Last few days have been a whirlwind of fun and work, punctuated by one big triumph. The book is done and at my beta readers for the next two weeks – I’m free. Done. Or close enough. (The problem with writing is that it can always, always be better. At some point you call it done and do a happy dance. <insert dance here>)

Last night I hit “send” on an email to my beta readers, a whole group of lovely people who had volunteered to read my book after I’d already workshopped it through writers’ groups a few times. But, of course, my self-imposed deadline of late Tuesday meant that I had to work like a dog from Friday on. But I persevered bravely, finishing the journey and sending the email on time!

Good Things That Happened: a complimentary conversation with my mother after she read the book this weekend (apparently she bragged to her bridge group on me) and lots of great changes on the book. Plot holes filled. 300 unnecessary “that”s removed from the book and scenes polished until they shone.

Bad Things That Happened: I wanted to rest on my laurels. Not that I have laurels, mind you, but you get the idea. By mid-Tuesday morning I had an overwhelming feeling that I Was Done. The book was done, or close enough. And obviously, the thirty tiny changes I’d planned didn’t need to happen anymore. (I did them anyway after playing power songs on the radio and telling myself I was THIS close.)

So last night in a burst of joy and triumph, I sent off a beautifully-worded email complete with book attachment, thanked the world on Facebook – and congratulated myself for a job well done before turning in for bed. As a significant detail, I didn’t proofread my Facebook post before I hit send (NOT recommended).

I woke up this morning only to find I had thanked everyone for volunteering to read and that if I had kissed anyone, to message me. This is why proofreading should ALWAYS happen 🙂  The difference in one letter made my Facebook message hilariously different – I corrected at once, apologized, and mused on the importance of one letter to a message. (If you’re wondering, I had intended to inquire as to whether I had missed any volunteer readers.)

The take away (other than the importance of proofreading) is that I got the book done. Really done. And I’m proud of myself with all sincerity for finishing the project I’ve been working on for five years or more. After a lot of sweat and tears, Clean has finally lived up to its potential. Today – well, yesterday – is a milestone, a line in the sand. From here on out, It Is Done.