SOPHIE LI

Happy Hump Day everyone!

YES! You heard me right! I’m finally done my novel!

And it’s a weird feeling to be done, you know? My novel has been such a big part of my life for the past few months. I was either writing about my characters or thinking about about them every single day. And it’s kind of weird to… not be thinking about them. It’s like having friends who have moved to far away places.

The reassuring factor is that I’m not done done with this novel. Right now, I am working on cutting down on the length: The final word count is 147617, which is astronomical for the contemporary romance novel that it is… and I want to be kind to my beta-readers. But guys, is it me, or is it super hard to take out scenes??

Also, this is the 4th draft that I have finished, but I know for a certainty that there will be a 5th, and maybe a 7th… and maybe a 96th. So I am in it for the long haul :’)

In today’s snippet, Olivia and Matt are having a studying session at Matt’s place. It is close to dinner time and Olivia is getting hungry:

“Oh, is that what it’s about, Matt?” Olivia says.

“No.”

“It is so what it’s about. You’re offended because I didn’t eat your sandwich.”

He has to admit, that touched a nerve.

“Maybe.” He says.

“Sorry.”

“You have to say, ‘I sincerely promise’…” He begins, then pauses, waiting for her to repeat.

“I sincerely promise.”

“That I will eat all the sandwiches…”

“That I will eat all the sandwiches.”

“That Matt will ever make…”

“That Matt will ever make.”

“And never be on a diet again.” He finishes.

“And never be on a diet again?” She says.

“Yes.” He says, nodding at her.

She hesitates for a moment, as if having a debate in her head.

“Okay,” She says. “And never be on a diet again.”

WIPpet Math: 126 words, first digit 1, second digit 8 (by adding 2 + 6) to make the 18th of October

WIPpet Wednesdays is a blog hop where writers can share a snippet from their WIP. The only stipulation is that the excerpt is somehow related to the date. Be sure to check out some of the other lovely WIPpet snippets here. Thank you Emily Wrayburn for hosting.

How do you feel when you finish a novel or a long-term project? Do you also find it hard to cut out scenes from your novel? How many drafts do you usually write before a story is finally done? Doesn’t it suck to be on a diet?