how to finish a creative writing piece

How to Critique Creative Writing

A Few Thoughts on Critiquing or One Size Doesn’t Fit All

One of the difficulties in trying to establish some guidelines for critiquing manuscripts in a creative writing class or feedback group is the vast array of differences we see from piece to piece.  One piece may be whole and nearly perfect as it is presented to us (whether from a lot of revision or because it sprang fully formed the first time) whereas another may be just struggling into existence, a virtual embryo compared to the full term birth above. Obviously we cannot approach these two manuscripts in the same way. Likewise, what a piece may need is a macro approach, where we talk about large issues such as themes or the overall structure; or it may need a micro-approach, attention to the language in the first paragraph, say, which establishes a certain voice and tone–or doesn’t.  It may be a combination of these two.  There is also our sense of the writer, whether she wants and need a lot of criticism or needs basically affirmation in order to proceed, or permission to engage in a lot more process as opposed to rushing a product.  And of course there’s the possibility that we feel either blank in terms of our own response or overwhelmed and disorganized about how to address the issues.  In other words, one size does not fit all.  We have to be sensitive and adjustable regarding every piece of writing.  At the same time, we need some general ideas and approaches to guide us.

What follows are my suggestions for how to go about critiquing:

1.  Read the piece through the first time as a pure consumer, for interest and hopefully enjoyment.  Try to give yourself over to the piece.  See what is there.  After finishing the piece note how you feel about it.  What is your overall feeling or impression?  What are the first things that come to your mind about the piece?  Write these first general impressions at the end of the piece for the writer.

2.  Now consciously read the piece through more critically.  Even though you may have been very enthusiastic about the piece initially, that doesn’t mean that now on the second pass, you can’t see some ways to improve it.  This second effort really requires critical thinking.  Some people take the word “critical” to mean something negative.  But it really just means that you’re applying a different way of thinking about the piece.  This way of thinking is still based in your feelings and responses, but now instead of simply consuming the piece, you’re actively looking for things which, now that you think about it, didn’t work so well for you.  Or it may be that your initial reading left you feeling very unsatisfied with the piece.  Now, on this second reading you try to figure out why.

Some people combine these two stages or steps, and process their response to a piece very quickly.  This certainly may be appropriate in some cases.  The danger it is that you may stop at the first stage and not want to do the harder work of actually critiquing a piece.  It may be that you don’t feel trained or qualified as a critic.  But you’re not being asked to be the final word on a piece or to write it for the writer.  You’re only being asked to be what you already are, a good reader.  The writer has reached the point where he or she can no longer “see” the piece, and so needs your eyes and ears and heart and mind to know what is really there.

One thing I always ask myself in responding to a piece of writing is What are the terms of this piece?   In other words, what is the writer trying to do?  What is the writer’s intent here?  It’s nearly impossible to have a helpful response if you don’t understand the terms of the piece.  For example, let’s say someone is writing a short story which tries to capture a character who is very analytical, very cold, someone who intellectualizes everything in his life.  The writer writes a first person story in this character’s voice using very abstract, intellectualized language throughout.  Unfortunately, because the language is so abstract and distanced, the story never engages you.  To critique this story, you go through step No. 1, noting your initial reactions, and then you move to step 2, in which you try to grapple with why the story doesn’t engage you and what might be helpful to the writer.  You have figured out what the writer’s intentions were, and determined that the technique didn’t work.  But because you know what the writer is after, you might have some useful ideas that go beyond simply saying It didn’t work for me .  In this case, the writer might need to try a different approach to the material, such as trying it in third person, rather than simply revise here and there.  In another case, you see, for example, that the writer is attempting to be humorous or lighthearted.  Those of the terms of the piece.  You need to address the piece in light of its terms.

So the questions become, What are the terms of this piece?  Does the writer meet them?  It’s not why not, or are the terms themselves off in some way?

Here are some useful questions to ask yourself as a reader:

1.  Did this engage me?  Why or why not?

2.  Did this hold my attention throughout?  Where was I most engaged and why?

3.  Are any things confusing to me?  Could I follow the piece, or were there gaps, or need for more information?  What else did I need to know?

4.   What about the opening?  Did the piece draw me in?  How effective is the first sentence and first paragraph and why or why not?  Did I want to keep reading?

5.  Do things move along?  What is the pace of the piece, and why?  Again, come back to the terms of the piece-what is it trying to do and how well does it succeed, and do you question the terms?

6.  What about language?  How would you describe it?  How does it function in terms of what you feel the writer is trying to do?

7.  What are you “getting” from the piece?  This could be any number of things, but it’s really helpful for you to feed back to the writer what is coming across for you, story or meaning or themes or emotional impact or enjoyment or whatever-wise.  The writer is really hungry to hear what is coming across.

This raises the question of how to receive criticism.  Let it be said that we all want to hear, “I loved it!”  That would be nice every time, wouldn’t it?  But sometimes, often in my case, I sense that my piece is not all it could be, but I’ve reached a point where I don’t know what to do to make it better.  At this point I ask for criticism.  I’ll probably be a little defensive, whether I want to or not.  I’ll certainly want to explain what I was trying to do, and maybe even what everyone is missing!  But I do better if I simply listen, at first, before I “pollute” the conversation about my piece with my explanations, apologies, defenses.  After I’ve heard some initial responses, I may want to enter into the dialogue about the piece.  I try keeping an open mind, and also not to react too strongly to things that are said.  I recognize that the dynamic of the workshop is oblique, mysterious, indirect, and I’m not to take suggestions too literally, at least a first.  I know from my own experience as a critiquer that I can’t really tell another person how to write his story or memoir. I have to trust my own feelings and authority ultimately, but I also recognize that other people can “unstick me” sometimes, give me new energy, open my eyes to something I’m blind to, or look at the piece much more objectively.  Usually it takes some time before the value of the criticisms sink in.  David Huddle puts it this way: “stories yearn towards a state of perfection. It is up to an author to give the story what it wants or needs, and it is up to a critic to help the author discern the story’s desires.”

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Vivian Gornick on Situation and Story

What the Reader Needs…

This list of considerations for critique work is helpful. I used it step by step in my review.

This is excellent. I would like to use it for my writing students who are new to the critiquing process.

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How to Improve Creative Writing

Last Updated: April 26, 2024 Fact Checked

This article was co-authored by Melessa Sargent and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden . Melessa Sargent is the President of Scriptwriters Network, a non-profit organization that brings in entertainment professionals to teach the art and business of script writing for TV, features and new media. The Network serves its members by providing educational programming, developing access and opportunity through alliances with industry professionals, and furthering the cause and quality of writing in the entertainment industry. Under Melessa's leadership, SWN has won numbers awards including the Los Angeles Award from 2014 through 2021, and the Innovation & Excellence award in 2020. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 34,584 times.

Creative writing is an outlet to express your imagination by putting it onto paper. Many people enjoy creative writing, but some struggle with it because of how unstructured it can feel. If you have been writing creatively and you’d like to improve your skills, try learning grammar rules and receiving feedback on your work to strengthen your creative writing and boost your confidence.

Creating Polished Work

• Using correct grammar and punctuation will also make your writing seem more polished.

• For example, instead of saying, “He quickly and quietly ate his food,” try saying, “He gulped down his meal.” This sentence is more interesting, and gives the same effect to the reader.

