Birth Announcement

It's been eleven months in the making, but as of this past Wednesday evening, July 29, I have finished the first draft of my novel. My baby is 164 pages long (single-spaced) and weighs probably about 1.5 to 2 lbs. It's not quite ready for public viewing (baby needs some work & refinement first), but above are some early photos. Since I haven't actually read it yet (I just wrote it), I can't make any claims about its quality, which may very well be lacking, but I must say that there's quite a bit of satisfaction in simply having finished a certain quantity of work, contrary to the popular saying. As I take a break from it, I am experiencing a fair amount of postpartum disorientation, but it won't be long before I begin the arduous task of revision, so I'm doing my best to enjoy this intermission. Thanks so very much to all of you who (quietly & discreetly) encouraged and supported me along the way even though I was so shy about discussing it. Being "public" about it still feels strange and uncomfortable, but at least I now have a tangible product vs. just the idea, and I honestly don't think that would have happened without friends and family cheering me on. So cheers to you!