Fair Warning

[mrissa]

I seem to be doing a lifo system with livejournal posts, mentally last in first out. Anyway, last night it hit me that I'm pretty scared of finishing this book, or rather these books. I've been working on Thermionic Night and Sampo in some form for years now. Books have not taken me years before. I have taken breaks to write other books in the middle of this mess. These books have stuck with me. And I can see the end from here. The tunnel has a big, bright light at the end of it.

Of course, there'll still be Midnight Sun Rising when they're done, but as I said last night when I was talking about glaciers in my head, MSR feels distinct from them. It has different main characters and is set in 1997 instead of the 1950s. And it's more of a road trip book, whereas very few people get to go anywhere in the first two, and I think it might stand all right alone, and...hmm.

And here's where we get into the workings of the Mrissa brain, because I write on an Arctic Circle sort of mindset. I have Long Night Brain books and I have Midnight Sun Brain books. Appropriately enough, TN and Sampo are the former and MSR is the latter. (Fortress of Thorns is a Midnight Sun Brain book. The Grey Road is a Long Night Brain book.) So what this means is that I've been at least partially wallowing in Long Night Brain for years now.

I think it's going to be a little painful to come blinking out of it, even though Dwarf's Blood Mead and The Worldbuilders were definitely Midnight Sun Brain books. So what I'm saying here is please, please be nice to the Mrissa when it's done. I'm going to be elated when I finish this draft, and then after that I think the rebound is going to be fairly hard. Give me cuddles or take me for coffee or pet my hair and tell me how much edits can fix. Or write me e-mail or something. Be prepared for neurotic mopery. I'll do my part by trying to minimize the neurotic mopery and by being nice right back. But I'm just saying: Long Night Brain for three years. Not what we call easy to get out of.

I'm spooked about finishing this book, as I said. So the logical thing to do is sit down and work on it some more. So I will.

Comments

[mmerriam.livejournal.com]

When mrissa has finished the book we all be elated for her. When the inevitable crash comes, patience and understand (and perhaps comfort food) will be extended.

It is a scary thing to finish something you've spent some much time, effort, and exertion on. It is okay to be spooked about finishing the book. Heck I get spooked and nervous when I finish a short story, I can only imagine what it will be like when the novel is done.

From one writer to another, Mrissa will be given all the niceness and support we can muster when the time comes.

In Peace
Michael.

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Michael. I feel like skittish horses look, but somebody will brush me and give me carrots.