Tip: Take a break from writing and come back to your piece after a few hours or even days. Mistakes will be easier to spot after you’ve taken a break.

• Revising is similar to proofreading, except you are looking for ways to improve your piece, not just correcting mistakes.

• Don’t be offended if someone doesn’t like your piece, or has a lot of feedback to give. You can choose whether or not to implement a change that someone else suggests.

Finding Time and Ideas

Tip: If you think you might forget to write, set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself.

• Get a library card so that you can check out books for free instead of buying them every time.

• For example, you might start with a prompt like, “Imagine what it would be like to be a plant,” or "Write about a day in the life of Barack Obama.”

• You can also use people-watching to practice writing down descriptions of behavior and clothing.

• For instance, try writing a fairytale from another character’s perspective, or setting it in today’s era.

• Deadlines that you set for yourself can seem easy to brush off, but you will be disappointed in yourself if you don’t meet them.
• Make sure your deadlines are realistic. Don’t plan on finishing an entire book by next week if you’re only halfway through.

Expert Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.luc.edu/literacy/grammar.shtml
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
• ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/group-writing/
• ↑ Melessa Sargent. Professional Writer. Expert Interview. 14 August 2019.
• ↑ https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentID=4552&ContentTypeID=1
• ↑ https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/why-its-important-to-read/
• ↑ https://cetl.uconn.edu/about/mission/

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Last updated on Dec 23, 2022

Creative Writing: 8 Fun Ways to Get Started

Creative writing is a written art form that uses the imagination to tell stories and compose essays, poetry, screenplays, novels, lyrics, and more. It can be defined in opposition to the dry and factual types of writing found in academic, technical, or journalistic texts.

Characterized by its ability to evoke emotion and engage readers, creative writing can tackle themes and ideas that one might struggle to discuss in cold, factual terms.

If you’re interested in the world of creative writing, we have eight fantastic exercises and activities to get you started.

1. Use writing prompts every week

Coming up with ideas for short stories can be challenging, which is why we created a directory of 1700+ creative writing prompts covering a wide range of genres and topics. Writing prompts are flexible in nature, they are meant to inspire you without being too constrictive. Overall, they are a great way to keep your creative muscles limber.

If you’re struggling for motivation, how does a hard deadline and a little prize money sound? Prompts-based writing contests are a fantastic way to dive into creative writing: the combination of due dates, friendly rivalries, prize money, and the potential to have your work published is often just what’s needed to propel you over the finish line. 

We run a weekly writing contest over on Reedsy Prompts, where hundreds of writers from all around the world challenge themselves weekly to write a short story between 1,000 and 3,000 words for a chance to win the $250 prize. Furthermore, the community is very active in providing constructive feedback, support, and accountability to each other 一 something that will make your efforts even more worthwhile.

Take a peek at our directory of writing contests which features some of the most prestigious open writing competitions in the world. 

2. Start journaling your days

Another easy way to get started with creative writing is to keep a journal. We’re not talking about an hour-by-hour account of your day, but journaling as a way to express yourself without filters and find your ‘voice in writing’. If you’re unsure what to journal about, think of any daily experiences that have had an impact on you, such as… 

Special moments . Did you lock yourself out of your house? Or did you catch a beautiful sunset on your way back from groceries? Capture those moments, and how you felt about them.

People . Did you have an unusual exchange with a stranger at the bar? Or did you reconnect with someone you haven’t seen in years? Share your thoughts about it.

World events . Is there something happening in the world right now that is triggering you? That’s understandable. You can reflect on it (and let some steam off) while journaling.

Memories . Did you go down memory lane after a glass of wine? Great, honor those memories by trying to recollect them in detail on paper so that they will always stay vivid in your mind.

Life decisions . Are you having an existential crisis about what to do with your life? Write down your thought process, and the pros and cons of the possible decisions in front of you. You’ll be surprised to discover that, not only is it a great creative writing exercise, but it can also actually help you sort your life out! 

If you struggle to write consistently, sign up for our How to Write a Novel course to finish a novel in just 3 months.  

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3. Create an anonymous social media account

Like anonymous blogging, an incognito Twitter account sidesteps the pressure that comes with attaching your name to your work. Anonymously putting tiny stories out into the ether gives you the freedom to create without worrying about the consequences — which is great, so long as you don’t use it as an opportunity to troll people or spread conspiracy theories. 

You could use the anonymous account in different ways. For example, you could…

• Tweet from unique points of view (e.g. a dog observing human behavior );
• Create a parody account of real or fictional people (e.g. an English poet from the Middle Ages );
• Challenge yourself to write tiny flash fiction stories that fit into Twitter threads.

Just remember, you’re not doing this to fool anyone into thinking that your account is real: be a good citizen and mark yourself a fiction account in your bio. 

But if you’re not really a social media kinda person, you may enjoy our next tip, which is a bit more on the analog side.

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4. Find an old photo and tell its story

Find a random old photo — maybe on the web, maybe from a photo album in a yard sale — and see what catches your attention. Look closely at it and try to imagine the story behind it. What was happening? Who are the people in it and how are they really feeling? Do they share a relationship, and of what kind? What are their goals and dreams?

In other words, bring the photo to life with your imagination. Don't be afraid to take artistic license with your story, as the goal is to be creative and have fun while writing. 

How do you know it’s creative writing?

5. Create a character from a random name

Just as our universe started from a few simple elements, you can create a character from a few basic information, like their name, culture, and gender. Reedsy’s handy character name generator can help you with that, offering random names based on archetypes, Medieval roots, fantasy traits and more. A few examples? A Celtic heroine named Fíona O'Keefe, a hero’s sidekick named Aderine, or a Korean track star named Park Kang-Dae.

Once you've chosen their name, begin to develop their personality. Set a timer for 5–10 minutes and write anything that comes to mind about them. It could be a page from their FBI dossier, a childhood diary entry, or simply a scene about them boiling an egg.

Just ‘go with the flow’ and don’t stop writing until your time is up. Repeat the process a few times to further hone the personality. If you like what you end up with, you can always go deeper later with our character profile template . 

If a stream-of-consciousness exercise is not your thing, you can try to imagine your character in a specific situation and write down how’d they respond to it. For example, what if they were betrayed by a friend? Or if they were elected in power? To help you imagine situations to put your character in, we made a free template that you can download below. 

FREE RESOURCE

Reedsy’s Character Questionnaire

40 questions to help you develop memorable characters.

6. Construct a character by people-watching

People watching is “the action of spending time idly observing people in a public place.” In a non-creepy way, ideally. Sit on a bench on a public square or on a road-side table at your favorite café, and start observing the people around you. Pay attention to any interesting quirks or behaviors, and write it down. Then put on your detective’s hat and try to figure out what that tells you about them.

For example, the man at the table next to you at the restaurant is reading the newspaper. His jacket and hat are neatly arranged next to him. The pages make a whipping sound as he briskly turns them, and he grimaces every time he reads a new article. Try to imagine what he’s reading, and why he’s reacting the way he is. Then, try to build a character with the information you have. It’s a fun creative exercise that will also, hopefully, help you better empathize with strangers. 

7. “Map” something you feel strongly about into a new context

Placing your feelings into new contexts can be a powerful creative writing exercise. The idea is to start from something you feel strongly about, and frame it into a completely different context. 

