Many aspiring authors start out energized, passionately beginning their book with optimism and big dreams. Yet the harsh truth is a staggering number of manuscripts remain tragically unfinished – some estimates say only 1 in 5 are ever completed.
Why do so many writers fail to cross the finish line after putting so much blood, sweat and tears into their stories? What causes the motivation and momentum to fizzle out halfway through a draft?
The biggest reason aspiring authors don’t finish their book boils down to one productivity killer: Perfectionism. In simple terms, perfectionism is the need to make everything flawlessly polished before moving forward. It manifests as getting stuck editing the same paragraphs over and over or endlessly tweaking earlier chapters while the later parts stall.
Perfectionists obsess over crafting every sentence and scene just right from the very first draft. This endless polishing prevents forward progress. First drafts morph into fifth and sixth drafts that go nowhere. Meanwhile, the book stays frustratingly unfinished.
Counterintuitively, the best way to finish your book is to silence that perfectionist voice as you draft. Reserve major editing for later revision stages. Follow the immutable rule: Don’t look back until you reach “The End”.
Here are 5 strategies to quiet your inner perfectionist so you can finally finish your book:
1. Set Big Picture Goals, Not Granular Ones
Measuring progress in sweeping milestones like completing drafts keeps you focused on the endgame. Conversely, getting hung up on details derails reaching the finish line. Judge success by chapters finished, not paragraphs polished.
2. Write Ugly First Drafts
Give yourself permission for imperfect writing when you start a project to keep momentum going. Turn off your editor completely and just get the story out. Repair rough patches later.
3. Time Block Writing Sessions
Use a timer for concentrated sprints on new material to avoid getting sucked into endless rewriting. Perfectionists have trouble moving on without a forcing mechanism.
4. Limit and Separate Editing
Allow short windows for editing, but confine it to quick recaps of previous work. Don’t start major overhauls until that first draft is fully complete.
5. Celebrate Small Wins
Reward completing outlines, chapters, scenes, paragraphs – any forward progress at all. Track micro milestones so you feel encouraged, not overwhelmed.
The core mindset shift is embracing imperfection in those early drafts and revision stages. Persisting through the discomfort of writing rough, messy copy enables finishing that polished final draft. Remember, a flawed complete draft gives you the raw material to shape into a great book. But an eternally perfect fragment going nowhere only leads to frustration. Silence that demanding inner perfectionist. Focus on reaching “The End”, then whip the book into shining shape during editing. Your story deserves to be shared with the world – don’t let perfectionism rob readers of your unique voice. You’ve got this!
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