The End is Nigh (And That’s Great)

There is snow on the ground. All morning, the sky wept fat flakes, promises sealed in frozen water. The world is fresh and new and I, who have been living on tea and toast and tortillas, am in awe of the way the earth looks under its glacial blanket.

New beginnings. I am so close to finishing my book, my little dieselpunk romp, and I have been swinging from metaphorical chandeliers as I am at once happy with it and despairing that it will never live up to the idea that nests in my head. I know this is normal, I know that it will only intensify when I start the querying process, but today I am quietly hopeful for this project. I know this: I have worked very hard on this book. It grew up with me, as it was the first book I ever wrote starting when I was twelve. It was the my thesis for my MA and has been shuttled from house to house. This feel surreal.

I am high on a new epilogue that has never been part of the writing journey of this novel. I had an idea for a sort of joist that will press one storyline into the other two plotlines, something to acknowledge a thread that has so far been ignored. I was pedaling away on my stationary bike when I had this idea, and, following the end of my exercise session, I hopped off the bike and chattered away to my sister.

I am a lucky human being.

As I write this epilogue, I am using the pen that my friends at The Johns Hopkins University gave me in my care package following my mother’s passing. It means the world to me. I cannot imagine a better ally in my work than the thoughts and hopes of my friends and the people who inspire me to push myself as a writer.

The next week, I will try and blog my final thoughts on this book, put together my query materials, and do the thing that gives me meaning. Welcome to the end!