Adrenaline High: Finishing a Novel

I just finished writing my novel and I’m still on an adrenaline high.

I’ve finished writing long novels before  (though not this long at nearly 106,000 words), but I’ve never felt quite like this before.

Jazzed.

Thrilled.

Excited.

Heart pounding emotional.

Weepy.

Thankful.

Blessed.

I started writing it nearly 15 months ago and it has been an intense period in my life.

2013 started out adrenaline-fueled enough with four (count ’em, FOUR) books launching in a single year. My son and daughter-in-law added a baby to the excitement.

Another son and daughter-in-law bought our house unexpectedly which meant in addition to launching four (FOUR!) books with all their marketing plans, I had to pack out my entire house for the first time (Thank you, American Taxpayer. The Navy always did it before), find a new house in a seller’s market, move, and unpack.

I also took three book-related research trips.

But this glorious story fell into my lap the last week of January.

A total and unexpected gift from God (which I’ll write about in the future), but oh, the work!

I actually knew more about World War I than I thought I did, but I didn’t feel like I knew enough to write intelligently without doing additional research.

So, in between everything else surging the adrenaline through my bloodstream (Did I mention the benign health scare?), I had to immerse myself in the Great War. The War to End all Wars. My grandfather’s war.

You can scan some of the 90+ books, magazines, articles, blog posts and movies I examined in conjunction with this project on my World War I Research Pinterest Board.

I wrote blog posts, visited the Somme, tormented my husband with military discussions, listened to music provided by friends (Thank you, Kim), read about the Schliefflin plan from a friend who wrote about it at the Naval War College (Thank you, Chas), and consulted with experts in several fields related to my subject.

Along the way, I became something of an authority on World War I and the YMCA–at least on Pinterest!  🙂

I can’t reveal a lot about my book just yet, but it touches on themes that I believe are important: how to love God in the midst of negative family-pressure; coming of age during a war; which is the better man to love?; journalism; Egypt; marriage; honoring a great teacher; following hard after God. It’s rich. I’m thrilled.

I was just the hands and feet, mind and organizer. The story came from the author of our faith.

When your adrenaline courses along with God’s plans, amazing things unfold. I had fantastic research opportunities. Got to meet wonderful people. Sat back amazed as God twisted and turned this story into something that surprises even me.

In the last six days, I wrote 22,000 words, worked a job, taught a Bible study, cooked, and cleaned for a dinner party, went to church, sang in the choir twice and played with that adorable granddaughter born last year.

When God moves, he moves. It’s his adrenaline that sparks it all.

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How does it make you feel to have completed something significant?

As for me? The war is over. My task is complete. (Well, other than editing). God is good.

I can hardly wait to actually read it!