Finish that Work-in-Progress

During National Novel Writing Month guest authors send out inspirational tips to those of us crazy enough to attempt writing an entire novel in just 30 days. The tip that struck home with me was the one Meg Cabot sent out. To be succinct, she advised we just finish the project we started on.

Seems pretty obvious advice, right? Well, I have so many stories hidden away in notebooks that started off wonderfully, kept me writing page after page with these new and exciting characters, and then I get to the end of the inspired writing and just stop, thinking I’ll pick it up again soon. But before I get back to that first story, another idea has me off writing page after page. I have done that too many times to count. I write until the ideas dwindle and then I move on, always telling myself that if the story was worthy enough, it would pull me back without any effort on my part.

I used to write short stories. Short stories are easy for me. I can knock out a short story in a day and have it edited in a few more days. Short stories for me are the exact extent of my inspired writing. I dare say they’re almost effortless. (Before short stories I wrote poetry.) The problem is that there is such a small market for short stories that it would be unlikely that anyone other than my family and friends would ever read my stories. And I prefer reading series novels - stories that go on for months or years or decades. I like that character development. You don’t get much character development with short stories. And the going advice out there is to write what you like to read.

So, here I am, trying to write a novel, being constantly tempted with new ideas before I finish the work-in-progress. And low-and-behold it is hard work. But I must finish. This novel. Now.