It turns out, the prospect of writing the final book of a trilogy is slightly terrifying.
I would not have guessed this.
I thought I would feel relieved to be finishing this story, since it's been in my head for so long, and eager to start work on my next project. And I anticipated a little bit of wistfulness at leaving behind characters I love and a world that has grown so familiar to me. All of those things are true. What I did NOT anticipate was feeling so intimidated. A little wibbly, a little unmoored, a lot narcoleptic. Go figure.
The best explanation I can come up with is this: terra incognita. Unknown land.
I am a girl who likes maps. Globes, road maps, atlases, Google maps, deep maps. Love them all. They're comforting.
As I write, I keep a map of the story nearby that shows me the different threads and how they weave together. It helps me stay me on track, even if I don't write exactly what I'd planned on. But even though I had a plan for Bound, I still felt nervous, like the map wasn't complete.
Finally I realized that while Bound is my third book, it's my first conclusion. Characters and plots and themes have to be completely wrapped up. It's my last chance to do justice to the story I've been trying to tell. And to make things more complicated, over the course of the last two books, that story has changed and grown, just as my characters have. The destination is the same: Mo, as the person I've always envisioned her. But the journey -- how she becomes that person -- has altered significantly. Like an old-fashioned map, I know there's land on the other side, but between here and there...dragons. Lots and lots of dragons.
It's a scary thing, but I am learning that it is good to do things that scare you.
So, I had to redraw the map in my head. I've been preparing: snacks, and a soundtrack, and friends to keep me company. I've figured out the most crucial events, so that I have signposts along the way. Most importantlly, I have a compass, Mo herself. If I can keep her character clear in my mind's eye, the story will fall into place.
And now I can't wait to head out.
