Photo by Burst (Creative Commons)
You know there is an unfinished book hiding on your computer’s hard drive. Every now and then you see it sitting there. You may even open it up for a minute. Then feelings of guilt come crashing down on you like a ton of bricks.
I quit. I’m a quitter!
Is my writing actually any good?
Will anyone else want to read it?
Do I have to start over?
Who am I kidding… I’ll never finish my book!
Each question is a bullet hitting the heart of your manuscript.
After a few moments of freaking out or procrastination, you decide to go do something else.
Stinks doesn’t it.
This was my story several years ago.
But there’s some good news.
You’re not alone. Check out this poll from my friend Jon Acuff:
Over 86% of those who were polled that said it is hard to pick just one or two things to focus on.
So if you’re writing a book (or thinking of writing a book), you’re likely having a hard time just focusing on it.
Finishing your work feels like it is far off in the distance.
Here’s the good news: you absolutely can finish your book.
What It Looks Like To Finish
About four months ago, writer Anna McKenzie asked me to coach her and help her finish her novel.
We went through her idea for the story and broke it down. Together we set weekly micro goals and kept in touch on a regular basis.
Some weeks the writing went well. Other weeks, well, life happened, and she was only able to write a little.
But she kept writing and stuck with it. Week after week after week. She continued to show up in front of the blank page even when it felt awkward or like really hard work.
A few weeks ago, Anna finished the first draft of her first novel Point of Encounter.
I’ve helped many other writers before, but something Anna told me really stood out. She said, “I’ve been trying to write a novel for more than 10 years. You told me you weren’t going to let me quit and that meant a lot. Without your help, I wouldn’t have finished my novel.”
I have a feeling that a lot of other writers are facing the same struggle, so I am excited to feature an interview with Anna in my upcoming event called the Finish Your Book Summit.
You Can Finish Too
The truth is, you need support to finish your book. Life will come at you with countless challenges and excuses that you can use to stop yourself from finishing. Resistance loves to attack you when you’re doing something new.
So here’s your chance to get some support as you finish your own book.
Join me as 16 fantastic authors of 100 books share helpful advice at the Finish Your Book Summit. It’s actually starting really soon. I can’t wait!