why can’t I finish my book?

Reader Joseph asks:

“I have been working on a series. I haven’t even finish the first book, life and all, hoping for some insight.”

I’ve found that when people can’t finish writing a book, there are usually three potential problems. In order of severity, those problems are: 1.) Not outlining in advance, 2.) Not realizing that some progress is better than no progress, and 3.) Biting off more than you can chew plot-wise.

Fortunately, these problems can be avoided. Let’s see how!

-Not outlining. If you’re writing a novel for the first time, I really think you would benefit from writing an outline beforehand. Not all writers use outlines, but I always do.

That said, I think new writers would gain definite advantages from using an outline. Outlining in advance forces you to work out any potential plot problems in advance. In addition, it gives you a guide when you run out of steam halfway through the book. Everyone always runs out of steam halfway through the book – I’ve published 101 novels, and I still run out of steam halfway through! But the outline gives you a guide to follow when you’re not sure what to do next.

-Any progress is some progress.

Usually, when people set out to write a book, they’ll resolve to write 1,000 words a day or whatever. They’ll manage 1,000 words the first day, 600 the second, have to miss the third day because of work or one of the kids throwing up on the carpet or whatever, and then get discouraged and give up.

I think it’s best to think of writing like exercise – it’s best to build up slowly and try not to bite off more than you can chew.  I’ve heard fitness trainers say you have to be able to walk two miles without fatigue before you’re fit enough to start running. Like, you see this at the gym shortly after New Year’s. Some new people will join the gym, and they’ll get on a treadmill (obviously for the first time in years), sprint at 7.5 MPH for like, two minutes, and then stop wheezing and covered in sweat. They’ll do that for a few days and then never come back to the gym again. This is unfortunate, because it would be smarter to start slower and build up over time – like, run a 1/3 of a mile at 5 MPH the first day, and then 0.4 of a mile the second day, and so on. Or someone who tries to start bench pressing at 250 lbs and hurts themselves, when it would have been much smarter to start at 50 or 75 lbs and build it up over time.

It’s best to take that approach with writing. If you don’t have time to write a thousand words, do 500. 500 is still better than zero, and you can aim for 650 the next day, which is even better than zero. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the possible!

-Start smaller. I sometimes see that new writers have grand plans for a trilogy or a seven book series, but I think that is starting too big. Writing a series is harder than it looks. George RR Martin sold millions of copies of his books, and HBO still had to finish his series for him. Rather, I think it’s smarter to start by writing a stand-alone book first. Writing a self-contained story will teach you a lot.

And if you like it, you can write a sequel then!

-JM