For example, suppose your heart is torn apart after you divorce your life-long partner: instead of journaling or crafting an entire novel  about it, you could tell a story about a legendary trapeze duo whose partnership has come to an end. If you’re struggling with politicking and petty power dynamics at the office: what if you “mapped” your feelings onto an ant who resents being part of a colony? Directing your frustration at a queen ant can be a fun and cathartic writing experience (that won’t get you in trouble if your co-workers end up reading your story).   

8. Capture the moment with a haiku

Haikus are poems from the Japanese tradition that aim to capture, in a few words, daily moments of insight (usually inspired by nature). In a nutshell, it’s about becoming mindful of your surroundings, and notice if you can see something in a new or deeper way 一 then use contrasting imagery to express whatever you noticed. 

Here’s an example:

Bright orange bicycle

Speeding through the autumn leaves

A burst of color waves

It may sound a bit complicated, but it shouldn’t be 一 at least not for the purpose of this exercise. Learn the basics of haiku-writing , then challenge yourself to write one per day for a week or month. At the end, you’ll be able to look back at your collection of poems and 一 in the worst case scenario 一 revisit small but significant moments that you would have otherwise forgot about.   

Creative writing can be any writing you put your heart and soul into. It could be made for the purpose of expressing your feelings, exploring an idea, or simply entertaining your readers. As you can see there’s many paths to get involved with it, and hundreds of exercises you can use as a starting point. In the next post, we’ll look more in detail at some creative writing examples from some fellow authors. 

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How to plan a piece of creative writing

December 06 2021 – Edinburgh School of English

Writing creative texts like novels appears to be mostly about imagination, but the reality is that you also need to be organised to accomplish your goals. Of course, there’s no single formula for successful writing but there is some advice on how make a start.  

•  Develop an outline – select a time and setting and plan the main plot events as well as creating your principal characters before you start writing properly. This may change as you go along but it will definitely help you get started.  
• Identify themes – what are the main themes of your writing going to be? Ask yourself this question as you sketch your outline and your ideas take shape but don’t over think the content, the details will develop as you actually write.  
• Know your audience – consider who you are writing for before you write much as this could change the format you select and the style you choose to write in.  
• Select a format – when you’ve identified your main themes and ideas decide on the best format to present them in. Whether you’re writing a novel or short story, poem or blog post will influence the way you write.  
• Create characters – start to make character profiles with basic information about all aspects of the person to help you imagine their actions, responses and how they will fit into the piece.  
• Start anywhere – get writing on what seems interesting to you, it doesn’t matter if it’s the beginning or not. It’s easy to get stuck if you wait for the whole piece to become clear in your mind so write in chunks and fit them together as you go along.  
• Set goals – as you plan the text set yourself some goals to keep you on track. Writing takes discipline and setting yourself targets to accomplish will help you stay motivated enough to actually complete your work.  

Creative writing is a lot about having the discipline to actually write something. Often the hardest part is beginning and once you have some pieces of text, you can edit, improve and adapt to fit your objective or assignment.  

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How to Develop Your Creative Writing Process

by Melissa Donovan | Feb 7, 2023 | Creative Writing | 45 comments

What steps do you take in your creative writing process?

Writing experts often want us to believe that there is only one worthwhile creative writing process. It usually goes something like this:

• Rough draft
• Revise (repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat)
• Edit, proof, and polish

This is a good system — it absolutely works. But does it work for everyone?

Examining the Creative Writing Process

I’ve been thinking a lot about the creative writing process. Lately I’ve found myself working on all types of projects: web pages, blog posts, a science-fiction series, and of course, books on the craft of writing .

I’ve thought about the steps I take to get a project completed and realized that the writing process I use varies from project to project and depends on the level of difficulty, the length and scope of the project, and even my state of mind. If I’m feeling inspired, a blog post will come flying out of my head. If I’m tired, hungry, or unmotivated, or if the project is complicated, then it’s a struggle, and I have to work a little harder. Brainstorming and outlining can help. A lot.

It occurred to me that I don’t have one creative writing process. I have several. And I always use the one that’s best suited for a particular project.

A Process for Every Project

I once wrote a novel with no plan whatsoever. I started with nothing more than a couple of characters. Thirty days and fifty thousand words later, I had completed the draft of a novel (thanks, NaNoWriMo!).

But usually, I need more structure than that. Whether I’m working on a blog post, a page of web copy, a nonfiction book, or a novel, I find that starting with a plan saves a lot of time and reduces the number of revisions that I have to work through later. It’s also more likely to result in a project getting completed and published.

But every plan is different. Sometimes I’ll jot down a quick list of points I want to make in a blog post. This can take just a minute or two, and it makes the writing flow fast and easy. Other times, I’ll spend weeks — even months — working out the intricate details of a story with everything from character sketches to outlines and heaps of research. On the other hand, when I wrote a book of creative writing prompts , I had a rough target for how many prompts I wanted to generate, and I did a little research, but I didn’t create an outline.

I’ve tried lots of different processes, and I continue to develop my processes over time. I also remain cognizant that whatever’s working for me right now might not work in five or ten years. I will keep revising and tweaking my process, depending on my goals.

Finding the Best Process

I’ve written a novel with no process, and I’ve written a novel by going through every step imaginable: brainstorming, character sketches, research, summarizing, outlines, and then multiple drafts, revisions, and edits.

These experiences were vastly different. I can’t say that one was more enjoyable than the other. But it’s probably worth noting that the book I wrote with no process is still sitting on my hard drive somewhere whereas the one I wrote with a methodical yet creative writing process got completed, polished, and published.

In fact, I have found that using a process generates better results if my goal is to complete and publish a project.

But not every piece of writing is destined for public consumption. Sometimes I write just for fun. No plan, no process, no pressure. I just let the words flow. Every once in a while, these projects find their way to completion and get sent out into the world.

It is only by experimenting with a variety of processes that you will find the creative writing process that works best for you. And you’ll also have to decide what “best” means. Is it the process that’s most enjoyable? Or is it the process that leads you to publication? Only you know the answer to that.

I encourage you to try different writing processes. Write a blog post on the fly. Make an outline for a novel. Do some in-depth research for an epic poem. Try the process at the top of this page, and then do some research to find other processes that you can experiment with. Keep trying new things, and when you find whatever helps you achieve your goals, stick with it, but remain open to new methods that you can bring into your process.

What’s Your Creative Writing Process?

Creative writing processes are good. The reason our predecessors developed these processes and shared them, along with a host of other writing tips, was to help us be more productive and produce better writing. Techniques and strategies can be helpful, but it’s our responsibility to know what works for us as individuals and as creative writers and to know what will cause us to infinitely spin our wheels.

What’s your creative writing process? Do you have one? Do you ever get stuck in the writing process? How do you get unstuck?

45 Comments

Hi Melissa: I do a lot of research on the topic I’ve chosen to write about. As I do the research I take notes on a word perfect document. When I have a whole lot of information written down–in a jumble–I usually leave it and go do something else. Then I sit down and start to work with the information I’ve gathered and just start writing. The first draft I come up with is usually pretty bad, and then I revise and revise until I have something beautiful that I feel is fit to share with the rest of the world. That’s when I hit the “publish” button 🙂 I’m trying to implement Parkinson’s Law to focus my thinking a little more as I write so that I can get the articles out a bit faster.

