Amazing When That Happens

I have been struggling over a chapter for weeks now, and suddenly it fell into place.
I guess there's a point when I stopped struggling and just made the decision to write it--and the chapter was good! "Bridging" the scenes to make a coherent book has really been the most difficult part for me.

I have about 30 pages more to write on the book, plus one chapter to revise slightly, and a few recipes to write (each chapter is prefaced by a recipe), and then--it's done! I have been revising all along (I do some revision every day), so 90 percent of what's been written is in the final draft.

I have never worked so hard on one project in my life--well, maybe on my poetry manuscript, but that's only 60 pages. I learned a lot about the writing process, too, especially what NOT to do next time! I'm glad I just plunged into the book the way I did, though, no matter how hard it made for me at the end (spending nearly two years revising it). And at some point, very soon, it will be time to let it go. This book took six years of work to write, and I am really proud that I stuck with it, no matter what else happens. I am also so grateful that Mr. Strega has been my unfailing support with this, as well as many friends and readers of this blog. For that, I am beyond grateful.