Saying Good Bye

My eyes are gritty, and I feel as though I haven’t slept in days. I went to bed very early last night, looking forward to a walk at the lake with my husband, our youngest and our second oldest’s dog, Buddy. This walk was suppose to take place at sunrise, when the air is in the upper seventies and a bit muggy. Rather than later when it’s in the nineties and unbearable to breathe.  And then I laid there for hours, conversations going through my head, reminding myself of things my characters needed to do.

Finally, I got up, at almost two in the morning and I wrote for two hours. The words came fast and furious…yes, just like the movie, and I accomplished much. My mind was purged of all those conversations. I went back to bed and laid there for another hour before falling into a deep sleep. The kind of sleep I look forward to and rarely achieve. So, no walk for us…or at least all of us. My husband and Buddy still took a stroll, so all was not lost.

Now, I’m out of sorts and trying to get back on track. I’m at 66,000 words on my last book in my Rubyville series…and I’m sad. These books are all around 64,000 words, so you can see I’m having a bit of a problem letting go. I’ve been with this family for a year and a half now. I’ve argued with them, cried with them, laughed at their faux pas and watched them all grow up and…die. It’s very similar to sending a child off to college, watching them get married, or saying good bye to someone you’ve loved your entire life. It hurts, and it makes you sad. If you don’t write, you will think I’m crazy. If you’ve read  a great, all-encompassing book…you know what I’m talking about.

So, off to write, through another emotionally exhausting day. Maybe today will be the day I finally say, “Good bye to Rubyville.”