My favorite pre-writing process would have to be getting a nice big whiteboard and charting characters and plots down. I find that it really helps me anchor on to specific traits of a character, especially if the persona happens to be a dynamic one. Such charting helps me out dramatically in creating an evolving storyline by not allowing me to forget key twists and other storyline-intensive elements =)

That being said, my favorite pre-charting process is going out the on nights leading to it for a few rounds of beer with good friends!

Hi Melissa – I’m like you – I do different things depending on what I’m writing. With the novel I’m working on now – alot of stuff I write won’t even go into it.

Some of the stuff the gurus recommend are the kind of things I’d do if I was writing an essay – but nothing else.

I don’t know if I have a set process. I start with morning pages and journaling. then whatever comes streaming from that gets written. As I go about my day I have a notebook that stays with me whereever I go and I am constantly writing in it, notes, ideas, themes, Sentances that begin with “I wonder…” and then then next monring the notebook is with me during quiet time and these thoughts are often carried right in to the process all over again. So…if that is a process, I guess…I never really thought about it. As I have said before, a lot of my writing also takes place in my jacuzzi..so…

I guess my process is that when its falling out of my head I try and catch it.

This will be the first year that I attempt NaNO so I will need to be more organized. This is good for thinking ahead. One of the reasons I started blogging in the first place was to get in the discipline of writing every day. That was the first step. Just creating the habit. This will be a good next step.

These days, I feel so scattered, I feel like I’m not getting anything done at all! (grin)

Melissa, I am really organized but my writing process has never followed the guidelines. I’ve tried them on for size and find that they don’t fit. Even in school, I never did outlines and drafts so I suppose I trained myself against the system! I always do research first and gather all of my notes, clips in one location. As for the writing process itself I let it rip, then go back and fine tune. It has worked for me thus far but I’m always open to trying new techniques on for size, hey if they fit I’m all on board!

@Marelisa, that doesn’t surprise me. Your posts are comprehensive, detailed, and extremely informative. I can tell you care a lot about your topic and about your writing. That’s one of the reasons I enjoy your blog; your passion is palpable.

@Joey, I love the planning stage too. In fact, sometimes I get stuck there and never make it out. Ooh, and white boards. Yes. Those are good. Usually I just use drawing paper though. When I do NaNo, I’m going to try to do less planning. In fact, I’m going to plan in October and just write in November. I’m hoping this new strategy will result in winning my word count goal!

@Cath, I sort of pick and choose which tips from the gurus I use.

@Wendi, you write in the jacuzzi? That’s cool. Or hot. I guess it’s hot. Your process sounds really natural. I started blogging for the exact same reason — to write every day. I’m excited to hear you’re doing NaNo too. That will be fun, and we can offer each other moral support!

@Deb (Punctuality), it sounds like you have a lot going on! I get into that mode sometimes, where I’m so overwhelmed, I can’t get anything done. It’s really frustrating. Sometimes I have to shut down for a day to get my bearings and that’s the only way I can get back on track.

@Karen, that’s probably why your writing flows so well, because you just let it do its thing. I remember learning to do outlines back in 6th grade but it didn’t stick. Later, in college, we’d have to do them as assignments, so I didn’t have a choice. I realized that they sped up the writing process. Now I do them for some (but not all) projects. But I will say this: I actually enjoy outlining (weird?).

Melissa, I’m not a real writer but I do love reading how you, who are, go about the business of putting words to paper. As always, a great post. Thanks.

It is funny that you wrote about this today. I picked up an extra assignment with a today deadline. Let’s not talk about how long it’s been since I’ve written copy on that tight a deadline.

My mantra: “If it doesn’t make it I don’t get paid for it.” Rinse and repeat.

Also, I grew to enjoy outlining when I went back to university. Sometimes I’m happy just to outline; also known as a stall tactic.

Ah, my writing process?

1) Spit out mindgarbage! 2) Sort through mindgarbage. 3) Take out the handy scissors and glue (or rather, ctrl+c, ctrl+v…) 4) Revise Revise Revise 5) Edit, proof, polish… 6) Rewrite, revise rewrite, revise…

My prewriting is just writing. Writing trash. Then cleaning it up. 3 pages = 1 paragraph trash. Yeaaaaah.

@Milena, what do you mean you’re not a real writer? Of course you are. You write; therefore you are a writer!

@Deb, sometimes those crunch deadlines really light the fire. I’ve been amazed at what I can write in a day when there’s a client waiting for it with a nice big PayPal deposit!

@Sam, that’s a good way to get it done! Do you free-write your early drafts? I’ve been teased for editing too much, but it’s definitely worth it. You can get the good stuff early by just spattering it all over the page, and then refine it until it’s polished and sparkling!

I never really liked the 5 step process when I wrote back in school, but I suppose that learning that did make me a better writer. I don’t have a set process, sometimes it’s just sitting at the computer and opening up my blog, or a blank page in Word. Sometimes things come from something that struck me during the day. I think I have to work on the discipline of actually sitting down to write more often! Practice makes perfect, or at least close enough, right?!?!

I’ve tried to figure out what my process is, but it’s different depending on what I’m writing.

Blogging – 90% of the time, there is no process at all and it shows. I’m usually writing as fast as I can think, and sometimes I can’t keep up and I may just jump to the next thought at random. I may go back and read and finish thoughts that were left incomplete. I try to write my blogs as if the reader is having a conversation with me, which makes it feel natural for me to write.

Poetry – Most times I don’t like editting unless I’m really unhappy with the first draft. Usually I’m only changing or adding punctuations. But overall, I’ll get my inspiration and after reciting a few lines in my head and an idea of where I want to go, that’s when I’ll pull out some paper (or cardboard or napkins or laptop) and write a potential masterpiece.

Story/scripts – I plan the entire story in my head. One might call it a brainstorm, but I’ll go farther and say it’s a hurricane. I won’t stop with just a story, I’ll create characters, scenes, even background music. A lot of times I’ll get the idea but I won’t be able to write anything down, like if I’m driving, rock climbing, sky diving or underwater. A lot of ideas come to me when I’m in the bathroom. Without sharing much details about that, I’ll just say I have time to think and let my imagination go to work. When I’m able to get to some paper or my laptop, I’ll write out the story and flesh it out a little until I’m done, or I’ll keep working on the story in my head and bounce it off some people to see how they would react of this happened or that happened.

I don’t like outlines, but when it comes to screenplays, they help out a lot and it’s the only time I MIGHT use one. I’ve been known to go without them though.

@Jenny, practice does make perfect! I believe that. I rarely use the five-step process on paper, but I think I often do some steps in my head, often without even realizing I’m doing them!

@t. sterling, I consistently get some of my best ideas in the shower. There must be something very inspiring about bathrooms or water. Like you, I have a bunch of different processes that I use depending on what I’m writing. And after reading all the comments, it seems like that’s how it works for a lot of writers.

I like the show me yours, show you mine tradezees.

It’s kind of long, but there’s a lot to it: http://blogs.msdn.com/jmeier/archive/2007/12/24/building-books-in-patterns-amp-practices.aspx

Thanks, J.D.

That depends on the complexity. If it’s something simple like some of my blog posts, I just start writing without outlines. For tutorials, usually there are steps so I will write down all the steps first and re-arrange them to the order I want.

