Milestones

I reached a key milestone in my current novel last night. I made it to page 200.

This is really a significant number only in terms of aesthetics. It could be 197 or 213 or any other random number.

But 200 is nice.

When I finished the first draft of September, it was only 297 pages. Falling Angels was 499. When I had hit 200, they felt like they were becoming books.

200, of course, is not the only milestone. Here are the others:

• First Sentence: Knowing I have started the process is a thrill. I have anxiety when beginning a book and getting through the first sentence goes a long way to alleviate it.
• First Paragraph: I've completed my first thought of the book. I'm going somewhere.
• First page: I feel like I am on my way here. Usually, I am struggling mightily and it can take upwards of a hundred pages before I am really into a book. But getting through that first page means I can get through others.
• Page 53: This is the most important milestone for me. My first attempt at a novel was around 1998 or so. I had characters and a good plot and I knew where I wanted to take the story. I was moving along well, too. I wanted someone to read it at page 53. I hadn't written anything except poetry and schoolwork since high school and I had no confidence whatsoever. I thought I needed encouragement. It never came. I didn't go further with that story. For my two completed novels and for the one I'm writing now, page 53 was tremendous. It meant I was serious about the story. It also meant I believed I could make it into a novel.
• Page 100: I doubt I'll write any 1,000 page books, so page 100 is a milestone in that I have achieved that third digit.
• Page 200: When I get here, I know I am going to finish. The book is becoming a reality.
• The last sentence: Nothing I can write here will describe accurately what I feel here. It's unlike anything else. It's more emotional than academic achievement. It is more personal than winning in any competitive environment. It's wonderful and thrilling and sad all at once.

So I am nearly finished with my third novel. Not sure hwo I feel about that yet and I don't think I can tell you when it happens.

Just know that I've just hit that milestone that ensures me that I will finish the novel.