It feels like forever since I started writing The Mischievous Mrs. Maxfield.
It's been almost a full year, actually.
It seems like a long time but looking at the length of the manuscript, 300,000+ words, I'm not surprised.
It's an epic book. And as much as I'd love to just leave it like that and be done, I can't.
I think, with the amount of story I've written for TMMM, it will be good for two books. But I'm somehow fond of numerical patterns—threes, sevens, forties—so two feels—ironically—odd.
So just when I thought it was over, I think, "Sequel?"
I'm not going to write a book for the sake of writing a book. It's a lot of work to do for something you don't quite believe in, and maybe I'm still much of an amateur that way.
I'll think about it but for now, TMMM is done.
I've never been so relieved to finish a story. I never really felt the pressure before because I was always writing offline. TMMM is the first story I've posted serially and that has really changed the way I write.
You have people watching every scene unfold, waiting with baited breath for the next chapter. While it's exciting, it can be nerve-wracking and frustrating too. You start to find yourself in a bind, wondering if you're writing for the story, for yourself, or for the audience.
I have no regrets though. Writing TMMM has been a real journey for me and I've met many inspiring people who reached out to me with their feedback, showing me exactly how powerful a pen can really be.
For now, I'm putting the pen down for a break—until I have to pick it up again to undertake the monumental task of editing this beast.