For stories, sometimes I write down the events that should happen, but sometimes I don’t. Even if I don’t explicitly write out an outline, I would still have some kind of structure in my head. And even if it’s written out, eventually I will get that into my head because it’s easier for me to sort through things that way. I think it might be a habit I developed from working as a computer programmer. I tend to rely a lot on short-term memory. I get all these details into my head, and then I try to sort things out in my mind.

Actually, you know what? I’ve just brainstormed for a story right before reading this. I already have most detailed sorted out in my head, so I will most likely write and post it tomorrow. I think I’ll post my writing process after that as well. For now I’ll sleep on it. (I think maybe that’s part of the process as well.)

Oh yes, sleeping on it is definitely part of the process. I like to insert that right between rough draft and revision. Then I do it again between revision and polish or proofread. Sounds like you do things similarly to the way I do — a little of everything with the steps varying depending on the project.

Great post! Thanks for sharing your insights on the writing process. As for me, I feel like I work in spurts of inspiration… Lots of writing, then editing, then writing again.

That is how I’ve always written poetry — with spurts of inspiration and freewrites. Then I will go through the pages and pull out lines and phrases to build a poem. I do use brainstorming, notes, outlines, research, etc. for other forms, but it really depends on the project.

Actually, I’m not that organize when it comes to creative writing. Most of the time I keep in tune with my thoughts. When something pop-ups (words, phrase, ideas, vocabulary) is immediately write it down on my black notebook.

I go with my own style of writing because I believe my work will speak out only if it’s unique on its own. Being imperfect, I don’t put too much effort on the grammatical construction. I believe that what’s between the words are more important the the words itself. A distinctive writer possesses this quality. 🙂

Writing down your ideas, words, phrases, etc. in your notebook is an excellent habit! However, I have to disagree with you on the importance of grammar. I think it’s essential for writers to master grammar and then (and only then) can you start breaking the rules. Of course, this may depend on what you want to write (i.e. blog versus fiction). Grammar gives writers a common or shared framework in which to construct the language, and believe it or not, there are some astute writers and editors out there who will judge your work rather harshly if the grammar is not up to par. That doesn’t mean it has to be perfect, but if you’re missing the basics, it’s likely they won’t bother reading past the first paragraph. By the way, a fast and easy way to learn grammar is by listening to the Grammar Girl podcast. Just a few minutes of listening a couple times a week will teach you more than you can imagine!

I separate first draft from editing, but I’m not particular about whether I finish the whole draft before I start editing. Sometimes going back and editing the first 3 chapters gets me moving on a better line.

When I edit, I do whole read-thrus until I’m happy with the story flow. Then I use the Autocrit Editing Wizard to really polish the manuscript. After that, I’m done!

I’ve never heard of the Autocrit Editing Wizard. Sounds interesting. I usually edit short pieces like web page copy or blog posts on the fly, i.e. I will stop every couple of paragraphs and go back to re-read and edit. However, with longer works, I feel like if I start editing midway, I might lose the project and get caught up in polishing before the rough draft is nailed down. All that matters, however, is that each writer finds his or her own best method. Sounds like you’ve got it down!

LOL! I think I’ve worked through every possible type of creative process possible. From outlining the whole darned thing to working with notecards, story boards and of course just winging it, which resulted in a story with a really flat ending – unforgivable:-) And while I firmly adhere to Anne Lamott’s *&^^%# first draft, I have finally settled into a process that works for me. I now use a plot worksheet and a character worksheet. It takes me a bit longer to actually start writing but what I write works and requires less editing.

I’ve tried all the methods too, and I’m glad I did. I’ve learned that each one works for me, but in a different capacity. With creative writing, such as fiction and poetry, I just jump right in and start writing. Right now I’m working on a nonfiction, educational project using detailed outlines and note cards. I think what you’ve done is brilliant — figuring out what advice works for you and what doesn’t work and then letting your own, personalized process unfold.

I have used all the methods, too, and I agree that the method used depends mostly on the subject matter. For novels, it also seems to depend on the genre. I can rip out a romance novel without an outline (in fact that’s the most fun way to do it). I finished a Romance for NaNoWriMo last year in three weeks. For novels with a more complicated plot at least a general outline is helpful (keeping in mind I have to be flexible enough to let the characters take over and go off in some completely different direction).

For me the single most important thing is letting a certain amount of time go by between drafting and editing. It could be days, it could be weeks. For novels it’s even better for me to let months go by. It gives me the the opportunity to look at the material with “fresh eyes”.

Probably for that reason, I tend to work on multiple projects at once: drafting one (early mornings on the weekends when I’m at my best); editing one and polishing another (weekday evenings). That way everything keeps moving forward, I never get bored and I always have new material in the pipeline.

I’m with you, Meredith! I can see how it would be fun to write a romance novel on the fly, and I’ve heard that mystery writers often use outlines because they need to incorporate plot twists and must keep track of various story threads. Another method is to outline as you write, so you have notes that you can refer back to when necessary. Allowing time to pass between writing, editing, proofreading, and polishing is absolutely essential! We know the brain will read incorrect text correctly, plugging in words and proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. That time away really does give us fresh eyes! I love your strategy for working on multiple projects simultaneously.

There are good things to be said for the traditional formula, but as you say it isn’t the only method that works. I have written eight novels and dozens upon dozens of short stories and never once sat down to do a brainstorming session to come up with ideas. I do a lot of research, but most of it as I go along during the writing process. The last three steps I think are golden though.

I do have one new organization tip to share though. If your tech savvy enough to do a local install of wordpress on your computer it can become a great writing tool. Not only does it have a simple to use word processor in the form of the posting tool, it allows you to categorize your research and there are plenty of tagging plugins that will allow you to easily cross reference notes and text.

I LOVE the idea of using a local installation of WordPress for research and novel writing. I can imagine all the benefits with links and images, even video. Hmm. I don’t know how to do a local installation, but I’m thinking another option would be to load WP onto a live domain and simply put it in permanent maintenance mode (plugin) or set up some kind of password protection to block it from the public. I definitely need to think about this as a tool. Thanks for the tip, Brad!

I use Scrivener ( https://www.literatureandlatte.com/ ) for all my writing. It’s great for research and saving web pages, building characters, plotting and planning, all in one place. And best of all you can break down a story into scenes (separate documents) within Scrivener itself – something you can’t do in Word or similar. Wordpress is all very well, but you can’t see all posts/pages at once in a sidebar – something you *can* do in Scrivener. You can download a free trial of Scrivener to see whether it’s for you. Don’t be put off by the complicated look of it – you can use as much or as little of it as you like and there are some very handy videos and tips on using it. I’ve found it’s the best thing for writing blog posts, short stories, novels, scripts, you name it. It can’t hurt to give it a go.

I agree, Chris. Scrivener is amazing. I use it for fiction and poetry, and it’s made the writing process so much smoother. I highly recommend it to all writers. Plus, it’s reasonably priced.

I’m loving reading all these, but I don’t really have a process … I sit at the keyboard and hope something comes out of my fingertips … and if it doesn’t I let myself get distracted by shiny things like Twitter.

(Okay, I never said it was a PRODUCTIVE method.)

