Stop Starting and Start Finishing Your Writing

Posted by Guest Writer in Strategies      7 comments

Jul
30

Hello, my name is Justine, and I’m a starter.

I start far more writing projects than I finish.

I have new ideas every day, demanding ideas that demand to be started.

I love the feeling of starting. I love it so much that I’ll take starting over continuing or (gulp) finishing any day of the week.

Yup, I’m a starter, and I’m not alone. I recently received the following email from writer Melissa M.:

“I have just taken a look at the diagnostic tool you sent me and it does hit on a few problems. One of my bigger problems is that I seem to be a ‘starter.’ I have started about twenty four books, but I have only ‘finished’ (meaning I have written a first draft) one. I also feel that the one book I finished is not that good. I am sure it is a confidence issue, as I know I am my worst critic. I have tons of ideas, I am just not sure what to do with them all. If there was a job out there that only required a person to generate ideas, I would be perfect for it. I love coming up with ideas, and I would love to just hand them off and watch someone else run with them, but I am also determined to take at least some of them and FINISH something! Thank you for the tool, I hope to utilize it and start moving in the right direction soon.”

A big thank you to Melissa for sharing her writing-related challenges with me, a fellow starter, and now with all of you. It helps to know we’re not alone.

[Tweet “”I have tons of ideas, I am just not sure what do to with them all.””]

With twenty-four books started, Melissa really is an idea machine. And although it doesn’t always feel that way, that’s actually a good problem to have. It means she’ll never want for material. That said, being a starter comes with its own challenges, and that’s what you’ll have to tackle if you ever hope to be finishing your writing projects.

With my clients at WBN and in my own writing, I find that often the culprit is a lack of focus due to being overwhelmed. We can’t work on everything; we have to work on one thing. We don’t swallow a novel whole; we read word by word, sentence by sentence, page by page until we reach the end. We don’t run a marathon in one giant leap; we go step by step, mile by mile until we cross the finish line. You get the picture. For better or worse, one at a time is the only way to get our projects done.

To that end, I’m going to share with you the tools I shared with Melissa in order to break out of starterism and into finishism, step by manageable step.

Step 1: Pick a project

This might feel like the hardest part. All of your ideas are good ideas, but which one are you most passionate about? Which one do you think about most? Which one will keep you coming back day after day? That’s the one you should choose.

If the answer isn’t immediately obvious, make a list of the three most likely candidates, then reread what of each you’ve written so far.

Now choose! I mean it. Be brutal. Be discerning. You’ve got to start somewhere.

[Tweet “”All of your ideas are good ideas, but which one are you most passionate about?””]

Step 2: Make time to write

There’s no shortage of advice out there on finding writing time. The truth is, you don’t find it; you make it. Learn how with our free Time Management Questionnaire, which will help you identify pockets of time throughout your day and use that time for your creative work.

Step 3: Be kind to yourself

“I know I am my worst critic,” Melissa says. Aren’t we all.

Try this exercise the next time you’re being hard on yourself:

Split a sheet of paper into two columns: on the left, record your negative thoughts about yourself and your work/writing/whatever as they come to you; on the right, write what your best friend would say in response. Now review the two columns. Which has more reality?

Step 4: Start writing, and don’t stop

When Melissa and I spoke, we probed more deeply into her current writing process and discovered that she’s easily distracted by story research. If that’s you too, make use of placeholders. Rather than launching into your research right then and there, insert a note into your document reminding you to return to it later.

Research isn’t the only distraction, of course. There’s YouTube, your favorite TV show, your kids, your job, your own racing thoughts, and a host of other buggers hell-bent on keeping you from finishing your writing. And there’s a solution for all of them . . .

Once you start writing, don’t stop. Come hell or high water, don’t stop. Stopping is for starters. Are you a starter or a finisher? What do you want to be?

Discussion and Further Reading

Are you a starter, a finisher, or both? What strategies have you used for finishing your writing projects? Or to move from starterism to finishism? How many different writing projects can you successfully juggle at one time? Let us know the answers to these questions in the comments below, or ask a question of your own. Or write about whatever floats your boat. We just want to hear from you.

And unless you’re about to get started finished on a writing project, take a peek at some related posts:

When Should I Stop Rewriting?

Conquer Your Fear of Writing … By Writing

5 Strategies For Generating Story Ideas

Finding a Writing Space in Your Home

WriteByNight owner Justine Duhr is an award-winning writer and editor of both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in Anomalous Press, Whiskey Island, Fringe Magazine, The Review Review, and other publications. She holds an MFA in creative writing and has provided writing instruction at Vassar College and Emerson College.