For all you writers struggling somewhere in the middle of your manuscript, here are five tips to get you to the end.
1) Create a deadline for yourself.
Think of a practical timeframe to complete your work. If you’re going to be a first-time writer, you’re going to need a first draft to work with.
2) Do not go back and read what you’ve written.
Especially for a first-time writer, understand that rewriting follows the first draft. You need to keep that internal editor turned off.
3) Give yourself permission to write poorly.
Don’t concern yourself with perfecting your prose. The biggest mistake writers make is spending years crafting prose that will not survive the rewrite because it’s not intrinsic to the story.
4) Don’t concern yourself with filling in every narrative hole at this point.
There may be areas that feel sketched in. Don’t worry. Your sole goal is to get to the end.
5) Make a promise that you will reward yourself with a celebration upon completion.
You’ve asked something big of your unconscious, and it has delivered. We must keep our word with our muse.
Learn more about marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure in The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, or The 90-Day Screenplay workshops.
The Nature of the “Want”