Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Finish Your Story

As I write this, I am under a heap of blankets in my bright yellow bedroom. "Believe" by Mumford & Sons is playing for the fifth or sixth time. My window is open a crack, and it just started raining. The birds are still singing, though, and the forest my window overlooks is desperately reaching up to the sky for water, buds just dying to break open. The sky is gray and my house is silent. It's going to be an amazing writing day.

Welcome back for another A-Z Challenge post, here at AM Station. If you've been here before, wow, thanks for coming back, you must be crazy, too! If you're new to this insanity I call my blog, brace yourself.

Growing up, I had a tendency not to finish my stories. This wasn't due to laziness (well, maybe a little), but mostly due to the abundance of ideas that plagued (blessed?) my brain. It was so hard for me to just stick with one thing, especially when there were so many things to write. In fact, I didn't start "finishing" my stories until recently.

Like most problems in life, it is important to identify the places where you are likely to fail so you are prepared. Writing a novel/short-story/whatever is the same way. What are the obstacles that prevent you from finishing your novel?

For me, my list would look something like:
  1. Too many ideas
  2. Laziness
  3. Intimidation (of writing a novel, of not finishing)
Once laziness and intimidation got on the scene, writer's block is sure to occur. So, how do I beat these challenges and press forward? I set a battle plan, which resembles this:
  1. See if I can incorporate any of the new ideas into whatever project I'm working on.
  2. Write down the ideas that have been exploding in my brain.
  3. Take a break from my WIP and just do a little outlining or planning for a new project.
  4. Keep writing. No matter what.
Another thing that disabled me from completing a story for so long was the fear that it wasn't good enough. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that everyone struggles with this one in some form or another.

Well, of course it isn't good enough to be a bestseller or be published. But right now, it's good enough to be a first draft. And that's exactly what it is supposed to be. 

If this is something you're struggling with, just KEEP WRITING. Push past insecurities and other ideas swimming around in your brain, and cling tight to your story. Also, sometimes it helps to hand whatever you're writing to a writing friend to look it over. THE WORLD NEEDS YOUR STORY! So go write! Perseverance always pays off.

22 comments:

  1. Cross that finish line!! Yes, I always finish a story before I write a new one. It's kind of a incentive, "If you finish me, you can start the new one you've been tweaking in your head for weeks." :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is certainly a great incentive! Thanks for commenting, Jennifer!

      Delete
  2. GIRL. This was exactly the inspiration I needed to start working on my draft again. THANK YOU.
    And I'm so glad that you're having a good writing day, but it WOULD have been nice to see you at mass, miss Annie-supposed-to-be-Catholic-Schlueter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ...the sass is real this morning. Jesus is supposed to make you nice, Anna, seriously...;)

      Delete
  3. It sounds like you know a lot about writing already. I wish I'd kept up with my writing when I was younger. But it's better late than never.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm always learning, and so true =) Thanks for reading and commenting, Tamara!

      Delete
  4. You are right that you need to identify your nemesis en route to achieving your goal. I find that telling others what my goal is makes more more accountable. If I tell my writing group I will have a WIP finished or so many chapters completed by the next time we meet I always get it done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so true! I know that when I talk to my writer friends about my work, it forces me to sit down and write.

      Delete
  5. I start writing a lot of stories because the idea is burning me and I feel like I at least have to write the beginning. So I have a TON of stories started and not finished, but I plan to finish them all one day. I always have one main story that I work on and a couple on standby in case I get writer's block on the other.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good luck with all that incredibleness, Chrys! I hope I get to read it all some day.

      Delete
  6. I think my problem is figuring out HOW to finish something. I have a ton of stories that aren't finished and probably even more that I haven't even started.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Slow and steady always wins the race...well, at least, finishes it, and that's what's important when it comes to writing ;) Thanks so much for stopping by, Sarah!

      Delete
  7. Ahhhh, the joys of self doubt.

    No matter what we write our little inner DT (doubting Thomas) niggles us and goads us into thinking it's not good enough. The question begs, good enough for who?

    I have long ago evicted DT and now enjoy writing for me. Oh yes, I am working on a piece I hope will be enjoyed by others, but the very first person I want to have love it, is me. And.. I do! I love what I'm writing, after that it's all icing on the cake. I never write for the icing… can make you sick. Just like worrying whether others will like my writing. :)

    As always, Anne Marie, you have written an insightful and inspiring post. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

    Sent with smiles, Jenny, Pearson Report
    2015 A to Z Challenge Ambassador
    @PearsonReport

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I like that, DT =) And what a lovely truth, the first person who must love it is me. Thank you so much, Jenny!

      Delete
  8. Your answer is the same as my answer...just keep writing!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wonderful words! New follower here. I'm stopping by from the "A to Z" challenge, and I look forward to visiting again!

    Sylvia
    www.writinginwonderland.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Sylvia! Thanks for stopping by, looking forward to checking out whatever awesomeness is at your blog!

      Delete
  10. your writing posts remind me of my early writing days - show, don't tell, don't edit until the draft is done, and get it finished! words of wisdom. oh and there is nothing new under the sun, we just put our twisty, unique spin on it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Tara! Yes...ground rules of writing. Sticking to the basics for this theme =)

      Delete
  11. I loved this post! The line about the first draft being good enough for now is especially true. I tend to worry that my first drafts won't be any good, but the main thing is to get them written, and then I can worry about editing them later.

    Thanks for stopping by O Ye Scribes! :)

    ReplyDelete