How it feels to type ‘The End’ –
Like drinking coffee in the garden
sleepy in the morning on a summer day,
bare feet caressing the cool, dewy grass,
on holiday, work two weeks away,
and suddenly a hummingbird appears.
Like watching your child born,
who’s lived in your heart for years,
a slippery, raw, perfect being emerging
and knowing, without a doubt,
that s/he belongs here.
Like being young and in love and surrendering
to the aliveness that’s taken over your soul,
and remembering the feeling years later,
when life has taken its toll,
as your lover holds your hand.
But mostly it’s like being a child,
who finds joy in everyday moments;
the wings of a butterfly,
the splash of a wave,
bubbles and bicycles
and the latest kid craze.
For to type ‘The End’
is one of life’s greatest joys
for one who has toiled over
word and phrases and endless pages,
through months, years, and countless fears.
It’s a gift,
a release,
a letting go.
So squeal with delight,
shout with glee,
jump up and down,
you’re finally free,
to type ‘The End’ all over again.
How does it feel to you when you type ‘The End’?
Does this mean you have finished your novel? If so, congratulations!!!!! And as for how I feel on the very rare times I have typed, “The End,” I would have to say it is a mixture of things. A little bit of sorrow, because I am saying goodby to characters who have lived in my head almost constantly for weeks, a little bit of relief that I can turn my attention to other areas of my life, and a little bit of pride in thinking, “Damn, I did it!” But your poem describes it so much better, and is right on the mark!
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Yes, Ann, it’s all those things and more. So hard to capture the feeling in words so I needed analogies. I am line editing now, smoothing out some dialogue and transitions. But I really need to stop soon. If by some miracle an agent or publisher picks it up they’ll no doubt make me rewrite half of it. Though I do get a sort of twisted pleasure in killing my darlings.
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I’m so proud of you, Kim! That took determination! I truly hope it does sell, and I think your chances are rather good. And I know for sure that you are en excellent writer.
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You’re so sweet, Ann. Thanks😍
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What a beautifully written poem Kim that really said it all. A mixture of relief, joy and undeniable satisfaction at having completed something worthwhile that was born of nothing.
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Thanks for saying so, Miriam. It’s so good to have people who understand the feeling. And it really is amazing how characters and stories “are born of nothing”. What a beautiful phrase.
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Thanks Kim, it’s true for all of us isn’t it, when we start writing we start with a blank canvas.
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I love that you’ve taken some of life’s most beautiful moments and so eloquently expressed how it feels to complete something you’ve worked on for so long. Congratulations on the completion of the novel and on the terrific expression of how it feels to write “The End”
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Thank you, George! As I was doing revisions and got to The End for the second time I was overwhelmed by such a tremendous feeling of joy and accomplishment that I had to get it out somehow and just saying it plainly wouldn’t cut it. You may have had a similar feeling when you completed your novel. (Which I learned about in that lively exchange in the comments in what I think was Ann’s post? Or am I mistaken?)
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No, you’re correct. It’s a great feeling…:)
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An excellent piece of writing Kim.
Loved the line
“bubbles and bicycles”.
Well done you,
and my heartfelt congratulations.
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Thank you so much, Alan!
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The poem is wonderful. Congrats on finishing the novel.
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Thank you, Sheryl!
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Congratulations, Kim. You are so so right! I still look forward to the day when I can write “The End” in my book, however, I know what it feels like to complete my short stories, poems, and essays. For me, it’s like releasing breath that I’ve been holding. When the last bit comes out on paper, and I realize that I have landed at the end of the story in a way that readers will connect to, it is a feeling like no other. I just can not imagine how much greater it must feel to reach that point in a book.
Again, congratulations
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Thank you for your thoughtful comment, and for sharing how The End feels for you. These are things only those of us who toil away at words understand, and it’s nice to have kindred spirits to share them with.
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