem here. You see, my original ending has become irrelevant because of the characters… but has remained necessary because of the story. (Don’t believe anyone who tells you writing is easy… or that writers are perfectly normal.)

So, what do I do? As odd as this might sound, I just keep going. I let the characters do what they do and intercede when necessary to keep the story moving in the right direction. But enjoying it is certainly not on the menu. I just want to get it finished!

Thought it probably goes without saying, I am looking forward to finishing the book because it will be my last one for a while. Face it, kids, I’ve got books to sell. I am not at a loss for material. I need to focus on those a bit and hope to sell. As for what I’ll do with my free time at work without anything to write, well, I’ll have schoolwork and I think I’ll start bringing some music to listen to here in my office… let’s see if I lose my mind after a few months of that.