Do you find your writing productivity lagging toward the end of a project? It may not be a lack of enthusiasm or confidence. It just might be a fear of finishing.
“I went for years not finishing anything. Because, of course, when you finish something you can be judged.” – Erica Jong
Let that quote really sink in. I mean it, just sit quietly and let it percolate. I’ll wait…
Years ago at a writer’s retreat we were each asked to stand and give our name and tell the others what we write. One woman introduced herself and said, “First chapters, mostly.” Everyone in the room chuckled because we knew what she meant: she wrote and rewrote those first chapters until they were amazing, but she never finished a project.
Does it help to know you’re not alone in this strange fear of finishing a work?
When the going gets tough as the end of a project closes in, I encourage you to finish anyway, regardless of how the market changed while you were writing, or whether there are forty-two other books crowding the shelves on your preferred topic.
The more writing projects you finish, the more you learn about yourself, your writing process, and what you want to write. Knowing how your voice and viewpoint and intentions differ from the rest of the field is essential to success by any definition.
Granted, things change at the end of a project. You enjoy the immediate satisfaction when you cross the finish line but there’s a big risk looming out there too. Once finished, if we want to do something with that project, we have to let someone else read the work.
After writing forty novels and countless other projects, I still get a stomach full of butterflies when I send a book to beta readers or my editors.
Whatever your goals with your writing, I urge you to get started, plow forward through the rough patches, and push yourself to the finish line. Finishing creates a positive habit and reinforces your confidence. If you’re still insecure, realize one of two things will happen when you share your work with others.
Yes, a reader might hate it… but wouldn’t it be amazing to discover readers who love it?
Live the writing adventure!
22Aug2018
This post is adapted from the Fear of Finishing chapter from 31 Days of Mindfulness: Inspiration For Your Writing Journey currently available at Amazon or your favorite ebook retailer.
I loved this!