I wrote the words “the end” about five minutes ago. Final count: 50, 235. I inserted chapters, I added scenes, I noticed typos, I realized factual inconsistencies, but it’s done! I don’t have to work on it, no, I *shouldn’t* work on it for a few weeks. “breathing space,” to realize the objectivity that it takes to do a good edit job.

My last 1600 words was the scene in P&P where Mrs. Catherine de Burgh tells Elizabeth Bennett not to marry Darcy, confirming that Darcy does want to marry her. You could interpret it that de Burgh is doing this on behalf of her daughter marrying Darcy. I changed it a bit and had Bingsley’s sister as the one who wants to marry Darcy and visits Liz herself, as it’s modern times and the whole parent fighting hte battle for the daughter is a little old-fashioned. So Brenda sets up a fancy dinner in Paris with Liz, and tries to point out the problems in their relationship. It’s another confrontation scene that Austen is so good at, and I really struggle with. But it was fun to write, and it basically “wrote itself,” as things do when you get rolling in a novel.

Always a little bit of depression when I finish a novel, like a good show on TV or a novel you’re reading, the world is over, the characters are dead, and you’re left a little forlorn.