Novel Nearly Done

I'm close folks. Closer than I guess I've ever been...

When I stopped last December, I was at 192 pages. After "shearing the sheep" if you will about a month ago, I re-started at page 112. I've been working pretty regularly on finishing the damn thing (except for the wedding weekend).

I got a lot of work done yesterday, and I'm in the middle of a lot of work today. Currently I sit at 184 pages--48,707 words. I started what I believe is the second to last chapter (chapter 11) today. I have a few pages of notes (both on paper, and in my heart) about how this thing will play out--but I'm not sure on the exact ending. Bleak or happy?

These are hard times, and yet I find that despite everything--I'm leaning towards a more "happy" ending. I know most people would describe me as a pessimist, but that's only because I present myself this way--almost to comical proportions, so as not to get my heart broken...because deep down I am an optimist. I believe in the overall goodness of humanity, and the strength of the human spirit.

Completing this novel is good proof of this. God knows that there were nights when I laid awake, angry and sad that it was never going to be completed. For almost a year I did no work on it--I'd given up. I bet there is something you've given up on, too. I bet there is something you think is impossible....well I'll risk the heart-break and say that there is no such thing as impossible. If you need proof, I'll be happy to let you read it in about a month.

"I don't believe it."--Luke

"That is why you fail."--Yoda

UPDATE: I just finished writing for the day, and the official word count is at 51,170 total (194 pages). Needless to say, I'm very pleased.