Finishing a Series Is Hard in More Ways Than One

A little over a week ago, I finally finished the first draft of the fifth and final book of The Warriors of Bhrea. The good news is that the final book, The Empire of Damnation, will be out in the next few months! The bad news is…I’m sad. 🙁

The Celebration

Do you know how long I’ve been working on this series? Do you?? I started really writing it in 2018, but the ideas–the world, many of the characters–had been in my head for much longer, since childhood. To see the series complete (though some edits are still needed) is just. Crazy. But, crazy in a good way.

Seeing my story grow and develop over these past several years is a privilege I hope all writers can enjoy. There is nothing like being able to write the pay offs you’ve been building up for years. It is an incredible feeling to see your characters ending up where you think is most fitting. It is like attending a loved one’s graduation–you’ve been watching someone grow up from something small to something big, even helping them on their journey. And now, you get to watch them go out on their own into the great wide world. It inspires a huge sense of accomplishment and gratitude, to be able to witness it and be the architect of the whole affair.

Lastly, it’s a huge relief. It is a relief to finally have a complete idea down, a story from start to finish. It’s a relief to be able to sit back and take a break, to know that a big job is done. Especially since my son was born almost a year and a half ago, I’ve felt a lot of pressure from myself to just get! It! Done! So the final part of the series would not just fall to the wayside in the flurry of learning to be a mom. While I have many more writing projects planned, getting this one under my belt is a huge milestone, and I want to take some time to kick back and relax for a bit.

So, for those reasons, it is a cause for celebration! I’ve finished a series–and a five-part series at that! It’s not easy to write a pentology, but somehow I did it.

The Grief

But with that celebration, sense of accomplishment, relief, and happiness, there is also some grief.

The flipside of watching your loved one at their graduation, while a joyous event, can also be a sad one. It’s a time of letting go, which can be hard to do. You see, when you cultivate a set of characters in your head, you eventually develop an attachment to them, and when their journey is complete, that means it’s time to say goodbye. The characters have “grown up,” and it’s their time to go out into the world and entertain people with no further input from their creator.

The silver lining of this is that it’s not truly the end for these characters, for I have side stories, prequels, and even a sequel series in mind. But, the imaginative journey I began as a kid has completed it’s first (and largest) leg. It’s like hiking a long trail to the top of the mountain, turning around, and realizing you’ve made it halfway up . There’s relief, but there’s also a bit of sadness that the journey is already partly over. After a while, it will be all over.

The Takeaway

I won’t subject you to what is essentially a diary entry for this whole post. I have some takeaways, some things I’ve learned on this incredible ride!

First, take your time. I can’t repeat it enough. Don’t rush through something just to get it done. You will enjoy yourself, and your project, a lot more if you allow yourself to enjoy the process rather than obsess over the product.

Second, don’t procrastinate and overanalyze. Does this contradict what I just said above? No. Too many times I’ve seen writers get hung up on revising to the point of perfection, at the cost of never putting their work out there. I’m happy to break it to you–your story will never be perfect. It is impossible to reach perfection, so let that be permission to let others enjoy your story even if it doesn’t reach your perfectionistic standards.

Lastly, when you do finish your project (and you will, because you’re awesome), allow yourself to feel all the feelings–the good and the bad. It’s your story, you’re the boss, it’s your party, and you can cry if you want to!