I am elated to announce that, 20 days after completing the first draft of the novel, I have edited the entirety of American Dream On. Granted, two-thirds of the edits still have to be typed in, and there are some very minor inconsistencies that still have to be resolved. But the second draft is on paper and the third will be ready for distribution soon – maybe even by my goal of New Year’s Day.

This completion was spurred by an incredible wave of motivation that came from approaching the finish line, combined with the last few chapters just being better (thus needing less editing), combined with being sick for the last 48 hours. The sickness has been a bizarre hybrid of sore throat, nausea, and chills that would sound for all the world like a mild flu were it not for the sore throat. I’ve never had a sore throat with the flu that I can recall. Regardless, the illness was quite debilitating yesterday, but prompted a remarkable amount of work both then and today, when it was feeling more strange, achy, and voice-constricting than anything else.

I am in no way pleased to be sick so soon after being sick in Jersey, though I still hold out some hope that this will be more like a 72-hour bug than a week-long wipeout. More importantly, typing in edits is about the easiest thing to do and should go even faster with my current knowledge that this will be all between me and the feedback of actual readers.

For over eight years, I’ve been kicking around the idea for this book. I have shared almost no information about its contents with anyone. In less than two days, people who are not me will get a chance to read it for the first time.

It’s almost enough to make me forget that I’m sick. Almost.