[Saffina Desforges]

... when you finish your book?

I am a HUGE 'Misery' fan, so forgive me if your answers are a little tame! 

Shea MacLeod has already promised me half of her booze when we release our latest, but what do you do when you type that last word? (pre-editing and destruction)?

 

[Daniel Arenson]

I go back to the first page, and begin to edit it.

 

[Saffina Desforges]

Come on Daniel, read the brackets?! 

 

[Todd Russell]

Finish, as in the first draft, or finish all steps and upload to publish or sign off on the final proof?

After finishing the first draft - I let the work settle for awhile. At least a week but preferably several weeks so that I can get some distance before jumping back in and editing. While this is happening I'll work on another book.

After finishing the book (it's ready for publishing) - keep working on other unfinished stories (editing or writing the first drafts)

The train never stops

 

[Daniel Arenson]

Come on Daniel, read the brackets?!

I've written nine novels. I sometimes feel like when I type "the end", I should feel something amazing. That I should cry, or dance, or celebrate. But I don't get emotional. I honestly just begin to edit.

 

[AnneMarie Novark]

I do something special. Either go out to dinner or buy something like a new movie or even a book to commemorate the occasion.

Finishing a book is cause for celebration. So many people want to do it; so few actually do.

 

[Saffina Desforges]

I do something special. Either go out to dinner or buy something like a new movie or even a book to commemorate the occasion.

Finishing a book is cause for celebration. So many people want to do it; so few actually do.

That's what I was looking for! Not the professional view. The realist view. Personally, what do you do to celebrate, relax, scream it from the roof tops? When you press 'save' and you know your book is (first draft) complete... come on, we're supposed to have good imaginations!

 

[David 'Half-Orc' Dalglish]

I take a single day off from going to the library, and splurge at...Braum's. Ice cream. Yeah. I'm a rebel.

 

[Kathleen Valentine]

Buy some strawberries and break out the Nutella!

 

[Jerri Kay Lincoln]

I celebrate with a total sugar day, or two, or three.  Chocolate cupcakes, chocolate ice cream, chocolate licorice . . . chocolate everything for a few days!

 

[John Dax]

I push Control-S.

Several times.

Then put a copy on the second drive.

Then maybe push a copy to Dropbox.

Then save it again under a different name.

And yes, I'm a little paranoid.

And then: cake!

 

[Saffina Desforges]

Great you guys, that's what I was looking for! All accepted! As for the paranoia, forget it, I email to myself every chapter! I have been hit before! 

 

[Todd Russell]

Then maybe push a copy to Dropbox.

Nice offsite suggestion for saving your books ++;

 

[Victorine]

I'm lame. I totally don't celebrate.

But, I do things like go out for steak or ice cream when I feel like it...so...I have no clue what that means.

Vicki

 

[ashel]

Buy some strawberries and break out the Nutella!

Oh my God...Nutella...

The first time I typed "The End" on something, I was frankly shocked. I went right out and bought a cheap but yummy bottle of bubbly, and then I realized it was, like, 11 am. So I just sort of sat, for a while, in that state of shock. And then before I knew it I was typing again. I was brainstorming ideas for the next project.

Of course, none of the things I wrote that year (or in the subsequent few years) will ever, ever see the light of day.

 

[AmandaHavard]

After 27 days of little sleep, I slept. For what felt like an eternity. Quite the party, let me tell ya.

 

[Kimberly Van Meter]

Right now the end seems so far away so when I finish this book, I will definitely dance a little jig. Some books are harder to finish than others. This is one taking years from my life. LOL...there might be booze at the end of this journey.

Kimberly V.

 

[Guest]

Stand up and stretch.

Save a backup.

Blog about it.

Tell a few friends.

Go out to Macey's for a $.50 ice cream (it's called being cheap frugal).

Get up the next morning and start a new one.

Usually by the point I've finished a novel, I'm already so excited to write the next one that I can barely wait to move on to the next project.

 

[southerntype]

Buy some strawberries and break out the Nutella!

As far as I'm concerned, there are two food groups: Nutella and everything else. And I try to keep a balanced diet between the two.

But when I finish a novel, I usually go space out in front of the boob tube, allowing the Smithsonian channel to info dump into my head while I wait for the congratulatory parade (complete with fire dancers) to arrive. But they must be terrible with directions as they've yet to show up.

 

[Ilyria Moon]

...feel like when I type "the end", I should feel something amazing. That I should cry, or dance, or celebrate. But I don't get emotional. I honestly just begin to edit.

Me, too. Same with recording music. When it's done, it's not really done, because it needs editing. When it's edited, it's not really done, because it needs publishing, and then marketing and promoting. It's never done, really.