Really? I would have guessed that you use outlines at least some of the time. I definitely have to use outlines for longer works of nonfiction, and I always outline website copy when I’m writing for clients. It’s such a good (and productive) way to organize your thoughts, but for fiction and poetry (and many blog posts) I often let it flow freely, and it turns out that method is productive too 😉

Hello Melissa, My name is Kylee and I’m 15. Being naturally gifted in journalism, its a dream or fantasy of mine to become an author. For me to get into my ‘zone’ I have to be in a completely serene enviroment for hours. I’ve written short stories and essays but would like to complete the ultimate thrill of Mine: a novel. Its frustrating really, the difficulties of finding my creative writing process. I have difficulties in making a plot complex enough, and character development. I know they are major issues but I’m having trouble perfecting my writing. If you could help me in any way, I’d gladly appreciate it. Thank you.

You’re getting an early start. The best advice I have for you is to read a lot. If you want to be a novelist, then read as many novels as you can. Try keeping a reading journal where you can write down your thoughts and observations about how other authors handle plot and character development. You’ll find that you start to read differently. Instead of reading for enjoyment or entertainment, it also becomes a fun study in your craft. You can visit my Writing Resources section or Books page to check out my recommendations for books on the craft of writing. Good luck to you!

Mine’s pretty simple:

1. Do background research. Mostly stuff for the setting like common plants and animals, names of places, photographs. I’ll also read books to familiarize myself with whatever topic of the book in involved.

2. Start writing.

3. Do spot research as I’m writing. Search for the name of something, looking at pictures of something to help me describe it; etc.

4. Move around the scenes as I write, which is sort of like shaking out the wrinkles in a sheet. I add new things that occur to me, correct typos, etc.

That’s excellent, Linda. It sounds like you’ve nailed your process!

I have no writing process, actually. I’m the type of person who thinks while I’m writing, or I think of an image and the story comes out suddenly. I also think before I write, and imagine how the scenes will turn out. I’m a very visual person when it comes to writing. In addition, I found out that when I do plan, my stories never get drafted at all, or they do but I don’t like it. Planning never really works for me. I need to let all my ideas be out of my mind, and not from pre-writing.

All that matters is that you’ve found the process that works for you, and it sounds like you have!

Here’s a trick (procedure, technique, system, gimmick) I use when I’m writing a novel. I don’t write linearly. Some parts of the story are more appealing to me than others so depending on my mood (perhaps that should be muse) I jump around. Admittedly, connecting the scenes may take a bit of of revision since I never know where the story will eventually take me, and on occasion I’ve had to trash a significant amount. That’s okay, since my goal is to enjoy myself every time I sit down to write – and I do.

This method works well for a lot of writers. I mostly try to write my own drafts linearly, but I skip around if I’m struck with inspiration.

Every writer experiences different levels of enjoyment during the process. In my experience, most writers encounter a lot of frustration at certain points in the process. So I have come to view writing as rewarding rather than enjoyable. A lot of the work is fun, but a lot of it is difficult, tedious, even maddening. But at the end, it’s all worth it if you can push through the hard parts.

Book suggestion: The Writer’s Process, Getting Your Brain in Gear by Anne H. Janzer.

This book explains the actual psychology behind the creative process and then suggests how to apply it to your work. Some good insights.

Thanks for the recommendation, Rod. I’m always looking for books on the craft of writing to add to my collection.

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• Creativity Techniques

26+ Creative Writing Tips for Young Writers

So you want to be a writer? And not just any writer, you want to be a creative writer. The road to being a legendary storyteller won’t be easy, but with our creative writing tips for kids, you’ll be on the right track! Creative writing isn’t just about writing stories. You could write poems, graphic novels, song lyrics and even movie scripts. But there is one thing you’ll need and that is good creative writing skills. 

Here are over 26 tips to improve your creative writing skills :

Read a wide range of books

When it comes to creative writing, reading is essential. Reading allows you to explore the styles of other writers and gain inspiration to improve your own writing. But don’t just limit yourself to reading only popular books or your favourites. Read all sorts of books, everything from fairytales to scary stories. Take a look at comics, short stories, novels and poetry. Just fill your heads with the knowledge and wisdom of other writers and soon you’ll be just like them!

Write about real-life events

The hardest thing about creative writing is connecting emotionally with your audience. By focusing your writing on real-life events, you know that in some way or another your readers will be able to relate. And with creative writing you don’t need to use real names or details – There are certain things you can keep private while writing about the rare details. Using real-life events is also a good way to find inspiration for your stories. 

Be imaginative

Be as crazy and wild as you like with your imagination. Create your world, your own monsters , or even your own language! The more imaginative your story, the more exciting it will be to read. Remember that there are no rules on what makes a good idea in creative writing. So don’t be afraid to make stuff up!

Find your writing style

Thes best writers have a particular style about them. When you think of Roald Dahl , you know his books are going to have a sense of humour. While with Dr Seuss , you’re prepared to read some funny new words . Alternatively, when you look at R.L.Stine, you know that he is all about the horror. Think about your own writing style. Do you want to be a horror writer? Maybe someone who always writes in the first person? Will always focus your books on your culture or a particular character?

Stick to a routine

Routine is extremely important to writers. If you just write some stuff here and there, it’s likely that you’ll soon give up on writing altogether! A strict routine means that every day at a certain time you will make time to write about something, anything. Even if you’re bored or can’t think of anything, you’ll still pick up that pencil and write. Soon enough you’ll get into the habit of writing good stuff daily and this is definitely important for anyone who wants to be a professional creative writer!

Know your audience

Writing isn’t just about thinking about your own interests, it’s also about thinking about the interests of your audience. If you want to excite fellow classmates, know what they like. Do they like football , monsters or a particular video game? With that knowledge, you can create the most popular book for your target audience. A book that they can’t stop reading and will recommend to others! 

Daily Exercises

To keep your creative writing skills up to scratch it is important to keep practising every day. Even if you have no inspiration. At times when your mind is blank, you should try to use tools like writing prompts , video prompts or other ways of coming up with ideas . You could even take a look at these daily writing exercises as an example. We even created a whole list of over 100 creative writing exercises to try out when you need some inspiration or ideas. 

Work together with others

Everyone needs a little help now and then. We recommend joining a writing club or finding other classmates who are also interested in writing to improve your own creative writing skills. Together you can share ideas, tips and even write a story together! A good storytelling game to play in a group is the “ finish the story” game . 

Get feedback

Without feedback, you’ll never be able to improve your writing. Feedback, whether good or bad is important to all writers. Good feedback gives you the motivation to carry on. While bad feedback just gives you areas to improve and adapt your writing, so you can be the best! After every piece of writing always try to get feedback from it, whether it is from friends, family, teachers or an online writing community .

Enter writing competitions

The best way to improve your creative writing is by entering all sorts of writing competitions . Whether it’s a poetry competition or short story competition, competitions let you compete against other writers and even help you get useful feedback on your writing. Most competitions even have rules to structure your writing, these rules can help you prepare for the real world of writing and getting your work published. And not only that you might even win some cool prizes!

Keep a notebook

Every writer’s best friend is their notebook. Wherever you go make sure you have a notebook handy to jot down any ideas you get on the go. Inspiration can come from anywhere , so the next time you get an idea instead of forgetting about it, write it down. You never know, this idea could become a best-selling novel in the future. 

Research your ideas

So, you got a couple of ideas for short stories. The next step is to research these ideas deeper. 

