ALMOST AT THE END

We look younger than we feel
and older than we are
now nobody's funny
no god, they took our fashion week
that's a real bad thing
cause we have scars to cover

I'm sitting here with a bourbon-and-diet listening to perhaps the coolest band in America with the next-to-final version of Shriek printed out (thanks, Ann) on the table in front of me. Adding a few last notes. To check a few things. Add a few things. Tweak a couple sentences. I finally figured out how to untangle the last snarl and how to echo in the double ending, to twin and ghost in a deeply satisfying way. The book's a monster (about 138,000 words in this final incarnation). Tomorrow night I'll turn it in to my editors and there'll be another round of edits, but for all intents and purposes, the novel is done now. Which is good, because I got the Pan Macmillan catalogue page for it last week. A very odd feeling, to see the book advertised while I'm still editing it. My wife's been reading behind me as I finish off sections and offering comments, along with a few snippets sent to a couple of people to get an opinion or two.

Anyway, I'm sitting here satisfied and tired but happy. Soon my life will return to normal and I'll be able to start on the next thing. Kinda glad I'm not going to WorldCon. I need a break.

Jeff