I did it. After HOW MANY months of being "almost there" and "seeing progress" and DELETING AND REWRITING THE ENTIRE LAST HALF OF THE MANUSCRIPT... (pant, pant, pant)
I sent it off to my first reader.
Yes, I finally got through the second first draft of the second book in the Citadel Chronicles. I like it. It still needs some work, and a few pieces must be laced up a bit tighter, but it is where it needs to be for now.
As for me, on the other hand, I'm slogging my way through taxes and getting caught up on business things and feeling a sense of loss, because despite all the complaining and brain-draining that goes along with editing and writing, I love it and I miss it.
I used to think the first draft was the easy part, where the material runs fresh from the brain and onto the page, but it is different when writing a series, because a lot of it feels like editing, even on the first draft. Probably because I must mind my previous works in order to retain the continuity between them.
One thing is clear, I need to make more notes of my books, because there are things I'm forgetting and mistakes of that nature are difficult to correct later without losing the wonderful readers who pay attention to those very details.
I'm not complaining... yes I am, but I'll get over it. I love writing too much to let the little things stop me... This time...