 If you've ever told somebody that you were trying to write a novel, you know there's a chance they'll tell you that they want to do the same. If it hasn't happened yet, just wait, because it will.
What is it about writing a book that everybody wants to do, and so few people accomplish? Who knows, maybe you're the person I'm talking about. You want to write a novel. You may even have an unfinished manuscript that never quite made it to fruition. Now you're wondering what it would take actually to finish one? These tips are for you. Here's Tip Number Two. SET A DEADLINE TO COMPLETE YOUR FIRST DRAFT That is so simplistic, I know. Let me explain why this is key to everything you're about to accomplish. Without a deadline, you haven't allotted time to complete your goal. Setting a concrete deadline gives urgency and legitimacy to your project. If you don't have an end point, there's no pressure to spur you on to labor over your manuscript. Not everybody functions this way, but I sure do. If I know when the project is due, I can adjust my time accordingly. I don't beat myself up if I miss a day of writing when I know I still have 300 days to get the job done. And if I need to, I put in extra time when I'm coming down to the wire. Here are three things to consider when setting a deadline. 1. If you're not sure how much time you'll need, shoot for a year. Some take more and some take less, but it seems the average author usually spends about a year on a book (and let's face it, most of us are average). I like to start January 1st and have a year to get that story written. 2. Realize your commitment is for your own benefit. The stress and pressure of a deadline are necessary struggles to help guide you to the end. Embrace the pain like a marathon runner that has to push through the "wall" to cross the finish line. 3. Don't be afraid to adjust your goal if it isn't working. None of us ever know what the future holds, and we have to manage our lives wisely. But before you adjust the length of your goal, first look over your schedule and see if you can squeeze in extra writing time. If not, add an extra month to the deadline and keep writing. So there you have it. A simple tip to help you in your epic struggle to complete that novel manuscript. Click here to see Tip Number One. Something to add? Continue the conversation below! Sign up for my newsletter here.
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 I've decided to start a reoccurring blog post series to address the moving parts involved in writing and, more importantly, finishing a novel. I started out like most people with a boatload of dreams and good intentions and no concrete idea how to make them a reality. Over the years, I've read many books on writing, listened to interviews, read blogs, watched YouTube posts, and muddled my way through my own manuscripts. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm thrilled to share what I've gleaned thus far.
So when you begin to write a novel, here's recommendation Number One! WRITE YOUR LAST CHAPTER FIRST I can hear protests spreading far and wide. When I first started writing, I would have vehemently argued against such advice. There are successful authors that would tell you not to listen to me. They would say this is the equivalent of reading the last chapter of a book. How could you possibly be interested in writing (or reading) a story for which you already know the ending? The discovery is lost. That may be true, but hear me out. In all fairness we don't read a book for the ending, we read it for the journey. So if we write the ending, yes the discovery may be lost there, but there are a thousand points in between that are left wide open for development and change. I'm not a stickler, either. If you write the ending then go back and write your novel, I'm perfectly okay with you discarding that ending and replacing it. "What's the point?" You ask. "Why even bother writing an ending?" I'm so glad you asked. There's no such thing as a one-ended clothesline! However, if you have a beginning and an end, you instantly have a middle on which to hang ideas. To put it another way, you now have an apple at which to aim your story arrow. You have direction and movement. It may not sound like such a big idea, but it is, because you have a framework for asking questions and fitting in those elements of character and plot. One final caveat for those who balk at the idea of knowing the ending. Here's my suggestion. Write three (or more) endings, each very different. Maybe write one where the protagonist succeeds, one where they fail, and a third that leaves the story open-ended. This allows you emotional breathing room, where even you don't know the outcome. Give it a try and see if it doesn't give you the forward momentum and focus to complete that first draft! Something to add? Continue the conversation below! Sign up for my newsletter here. |
AuthorJonathan Polasek is an Archives
July 2016
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