The Secret to Finishing the Books You Start (and doing it quickly)
do not read this if you want to like writing
Do you want to know the secret to finishing the books you start writing?
Do you want to be free to pound out any book idea that comes to mind? Do you want to be the writer who keeps writing even when the flow is gone?
(Alright, shut up already—you know we all want that.)
The secret might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out. To be all of those things, you must become a writer who hates writing.
Beginners often get hung up and never finish their books because they don’t feel like finishing them. That feeling is real, but you have to power through it—which can make writing miserable. You will not reach your goals if you only write when you feel like it (unless writing when you feel like it is your only goal).
Here are some practical steps toward being a writer who hates writing:
Admit writing is hard.
Realize you don’t have to feel like writing to do it. You can always write 1,000 more words before going to bed, even if it’s painful.
Understand that you can’t write only when you feel like it. Waiting until you “feel like it” is the fastest route to never accomplishing anything.
Write when the average writer would turn away. Have some energy left before going to bed? Pound some words out, even if you’d rather not. It’s the only way to write books quickly.
Admit that you don’t actually like writing, and you’ll become stronger and better at writing during the times it seems impossible.
Just try it.
And stay awesome, y’all.
Interesting concept… I agree with the idea of writing in those bits of time, before bed. Sometimes you just have to push yourself. But I don’t know.. I think if I made myself hate writing, 1) I wouldn’t write at all. I don’t do things I hate, because what’s the point of that? And 2) that goes against all of my reasons for writing. I write to create. I write to have fun, and explore my characters. I write to have my ideas and emotions out onto the page, and have other people read, and hear from them. If I write something I hate, it impacts the quality of that piece of work. On the contrary, I can tell instantly what chapters I loved to write. Those chapters have flail, action, emotion. And my readers love those chapters too!
All I’m saying is, I don’t really think you should hate your writing. Maybe it’s not the funnest process, sure. And yeah, don’t wait for inspiration to strike all the time.
But if you instead fall in love with writing and creation, loving your characters and the idea that soon, you can edit or print your book out or publish! You can really enjoy the process, and put that joy into your work.
I wish that would work for me, but most times, if I don't feel like writing, my brain runs out of words. I stare at the blank page for ten solid minutes without thinking of a single complete thought. But I've never been great at writing stories anyway, songs and poetry are more my speed. I applaud you for the ability to power through!