Finishing a Book

I wrote last night from 5:30pm to after 10pm working to finish the third novel in my Dominion series, and though I couldn't figure out how to work another sex scene in there without extending the ending past what was really needed, I did finish.


Often times I hear people speak about writing a book someday. I always smile a little and think, yeah, writing the book isn't the hard part. Finishing it is the hard part.


I started Redemption in December of last year shortly after I finished writing Inheritance (the first Dominion novel). At the time I really expected that Redemption would be the second in the series, but as it happens sometimes with characters, Sei just wasn't done talking. So I put Kelly's story aside and wrote Reclamation.


Then in February this year I got sick. For over a month I was terribly sick, missing work and not feeling strong enough to read a book let alone write one. So Kelly was again put on hold.


Then when I started to feel better, the story just wasn't working for me anymore, so I began rewriting from the beginning trying to reconnect to the character. It wasn't until last week, when I was packing, getting ready to move and thinking about all the issues the book might have that I realized I was missing out on the secondary character who was supposed to help build the novel.


Oddly enough, with 80% of the book written, I went back to add those scenes and found them easy, even flowing effortlessly. Then back to the ending which had stumped me for months. And all of a sudden it was there.


Of course it wasn't as simple as putting it down on paper. I had a few breaks in the four + hours of writing to pause and think, then go back to an earlier scene to be sure it fit.


But I remember as I was writing that last bit how I kept thinking is it enough? Can I conclude it here? Do the characters have more to say? 


For now they are finished. Of course next comes the editing, which is just as challenging as writing a book. Sometimes scenes are lost. Sometimes rewritten, sometimes added. Holes will be poked and corrections will be made.


I just wonder, for all those people out there who want to write a book, if they really get that writing's not even the hard part.