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Apr
22
2010

Halfway Celebration!

At 57,000 words, I think it’s safe to say that I have reached and surpassed my novel’s halfway mark! I read online that the average novel length for submission is between 90,000 and 100,000 words.  Based on my outline, I think I’m right on target to finish within or close to that range!

Now that I’m in the home stretch of my novel, I’m excited and scared.  The reader expects a satisfying conclusion to the story.  While I already have planned out what will happen, I can’t help but wonder if it will be satisfying and exciting enough for my readers.  As a reader, I am usually saddened by the end of a book and I instantly look to see if there is another book in the series that I can read to satisfy my need to find out what happens next to the characters.  If it happens to be a stand alone novel, my disappointment is obvious.  I love to read multiple books about the same characters, since I feel like I know them.  Of course there are those exceptions to the rule.  Once in a while, I read a book and I’m relieve when it’s finally over so that I can finally put the characters back on the shelf and forget about them entirely.

Now, as the author, I feel a huge responsibility to create an ending that is both satisfying and leaves the reader wanting to see my character’s story continue on.  With that in mind, I’ve already started thinking about one or two more story lines that would carry on where my current novel leaves off.  At this point, I can only hope that when my reader comes to the last word on the last page, they are eager to find out if the story continues in another book.  If they put my book back on their shelf and instantly forget about my characters, then I have failed myself and the reader as well.  So I will try my best not to let that happen!

First I have to focus on my current novel and making it the best it can be, before I really worry too much about whether or not the reader actually wants to read more.  Hopefully, if I love my ending, my reader will too.  So, I better get off this blog and back to work.  The readers are waiting to find out how it will end!

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Heather