Nothing is as good as finishing a book, well maybe, chicken tacos.
Within a week or so, I will be ready to pitch my new manuscript, a steampunk mystery. After all the typing, sore back and hands, research, and doubts, it will be complete. After all the searching for the right word and emotion. Making sure there is reaction to action. Adding subtext and removing words like, there, there, saw, thought, etc. After striving to make my characters are interesting and the plot sings. After facing the dreaded question, Why in the hell am I torturing myself?
I am going to enjoy the accomplishment. If you are a writer and have completed a book, be it novel, memoir, nonfiction or short stories, be proud of yourself. You sat down and finished.
But finishing is not the only thing. I am proud that with each new project, I learned something as a writer. Thanks to my fantastic critique group, reading good writers, and going to writing confabs, I hope my work is becoming a little better each time.
So I am going to celebrate with a Japanese dinner with my husband and friends. I am going to catch up on other projects that I neglected while I worked on the book. I am going to take it easy before starting my next writing project.
As for the chicken tacos, I remember the simple joy of eating the ones my dad made for me and my sister.
It is that simple joy I feel right now. Satisfaction and a warm feeling in my belly.
Of course, if I receive several rejections on the manuscript, I will take another go at it to see what I might have missed and how to make it better. But hey, no one is perfect.
P.S. check out my recipe page for my dad’s chicken tacos.