Resolution complete! I finally wrote the last scene to Darklight and it feels great. Ever since I nailed the beat sheet, I have been writing hard for six weeks. It feels like forever.

I still have to flesh out one already existing subplot. In fact, there was a tidbit in the resolution that connects to that subplot, but since I will be working on that soon, I figured it best to not bring it up. Instead, I want to let the subplot finish itself, and then I can tailor fit it to the resolution.

Wrapping things up

The scenes I had been writing up until this point seemed to be getting longer and longer. But in the resolution, they got shorter and shorter. I felt a pressing need to “finish it up” and not drag the reader through lots of tension. But instead wanted to unwind things and provide a distinct sense of satisfaction. At the same time, I gave indication that people aren’t just sitting around. These characters have lives and there is more work to be done. And maybe, just maybe, you can read about that in another novel in the future. But not today.

Things right now are at 69,000 words (and change). My beat sheet estimates have shifted to 78,000 after I finish the subplot, which should be perfect. But at this point, I’m not overly worried about it. With a total of ten scenes left to interweave, it should land at a pretty good size.

After that?

After that, it will be time to send it out to my beta readers. If you are feeling interested, leave me a comment and we can discuss the possibilities. After I have a chance to send it out, get some feedback, and do my own proofreading as well as top-to-bottom reading, I then plan to simply put it on the shelf for a bit. I don’t know. A couple weeks, or perhaps a month. Then read it again and look for more mistakes. After all that, hopefully it will be in a good enough shape to start querying.

Happy writing!