Researching your ideas could involve reading books similar to your ideas or going online to learn more about a particular topic. For example, if you wanted to write a book on dragons, you would want to know everything about them in history to come up with a good, relatable storyline for your book.

Create Writing Goals

How do you know if your writing is improving over time? Simple – Just create writing goals for yourself. Examples of writing goals might include, to write 100 words every day or to write 600 words by the end of next week. Whatever your goals make sure you can measure them easily. That way you’ll know if you met them or not. You might want to take a look at these bullet journal layouts for writers to help you track the progress of your writing.

Follow your passions

Writing can be tedious and many people even give up after writing a few words. The only way you can keep that fire burning is by writing about your true passions. Whatever it is you enjoy doing or love, you could just write about those things. These are the types of things you’ll enjoy researching and already know so much about, making writing a whole lot more fun!

Don’t Settle for the first draft

You finally wrote your first story. But the writing process isn’t complete yet! Now it’s time to read your story and make the all-important edits. Editing your story is more than just fixing spelling or grammar mistakes. It’s also about criticising your own work and looking for areas of improvement. For example, is the conflict strong enough? Is your opening line exciting? How can you improve your ending?

Plan before writing

Never just jump into writing your story. Always plan first! Whether this means listing down the key scenes in your story or using a storyboard template to map out these scenes. You should have an outline of your story somewhere, which you can refer to when actually writing your story. This way you won’t make basic mistakes like not having a climax in your story which builds up to your main conflict or missing crucial characters out.

It’s strange the difference it makes to read your writing out aloud compared to reading it in your head. When reading aloud you tend to notice more mistakes in your sentences or discover paragraphs which make no sense at all. You might even want to read your story aloud to your family or a group of friends to get feedback on how your story sounds. 

Pace your story

Pacing is important. You don’t want to just start and then quickly jump into the main conflict because this will take all the excitement away from your conflict. And at the same time, you don’t want to give the solution away too early and this will make your conflict too easy for your characters to solve. The key is to gradually build up to your conflict by describing your characters and the many events that lead up to the main conflict. Then you might want to make the conflict more difficult for your characters by including more than one issue in your story to solve. 

Think about themes

Every story has a theme or moral. Some stories are about friendship, others are about the dangers of trusting strangers. And a story can even have more than one theme. The point of a theme is to give something valuable to your readers once they have finished reading your book. In other words, to give them a life lesson, they’ll never forget!

Use dialogue carefully

Dialogue is a tricky thing to get right. Your whole story should not be made up of dialogue unless you’re writing a script. Alternatively, it can be strange to include no dialogue at all in your story. The purpose of dialogue should be to move your story forward. It should also help your readers learn more about a particular character’s personality and their relationship with other characters in your book. 

One thing to avoid with dialogue is… small talk! There’s no point in writing dialogue, such as “How’s the weather?”, if your story has nothing to do with the weather. This is because it doesn’t move your story along.  For more information check out this guide on how to write dialogue in a story .

Write now, edit later

Writing is a magical process. Don’t lose that magic by focusing on editing your sentences while you’re still writing your story up. Not only could this make your story sound fragmented, but you might also forget some key ideas to include in your story or take away the imagination from your writing. When it comes to creative writing, just write and come back to editing your story later.

Ask yourself questions

Always question your writing. Once done, think about any holes in your story. Is there something the reader won’t understand or needs further describing? What if your character finds another solution to solving the conflict? How about adding a new character or removing a character from your story? There are so many questions to ask and keep asking them until you feel confident about your final piece.

Create a dedicated writing space

Some kids like writing on their beds, others at the kitchen table. While this is good for beginners, going pro with your writing might require having a dedicated writing space. Some of the basics you’ll need is a desk and comfy chair, along with writing materials like pens, pencils and notebooks. But to really create an inspiring place, you could also stick some beautiful pictures, some inspiring quotes from writers and anything else that will keep you motivated and prepared. 

Beware of flowery words

Vocabulary is good. It’s always exciting when you learn a new word that you have never heard before. But don’t go around plotting in complicated words into your story, unless it’s necessary to show a character’s personality. Most long words are not natural sounding, meaning your audience will have a hard time relating to your story if it’s full of complicated words from the dictionary like Xenophobia or Xylograph .

Create believable characters

Nobody’s perfect. And why should your story characters be any different? To create believable characters, you’ll need to give them some common flaws as well as some really cool strengths. Your character’s flaws can be used as a setback to why they can’t achieve their goals, while their strengths are the things that will help win over adversity. Just think about your own strengths and weaknesses and use them as inspirations for your storybook characters. You can use the Imagine Forest character creator to plan out your story characters. 

Show, don’t tell

You can say that someone is nice or you can show them how that person is nice. Take the following as an example, “Katie was a nice girl.” Now compare that sentence to this, “Katie spent her weekends at the retirement home, singing to the seniors and making them laugh.”. The difference between the two sentences is huge. The first one sounds boring and you don’t really know why Katie is nice. While in the second sentence, you get the sense that Katie is nice from her actions without even using the word nice in the sentence!

Make the conflict impossible

Imagine the following scenario, you are a championship boxer who has won many medals over the year and the conflict is…Well, you got a boxing match coming up. Now that doesn’t sound so exciting! In fact, most readers won’t even care about the boxer winning the match or not! 

Now imagine this scenario: You’re a poor kid from New Jersey, you barely have enough money to pay the bills. You never did any professional boxing, but you want to enter a boxing competition, so you can win and use the money to pay your bills. 

The second scenario has a bigger mountain to climb. In other words, a much harder challenge to face compared to the character in the first scenario. Giving your characters an almost impossible task or conflict is essential in good story-telling.

Write powerful scenes

Scenes help build a picture in your reader’s mind without even including any actual pictures in your story. Creating powerful scenes involves more than describing the appearance of a setting, it’s also about thinking about the smell, the sounds and what your characters are feeling while they are in a particular setting. By being descriptive with your scenes, your audience can imagine themselves being right there with characters through the hard times and good times!

There’s nothing worse than an ending which leaves the reader feeling underwhelmed. You read all the way through and then it just ends in the most typical, obvious way ever! Strong endings don’t always end on a happy ending. They can end with a sad ending or a cliff-hanger.  In fact, most stories actually leave the reader with more questions in their head, as they wonder what happens next. This then gives you the opportunity to create even more books to continue the story and keep your readers hooked for life (or at least for a very long time)! 

Over 25 creative writing tips later and you should now be ready to master the art of creative writing! The most important tip for all you creative writers out there is to be imaginative! Without a good imagination, you’ll struggle to wow your audience with your writing skills. Do you have any more creative writing tips to share? Let us know in the comments!

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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The Power of Editing: Tips and Techniques for Polishing Your Writing and Making it Shine.

Introduction.

Editing is a crucial step in the writing process that often gets overlooked or undervalued. It is not uncommon for writers to spend hours crafting the perfect sentence or paragraph, only to hastily edit it or skip the editing phase altogether. However, editing is essential to producing high-quality writing that effectively communicates your message and resonates with your readers.

At its core, editing involves reviewing and revising your work to improve its clarity, coherence, and impact. This means taking a critical eye to your writing and identifying areas that need improvement, such as grammar and punctuation errors, awkward phrasing, repetition, and inconsistencies. Effective editing can transform a piece of writing from mediocre to exceptional, making it more engaging, persuasive, and memorable.

