Here I sit, early in the morning trying to bang out a post before work. It’s been a full week since I’ve been on the job, though I did briefly check in on my work e-mail on Friday. I like my job, but it’s sure been nice to be home.

Also nice is the fact that I’m the earliest riser in my house (and I’ve actually been sleeping late–late being 7, 7:30) and when there’s nothing going on, i.e., no school to get up for and when my wife is taking a break from her own work, I get lots of uninterrupted morning time. Uninterrupted morning time is good for me, it seems, better than uninterrupted evening time. It gives me time to wake up, ease into the day, and then get working on writing. This past week, even with all those final Christmas preparations to take care of, and with the holiday itself, I’ve been able to put in some very good writing time.

So, as of Halloween, my WiP stood at around 22,000 words. At the end of NaNo, I had added enough to bring the WiP to 68,000 words, 256 pages. As of this morning, it now is a ridiculous 106,000 words, 397 pages–and it’s not finished. There will be cutting, yes indeed.

I’m really not quite sure how I’ve managed this. This was a story that, to be honest with you, I’ve looked at more than once during the last few months and thought, “How am I going to fill this out some more?” Now I’m looking at having to make some fairly big cuts. Never mind that, however; cutting is, in my opinion, a better problem to have than having to find stuff to put in, and the stuff that comes out will not have been wasted. Besides, I’m not at that point just yet. I have three days left in 2014 to finish–and by finish, I mean finish the story. There’s a conclusion to write, and I’m not entirely sure of what that will be, but I can see the shape of it, the outlines in the fog. I’m excited to write it, and I’m hoping I can wrap it up by the end of the year. And then it’s time to take the saws and planers to it and make it nice and smooth and finished. And then I can turn it over to beta readers and, eventually, Carrie.

And speaking of Carrie, she has posted another query for review on her blog. Check it out, leave a comment, and you can help someone receive a free 100-page review. If you’re still struggling with your own queries, this is a good insight into how an agent thinks and may help you when you work on your own.

Finally, the end of the year is almost upon us. Be safe out there, and enjoy your celebrations!