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Saturday, April 22, 2017

Jennifer Gracen: The End

Earlier this week, I typed the two most wonderful, satisfying words a writer can write: THE END. I finished another book. But this one was a bittersweet accomplishment, because it’s the last book of the series I’ve been writing for a while. I started this series in 2013; that’s how long I’ve been living with the characters of the Harrison family.

I know the Harrisons as well as I know my real life friends—nope, scratch that. I know them even better. I know what makes them tick, what makes them flinch, what makes them burn. They’ve lived out the most important moments of their lives in my head for years now. I’ve loved writing their stories, and I’ll miss having them around.

Yes, I’m talking about my characters like they’re real people. To me, they are.
Which is why it’s so strange and bittersweet to now have to leave them behind.

The morning after I’d finished the series, I sat with a cup of coffee and stared out the window for a while, feeling oddly displaced. I realized it’s the same kind of feeling a reader experiences when they finish reading a series they’ve loved. Having to leave that world behind, knowing the story is over... it’s a sweet sense of loss, in the best possible way. Sometimes you can’t even start reading a new book for a few days, because your head is still in that world, with those characters, and you’re not ready to let it go just yet. Right? Well, that’s how I’ve felt for the past few days.


But today, I woke up ready to jump into a new world. To start a new series with new characters. Ready to stretch my writing wings and soar... just like when you leave your family behind to go out into the world. The Harrisons will always hold a special place in my heart, but I’m ready to start something fresh and new, and I’m excited to meet the next batch of new characters that will take up space in my head. 


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