I Completed a Non-Fiction, 20,000 Word Book

I did it! The thrill of completing a book of that size is almost overwhelming. Let's see, I posted on Facebook. I emailed my writer's group. Now I'm blogging about it. Tomorrow, I'll get out my list and start calling people. Oh, it is tomorrow already. I better wait a while.

I'm used to writing picture book stories of 300-1500 words and scripts of 30-40 pages. But a book of 79 pages and 20,000 words is a feat for me.

I started writing Center Stage: Helping Your Kids Succeed in Life Through Easy Theater Activities in January 2008 after hearing a speech by Henry Winkler. I always meant to write the book; it had been in the back of my mind for a long time. But it finally got on paper when I heard Mr. Winkler's remarks. It finally got printed out in...well, I don't know. I think it was May. It finally got handed off to my writer friends, who very promptly made red marks on it and handed it back. It finally got edited by me. Now it's off to more editors. Then I suppose I'll have to go through it again and clean it up even more.

But I'm still thrilled. I love it when I manage to accomplish something that wasn't exactly easy, that took time and effort--and I did it anyway. I'm one of those people who like projects that take a day or two of intense concentration to complete. I usually write my scripts during an all-nighter because I like to get the project done. I can sew but I hesitate to start a project because I'll want to spend HOURS on it so it can be complete before I move on to the next project. Puzzles can have no more than 1000 pieces and they can't be those stupid drive-you-crazy-because-all-the-pieces-are-shaped-the-same type because I have to be able to finish it quickly or the rest of my duties will be neglected for too long. I've tried crochet--I still intend on returning to my squares; I mean, really, what could be so difficult about squares? Maybe it's because there are 60-something of them. I've cross stitched using some gorgeous patterns but I still have the one I really want sitting in my projects bag. It didn't get done in a day and now I've moved on.

This book is different. It got finished. Good. One unfinished project is now complete. I can cross it off my list and go to bed...except I have a few things I should get done first since I've neglected some tasks all day. Nah.

I'll go read A Christmas Carol.

Side note: my eyes hurt. I still have my contacts in. I can't see the screen well.There are probably quite a few errors in the above piece. Just fix the errors mentally. Maybe later I'll edit this page. (but don't hold your breath)