Writer Senses

Current word count: ~168,000 Listening to: People talk ____ It's been three years (November 5) since I began the Ark series. Typically I am long-winded, but to be honest, I don't feel very reflective about it this three-year milestone. Surprise! I wanted to come to this anniversary post contemplatively. I wanted to say something meaningful and deep about how writing a novel changes you. The fact that I'm writing a novel stopped being novel (see what I did there?) after the first year, though. Once you write a 167,000-word-story that still isn't done, it becomes so ingrained in the rhythm of your life that it ceases to be fresh. I don't mean to say that I don't think my novel is interesting—far from it; I am the story's biggest fan—only that I want to be done with it. I want to begin pursuing publishing, attend conferences, get an agent, and perhaps feel like I have more time to work on my master's thesis (or play Team Fortress 2, y...