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| Franz Von Stuck; Lucifer (1890) |
On 30th March I wrote THE END on the first draft of The Prison of the Angels.
And I felt absolutely miserable.
It's an occupational hazard, I suppose. I've spent four years, on and off, writing this trilogy, and I've never invested so much time and care in a particular set of characters. I adore Milja - I think she's brave and clever and complicated and she deserves happiness. I am erotically besotted with both Azazel and Egan. Finishing the trilogy felt like walking away from someone I really loved. I felt incredibly lonely.
There's also an edge of worry. I've had readers enthuse over many of my books, but not to this extent, and not over a series. I've never had people saying they are desperate to find out how it all ends! My readers have invested in the characters too; they want a happy ending, they want emotional payback, they want satisfaction. They've followed my characters for three books and for the first time I feel like I am writing for someone other than myself.
Can I give them what they want? Have I done a good enough job? There's pressure!
At least I've got a few weeks grace now, as I get to go back in and fix everything, and make it even better.
Fingers crossed...
2 comments:
I don't know the right phrase to respond to your anguish/pride with! Is there one? I feel ya, though. I suppose they could have children who would go on to have Further Adventures? :D
You don't have to leave them yet, there's so much more to do; editing, publicising, screen adaptations...
Relax. You know your characters and whatever happened had to. I am definitely looking forward to the culmination of this series, though I'm wondering if you'll be able to walk away from them permanently. When I ended Wolf Tales after 12 novels and nine novellas, I went into a horrible depression. I missed them all! I finally started the Spirit Wild series about the younger generation as adults, and that seems to have eased the pain...I think it's like postpartum depression when the book has been birthed and you're left wondering what's next...
Congratulations! It can't have been easy to write the final book. Imagine it took a bit out of you! It's such a visceral story, it's got to be painful to try and move on into edits and such, knowing that it's the end of this chapter in your writer's life.
But just think...you can start worrying about the next project!
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