Finish your novel

If you want to finish your novel, there are three things you need to do. None of it is rocket science, but it does involve consistency and you must honour your creative self.

If you want to finish your novel, you need to do these three things:

1. Figure out why you want to write a novel

Figure out why you want to write a book, and what it means for you to finish your novel.

Is it just a hobby, or do you have a burning desire to see your name in print? 

Do you want to earn an income or win a literary prize?

Once you are clear on why you want to write your book and how important it is to you keep at the forefront of your mind.

On days when you really don’t want to write, or are feeling completely uninspired, it will be imperative to remember why you want to write.

That ‘why’ will give you the strength to dig deep and do the work. It will spur you on even when it’s a drag to take yourself away from friends and family and put words on paper.

But remember, too, what finishing your novel will do for your confidence. Imagine how proud of yourself you’ll be when you type The End.

Even if you never redraft the novel, the very fact you’ve written a full manuscript, from beginning to end, will change you in ways you don’t yet know.

Non-Fiction

The same goes for non-fiction. Why are you writing this book?

Is it because you’ve been through something difficult and you want to help others going through the same situation?

Focus on them when things get tough.

Will your book be a business card for your startup? Will it help you sign new clients? Then keep in mind how much you’ll be able to share with prospective clients with your book.

They will be so impressed with your knowledge and expertise, they won’t be able to help themselves and want to work with you.

It will be worth it for your business to keep going and get to the end. 

Picture it

If you want a visual motivator, why not go to somewhere like canva.com and design your own cover? Here’s a little video to show you how to do it:

2. Find an accountability partner

Some people work best when they know others are relying on them. If you are someone who likes to meet outer expectations then using an accountability partner or NaNoWriMo will work magic for you.

NaNoWriMo is coming up next in November. You can even get ready for it in October, with Preptober! You can find out more details here.

Alternatively, you can go to a website such as CritiqueCircle and find somebody who is writing in the same genre as you, or who is at the same stage in their writing life as you.

That person will not be offering you a critique, but will be reading your work, keeping you motivated and giving you something to strive for.

Don’t underestimate the power of having a buddy who is rooting for you. Equally, you will be their accountability partner and it’s amazing how being the accountability buddy for someone else, will compel you to work harder. It’s a win-win.

3. Schedule your time

This is the tool I come back to time and time again. It’s one of the first things I recommend my students do.

It doesn’t matter how much time you have available to you, or how little time, it’s vital to schedule your writing time otherwise it won’t happen.

I’m guessing you pretty much schedule everything else in your life. Your working hours, your children’s school hours, their playdates, your drinks night with friends, trips to the cinema and even date night.

Your writing time is no different.

When you schedule something into your diary, you are ten times more likely to turn up for yourself and do it. When you see it in your diary, it will bring it top of mind and so you’ll be thinking about your story in between writing.

Does this mean that you have to sit down and write for 40 or 50 minutes at a time?

No, absolutely not. If you only have 20-minutes and a day to write, then that’s the time you use to write.

Do you need a fancy desk to write? No, you can use a table in a cafe, a desk in your local library, the steering wheel of your car or even a hardback book in your bed.

Wherever you choose to write, set your timer and get cracking. You might not feel you’re writing very much, but when you add it up over a month, you’ll be amazed at how much you get written.

If you want help finding time to write, download my free cheat sheet which will give you lots of ideas.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s up to you. How much do you want this book written? How long will you let life stand in your way?

It’s hard to write a full length, there’s no doubt about it. But you have it in you. You have the ability. 

You’ve just got to find a way of making it work for you. And if you employ one of or more of the three suggestions above, you’ll have no problems reaching The End. 

When I first started writing I was a stay-at-home mum with three children under the age of 5. I was overwhelmed with postnatal depression and didn’t think I had it in me. 

But, I watched an interview with The Historian author Elizabeth Kostova. She was also a stay-at-home mum with three young children.

Kostova said that with three young children she didn’t have long periods of time in which to write. She had to write what she could, when she could. If she had 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there, she grabbed her opportunity.

That was the lightbulb moment for me. You can only write what you can when you can. Do that on a consistent basis and you will finish your novel. 

What will you do?

If this article was useful, you’ll love: 

• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/writing-routine/
• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/showdonttell/
• https://emmadhesi.com/blog-post/writing-course/

Emma Dhesi writes women’s fiction. She began writing seriously while a stay at home mum with 3 pre-school children.

By changing her mindset, being consistent and developing confidence, Emma has gone from having a collection of handwritten notes to a fully written, edited and published novel.

Having experienced first-hand how writing changes lives, Emma now helps beginner writers find the time and confidence to write their first novel.