7 THOUGHTS IT’S OK TO HAVE WHEN FINISHING YOUR DRAFT

It’s been a November of fits and starts as I close in on the end of the draft of the novel and I’ve been keeping track of all the crazy thoughts that come to mind when working on a book. It’s a threat to your status quo to write something. As I often discuss with clients, it’s really a crazy thing to do, writing a book. We spend years and years working on a story that a reader will consume in a matter of days or even hours before unleashing their opinions of how it could be different or better.

So why do we do it?

I believe, even with all the wild things that are running through my head now, that the process of writing a book is every bit as valuable to us and transformative as the change in status we feel from having written a book and being labeled “an author.” For this reason, it is perfectly ok to have the following thoughts and to continue forward, undaunted (or perhaps only slightly daunted) on toward your goal of finishing your book:

7 Thoughts it's ok to Have When Finishing Your Draft.

Keep Going!

1. This really isn’t any good, is it? At some point during your draft this will come up. It is pretty much guaranteed. So when it appears, give yourself a high five that you are now officially in the writer club.

2. You don’t know what you’re doing. You should really stick to nonfiction / fiction / articles / short stories / journaling /email. Take your pick. The critic will tell you that you’re not cut out to write what you’re actually writing. What you’ve written in the past was a fluke and you’re not going to succeed at this one. This one simply means you’re writing something that your critic is afraid will have an impact. Again- good news! The critic doesn’t appear when we write grocery lists, so if this one shows up, you’re definitely on to something.

3. You’re writing the wrong story. {Insert shiny new idea here} would be so much better. Why not drop that one and try this new one? I fell for this one for YEARS. I switched book ideas so many times that I eventually had about five partially written novels. This is a really seductive premise. But guess what? This just means you don’t have to worry about running out of ideas. You already know what your next book will be- congratulations! All the better motivation to finish the current one so you can start the next. Again, distraction tends to appear when you’re onto something good with your current project.

4. Ugh. My character doesn’t feel believable here. I need to re-write this scene/this chapter/the entire first half of the book. I can absolutely raise my hand as being guilty of this one, and am as we speak in the middle of a section of the book I have written at least three times. Guess what? If you have a strong sense of who your character is, keep going with that new sense and then adjust in revision. Make notes on the changes that you want to make by going backward and then keep writing forward. This new insight into your character is great. Let it inform you in the next draft. Don’t let your inner perfectionist slow you down.

5. This draft doesn’t feel complete. I need more sensory detail/character descriptions/dialogue. It’s ok not to include every single thing in this draft. There will be things you want to add, change or cut the next time around and that is ok. Focus on what you can focus on now, and remember that no one is going to sneak into your computer and publish the book before you are ready. Go slow, and tackle what you can tackle in each draft.

6. Oh no! My draft is waaaaay too long. I’m out of control! If you are the sort of writer who feels like you just keep writing and writing and writing while the story balloons beyond the size of book you thought you wanted, don’t reign yourself in too much. This extra writing will give you insight into the story and character in this draft. You can always cut parts out if they feel unnecessary later. Plus, there is no reason to make a book shorter if it’s meant to be a long book. Diana Gabaldon doesn’t worry about how long an installment of Outlander is. Erin Morgenstern had 8 years between The Night Circus and The Starless Sea and the new one is a whopping 494 pages. Am I sorry to have a big book in my hands? Not at all.

7. I’m never going to get to the end, am I? Of all the beliefs, this is the one that has the potential to wear you out, which is why it is so important to keep writing forward, even when the quicksand of the beliefs above strikes. Don’t let these beliefs about how your book is supposed to be drag you down into endlessly reworking scenes and plot and ideas. Much of writing the first draft of a book is simply pressing forward and not letting anyone hold you back.

There will be other beliefs that threaten to trap you. Don’t listen to them. Just keep writing. If it’s been a long time since the first excitement of the idea for your book hit you, trust that the sparkle will be strong at the finish. If nothing else, picture typing a theatrical THE END on your manuscript and doing a celebratory dance.

If you keep writing forward, every word is getting you closer to this point.

You’ve got this. Keep up the great work!

If you’ve got other beliefs that have gotten their mitts on you, please do share them in the comments below. Let’s cheer each other through the much and mire to the finish line.