The secret to finishing your book
Yes, I do know what the secret is to finishing your book. You may want to sit down in front of your computer, have a glass of water (or wine) handy and prepare to be in this position for a long time.
Now that you are ready - here's the secret. If you want to finish your book you have to write. That may seem anti-climatic but it's the simple fact. It's great to have goals, to wish for it and to talk about it but ultimately the only way that book is going to be completed is by you doing the hard work of banging on the keyboard.
Having recently been suffering from a bit of angst over my second book in the Jayne Stanford series I can understand why this advise seems silly and obvious. Of course the book isn't going to write itself. Of course I need to sit down and put words on the page. What's so life changing in that?
For me it was life changing. At the writers conference I attended over this weekend it was a constant theme. Write, write and write. Schedule the time and stick to it. Make yourself write even when you feel nothing but garbage will come out. Write until your back aches and your fingers are numb. Make the commitment and then just do it. Maybe you won't write the next Edgar winner or the next Pulitzer Price winner but you will finish your manuscript.
My new commitment is to set aside a certain number of days and hours per week. This is a commitment that I have made to myself which comes second only to getting some exercise, which is a necessary evil due to my high intake of chocolate. Exercise for one hour and write for four. The rest of the day is free to do as I wish or to get all those errands completed. But before anything else I must write.
So far it's working. Today was day one and I easily met my commitment and wrote 2000 words. It's a start and I know I can double the number for every day I stick to it.
Check back with me next week this time to see if I have been able to keep my promise to myself!
Happy trails,
Leslie
Now that you are ready - here's the secret. If you want to finish your book you have to write. That may seem anti-climatic but it's the simple fact. It's great to have goals, to wish for it and to talk about it but ultimately the only way that book is going to be completed is by you doing the hard work of banging on the keyboard.
Having recently been suffering from a bit of angst over my second book in the Jayne Stanford series I can understand why this advise seems silly and obvious. Of course the book isn't going to write itself. Of course I need to sit down and put words on the page. What's so life changing in that?
For me it was life changing. At the writers conference I attended over this weekend it was a constant theme. Write, write and write. Schedule the time and stick to it. Make yourself write even when you feel nothing but garbage will come out. Write until your back aches and your fingers are numb. Make the commitment and then just do it. Maybe you won't write the next Edgar winner or the next Pulitzer Price winner but you will finish your manuscript.
My new commitment is to set aside a certain number of days and hours per week. This is a commitment that I have made to myself which comes second only to getting some exercise, which is a necessary evil due to my high intake of chocolate. Exercise for one hour and write for four. The rest of the day is free to do as I wish or to get all those errands completed. But before anything else I must write.
So far it's working. Today was day one and I easily met my commitment and wrote 2000 words. It's a start and I know I can double the number for every day I stick to it.
Check back with me next week this time to see if I have been able to keep my promise to myself!
Happy trails,
Leslie
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