Yesterday I finished writing In the Leviathan. It clocked in at 42,000 words or so, following the bulk of its narrative squarely on Canadian transplant Montague and then most of the rest on his grandson Tim and finally an epilogue on a woman named Kerry. That last chapter wasn’t in the notes, but as I was writing I found I needed/wanted to revise the outline. I started writing mid-January, and circumstances allowed me to finish in about two months, so that was nice, and I can say I’m done a story I planned writing for about the past five years, which is even nicer. The whole experience is another milestone of my recent writing career, and a good way to begin the year, carrying the momentum of what I’ve accomplished the last few years.
The question, of course is, what comes next? I want to make a push at traditional publication for this one, although it’s also such a personal story I’m not at all averages to putting it out myself and sharing it around the family, where it will resonate deepest. Of everything I’ve ever written, it has the greatest chance of eliciting notice and comment from loved ones, which is something most writers secretly crave.
Well, we’ll see.
Congrats on finishing it. I don't think 42,000 words is a good length if you want to traditionally publish it. It's too long for a short story and too short for a novel. Not a huge market for novellas unless you're a big name.
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