Tips To Help You Finish Your Manuscript

My first manuscript, a middle-grade fantasy novel, is currently out with agents. I have been fortunate to receive several full requests so far, and even though the chances are slim of being offered representation, I am super proud of this novel!

It was my first and will probably always be my favorite book I ever write. Not only was it a joy to work on, but it reminded me of my true calling, something I had lost sight of for several years. It occupies a special place in my heart, and I will always be grateful for the time I set aside to finish it.

It can be hard to find the time to write, especially for those of us who aren't full-time writers or even part-time writers...we're hobby writers. As hobby writers, we have to make writing a priority in our lives. Maybe you can't write everyday. I sure can't. But that's kind of the secret, isn't it? It isn't about the amount of time we have available to write. It's about the quality of that writing time--that each time we sit down, we make some kind of progress.

As a child, my mother used to say to me in times of stress, "Samantha, how do you eat an elephant?" Her calm demeanor in the face of my crisis was always exceptionally irritating, but I always reluctantly grumbled in reply, "One bite at a time." Over the years, this has become my mantra, something I repeat to myself when I feel overwhelmed. So if you're feeling overwhelmed about the sheer amount of words it takes to write a novel, just remember that, like eating an elephant, you can only write a novel one word at a time, which is totally manageable.

So, as Bill Murray from What About Bob would say if he were a writer, "Baby steps into the office. Baby steps to the chair. Baby steps to turn on the computer..." Let's go!

Different Writing Approaches

First of all, there are several different ways to approach writing a novel. The three main ways are: with an outline, without an outline, or with a partial, flexible outline.

My first novel was purely discovery written ("pantser approach" as some say). I had no outline whatsoever and only a vague idea of where I wanted the story to go. This approach had some benefits and drawbacks: I'm most creative while discovery writing. However, I ran into huge plot problems throughout the whole process, which resulted in a massive number of rewrites.

For my second novel, I went the other way and wrote an extremely detailed outline. I didn't want to do all of the rewrites that I did with my first book. So far, using an outline has helped tremendously with my writing process. While writing, I don't feel like I have to hold as many details in my head at a time (and as someone who has a terrible memory, that is a good thing!). The major drawback for me with this approach is that being creative during the planning stage was hard for me. However, I didn't give up, and I forced my brain to think differently than it is used to thinking. It took me longer than expected to write the outline, but, in the end, I had something that I was ridiculously proud of. The sense of euphoria I felt when I finished that outline mirrored the way I felt after I completed my first book. Now, that I'm writing the book using that outline, the writing process has been more enjoyable. I'm not stressing about where the story is going, and instead, I'm focusing on making the story fun, beautiful, and engaging.

I have since discovered that my sweet spot is somewhere in the middle with a flexible, floating outline, but I never would have figured that out had I not tried multiple approaches.

Pick an approach--whether you're a discovery writer or a planner--and get after it!

Productive Writing Tips

1) Set up a cozy writing space, but not too cozy! Don't get in your bed if there's a chance you might fall asleep during your precious writing time (been there, done that). If there isn't a chance you will fall asleep, by all means, sit in your bed! Beds are awesome!

What I mainly mean by cozy writing space is a clean and tidy writing space. For me, that meant rearranging my living room. I decluttered (which consisted of picking up my daughter's toys) and dragged my recliner so that it sat next to our picture window. I cleaned, dusted, and vacuumed the floors. (I actually vacuumed the floor every morning (I have a golden retriever) so that my writing space would always be clean and tidy.) An end table sat next to the chair with a coaster and a lamp, and the curtain was always open to let in the natural light. My happy place!

Whatever your happy place is, create it for yourself and have it ready to go. You'll thank yourself later.

2) Choose your favorite beverage. Seriously. I know that sounds silly, but I always looked forward to writing, not just because I love writing, but because I had my nice, clean writing space and my favorite beverage to look forward to. For me, it was always hot tea or coffee. For you, it might be wine or soda...or even a cold beer. You can also get yourself a snack. Although, if you are like me, you might end up mindlessly eating, so I personally try to steer clear of snacks while writing.

2) Don't reread your manuscript. You've probably heard this advice a million times, but it's true. Don't waste time rereading what you wrote the last time you sat down. "But how do I remember where I was going?" you might ask. Continue to tip number 3...

3) Leave yourself breadcrumbs. I read this piece of advice on the blog by another author, and it was a game-changer for me!

How to leave yourself breadcrumbs: At the end of each writing session, leave yourself a sentence or a paragraph of where you were going next. This can be at the end of a chapter or right smack dab in the middle of a chapter. It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that you leave yourself instructions on what to do next, that way the next time you sit down you never have to waste time rereading what you've already written, trying to figure out where the heck you were going.

(If you are a planner/outliner, this can still be helpful if there are small details you don't want to forget that might not be in your outline.)

4) Don't take time off when you're stuck. Whether it's writer's block or you're just stuck on a plot problem, DO NOT TAKE TIME OFF. I figured this out the hard way. Like many discovery writers who do not use a detailed outline, I ran into plot problems. Plot problems that happened to baffle me so much that I thought a few weeks off would help to free my mind and somehow make a magical solution occur to me. My few weeks off turned into OVER A YEAR. That's the problem with taking time off: one day quickly turns into the next, and before you know it, a year has gone by and you haven't made any more progress on your manuscript. That's because THERE IS NO MAGICAL SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEMS. If you're having plot problems, like I did, or any other problems with your manuscript, you just have to get in there and figure it out. Nothing else will fix them. So power through those tough spots! I know you can do it!

(Updated later: Powering through your plot problems might not work for everyone. Your brain might actually need a break, and that's okay! You'll come back to your manuscript when you're ready. It'll still be there!)

5) Leave your phone out of arm's reach. Sometimes, when I would have a moment of uncertainty while working on my manuscript, I would grab my phone and check instagram or fall into a googling hole. Don't be like me. I quickly learned that if I want to utilize my time to the fullest, I cannot have my phone within arm's reach. Therefore, I always placed it away from me, but close enough that I can still hear it ring. That way if I really want my phone, I actually have to get up and walk over to it. Most of the time, I don't want it bad enough to actually get up.

6) Utilize the notes section on your phone when you're not writing. When you are away from your computer, either use a notebook or the notes section on your phone to leave yourself notes when a brilliant idea strikes you. Don't rely on your memory. My memory is garbage. Absolute and complete garbage. Maybe your memory is better. I hope so, but for me, it's too easy to forget those brilliant ideas if I don't write them down immediately. Just jot them down, and open the notes the next time you sit down to write. (But when you are finished looking at the notes, make sure to put your phone out of arm's reach again!)

And finally,

7) Find time when you are least likely to get interrupted. Now, this probably sounds like common sense, but it took me a while of being frustrated to figure out the source of my frustration: the interruption.

There is nothing more frustrating than being distracted in a the middle of a thought or scene and not being able to remember where you were. (Remember my garbage memory problem?) I began writing my first novel when my daughter was six months old. Therefore, I could only write while she napped. Interruptions would still happen, but setting myself up to receive the least amount of them helped me to make the fastest progress on my manuscript each time I sat down to write.

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I hope these tips help you as much as they've helped me! Leave a comment and let me know if they were helpful to you (and your beverage of choice! I'm curious.)!

Happy Writing,

Sam

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