I am very pleased to say that I have finished the hopefully very last draft of Metrognomes: Book I: The Shaman's Apprentice. I am so ready to move on to the next project it's unreal. I've actually lost count of the number of drafts this novel has been through. I think that's a good problem to have. The more drafts, the better the final product. This time I mostly made changes to punctuation, but there were some changes still made in dialogue. I added an explanation of the word "metrognome" at the publisher's request. There was one continuity error so slight that the editor didn't even catch it, which I corrected.
I think for me writing a novel is the same as working on a movie would be for a director. I always read about pre-production, post-production, re-shoots, et cetera. For me, the characters are so real, when I go back to a manuscript to add or change dialogue, it's like doing reshoots with an actor. I get to "work with" the characters some more and get their dialogue down just right. Maybe even work in an additional scene here and there. And I miss them when the project is over. I was terribly depressed after I finished my first novel. It was hard saying good-bye. At the time, I had no idea whether or not I would actually write a follow-up. In the case of Metrognomes, I already know there are going to be four more, so I'll get to work with most of the cast again very soon. It's easier to let go of the book that way.
Right now, I'm going to get back to my Nightfire characters for a couple of weeks. Then, in April, we begin "pre-production" on Metrognomes: Book II. I can hardly wait to work with Molly and all those wonderful characters all over again. In the meantime, hopefully you'll have Book I in hand before the summer is thorugh.