Getting Motivated to Finish the book
Posted by Gina Black on 26 Jun 2008 | Tagged as: Chit Chat, Writing Life
I have a problem with endings: I hate them. This manifests itself in my life as an inability to finish what I start. I have at least five (maybe six or seven) knitting projects sitting in my basket that I can’t finish because if I did then they’d be done. I’ve thought long and hard on this, and I think it goes back to my parent’s divorce. So, it’s really their fault that my knitting basket is so full I can’t start another project.
I understand this mechanism. It’s fear of loss that’s holding me back. That’s why I have one-and-a-half socks, most of a sweater, and a book that I’ve been trying to finish for a month now.
Right. The book.
I know what needs to happen. I have it all sketched out. My characters are ready and waiting. But I can’t bring myself to actually write it in more than small increments, because when I do finish it . . . well . . . then it will be over. My characters will have achieved their satisfying ending. They won’t need me any more.
It’s a painful loss that’s hard to contemplate. Waking up without them on my mind. Riding the bus without hearing their voices in my head. No more scribbling words that are coming faster than my hand can capture them to paper. How will I manage without that?
Unless I can sell this story as the first in a series . . .
Hmm. That just might work. But I have to finish it first.
–
Gina’s first book, The Raven’s Revenge
is available in print from Amazon.com
(and it only took her 10 years to finish)
I have a different approach-I get so fed up with the whole editing process that I’m usually quite pleased to see the back of the characters in my book-at least for a while…
June 26th, 2008 at 11:54 amGina, you always make me smile with your blogs. I, too, stumble toward the end in everyone of my manuscripts. I always know what the climax and end will be, but I lose my momemtum when it comes to tying up all the lose ends. Once I get past the climax, writing The End is satisfying and I wonder why I dreaded it so much!
I can’t blame it on my parents or anyone else. *snaps fingers*
June 26th, 2008 at 6:07 pmI loved the way you signed this post “and it only took her 10 years to finish”. Too cute.
Good post, by the way.
June 29th, 2008 at 4:49 am