One of the most significant benefits of editing is that it allows you to refine your ideas and ensure that your writing conveys your intended message. As you review your work, you may discover that some parts of your writing are unclear or confusing. By editing these sections, you can clarify your ideas and make them more accessible to your readers. Moreover, editing can help you to organize your thoughts and streamline your writing, making it more coherent and easy to follow.

Another crucial benefit of editing is that it helps to eliminate errors and inconsistencies in your writing. Even the most skilled writers make mistakes, such as misspelled words or misplaced commas. These errors can detract from the quality of your writing and undermine your credibility as a writer. By editing your work thoroughly, you can catch and correct these mistakes before your readers see them.

Despite its many benefits, editing can be a challenging and time-consuming task. It can be challenging to step back from your writing and view it objectively, especially if you are attached to your ideas or writing style. Additionally, editing can require a significant investment of time and energy, which can be daunting when you are already working on a deadline or facing other demands.

However, the effort you put into editing your work is well worth it in the end. By taking the time to refine and polish your writing, you can create a piece of work that truly shines and effectively communicates your message to your audience. In the following sections, we will explore some tips and techniques for effective editing that will help you to elevate your writing and take it to the next level.

Why Editing Matters

Editing is a critical step in the writing process that can help to improve the clarity, coherence, and impact of your writing. By taking the time to review and revise your work, you can ensure that your writing is free of errors, well-organized, and effectively communicates your message to your audience.

One of the primary benefits of effective editing is that it can make your writing more engaging and persuasive. When you edit your work, you can refine your ideas, cut out unnecessary or redundant information, and focus on the most important aspects of your message. By doing so, you can create a more compelling and impactful piece of writing that captures the attention of your audience and keeps them engaged from start to finish.

In addition to making your writing more engaging, effective editing can also make it more coherent and well-organized. When you review your work, you can identify areas where your writing may be unclear or confusing and make the necessary changes to improve its flow and structure. By doing so, you can create a more cohesive piece of writing that guides your readers through your message in a logical and easy-to-follow manner.

Another key benefit of editing is that it can help to ensure that your writing is free of errors and inconsistencies. Grammatical errors , misspelled words, and other mistakes can detract from the quality of your writing and undermine your credibility as a writer. By carefully reviewing your work and correcting any errors or inconsistencies, you can ensure that your writing is of the highest quality and reflects positively on your skills as a writer.

Finally, effective editing can help you to develop your writing skills and improve your overall writing process. By reviewing your work and identifying areas for improvement, you can learn from your mistakes and develop new strategies for approaching your writing. Over time, this can help you to become a more skilled and confident writer who is better able to communicate your message effectively and achieve your writing goals.

In summary, effective editing is essential for improving the clarity, coherence, and impact of your writing. By taking the time to review and revise your work, you can make your writing more engaging, persuasive, and free of errors and inconsistencies. Moreover, editing can help you to develop your writing skills and become a more confident and successful writer in the long run.

Tips for Effective Editing

Editing your own writing can be a challenging task, but there are several practical tips you can use to make the process easier and more effective.

One helpful tip is to read your work aloud . This can help you to identify awkward phrasing, typos, and other errors that may not be immediately obvious when reading silently. By hearing your writing out loud, you can also get a better sense of its flow and pacing, which can help you to make adjustments that improve its readability and impact.

Another effective editing tip is to take breaks between writing and editing. When you're in the midst of writing, it can be easy to become too attached to your ideas and miss errors or inconsistencies in your work. By stepping away from your writing for a while and coming back to it later, you can approach your work with fresh eyes and a more critical perspective, making it easier to identify areas that need improvement.

Using editing tools and resources can also be incredibly helpful when editing your writing. There are a wide variety of online tools and software available that can help you to catch grammar and punctuation errors, check for consistency in style and tone, and even provide suggestions for improving your phrasing and word choice. Taking advantage of these resources can help you to save time and effort when editing your writing and ensure that your work is of the highest quality.

When it comes to identifying and fixing common writing mistakes, such as grammar and punctuation errors, awkward phrasing, and repetition, there are several key strategies you can use. One effective approach is to start by reviewing your work for big-picture issues, such as clarity and organization. Once you have a solid foundation in place, you can then focus on more specific issues, such as grammar and punctuation.

To identify grammar and punctuation errors, it can be helpful to use a grammar checker tool or resource. These tools can help you to catch common errors, such as subject-verb agreement issues, misplaced commas, and sentence fragments. However, it's important to note that these tools are not perfect and may not catch every error, so it's still important to review your work manually as well.

In addition to catching errors, it's also important to focus on improving the clarity and impact of your writing. This may involve rephrasing awkward or unclear sentences, removing unnecessary or repetitive information, and ensuring that your tone and style are consistent throughout your work. By focusing on these elements, you can create a more polished and effective piece of writing that resonates with your readers and achieves your writing goals.

In summary, editing your writing can be a challenging but essential task. By using practical tips such as reading your work aloud, taking breaks, and using editing tools and resources, you can make the process easier and more effective. Additionally, focusing on identifying and fixing common writing mistakes, such as grammar and punctuation errors, awkward phrasing, and repetition, can help you to create writing that is clear, impactful, and effective.

Techniques for Polishing Your Writing

Advanced editing techniques can help take your writing to the next level by improving its style, tone, and overall impact. Here are some techniques to consider:

Use active voice : Active voice can make your writing more engaging and dynamic. It puts the emphasis on the subject of the sentence, rather than the object, which can create a more direct and compelling tone. For example, instead of saying "The report was written by John," you could say "John wrote the report."

Vary sentence length and structure: Varying sentence length and structure can add rhythm and flow to your writing, making it more interesting to read. Short sentences can create a sense of urgency or emphasis, while longer sentences can provide more detail and complexity. Using a mix of both can create a dynamic and engaging style.

Cut unnecessary words and phrases: Removing unnecessary words and phrases can help streamline your writing and make it more concise and impactful. Look for redundancies, such as "in order to" (use "to" instead) or "due to the fact that" (use "because" instead). Also, avoid filler words such as "very," "really," and "just."

Here are some examples of how these techniques can be applied to different types of writing:

Academic essays: Academic writing often requires a formal tone and structure. To make your writing more engaging, try using active voice and varying sentence length and structure. You can also cut unnecessary words and phrases to make your writing more concise and precise.

Business reports: Business writing should be clear, concise, and to the point. Using active voice and cutting unnecessary words and phrases can help achieve this. Varying sentence length and structure can also add interest and rhythm to your writing, while maintaining a professional tone.

Creative writing : Creative writing allows for more flexibility and experimentation with style and tone. Varying sentence length and structure can create a more poetic or lyrical style, while active voice can create a more immediate and visceral tone. Cutting unnecessary words and phrases can help create a tighter, more impactful narrative.

In summary, advanced editing techniques such as using active voice, varying sentence length and structure, and cutting unnecessary words and phrases can improve the style and tone of your writing. By applying these techniques to different types of writing, such as academic essays, business reports, and creative writing, you can create more engaging, dynamic, and effective writing.

Editing is a crucial part of the writing process that helps improve the clarity, coherence, and impact of your writing. In this article, we've covered some practical tips and advanced techniques for editing your work, such as reading aloud, taking breaks, using editing tools, and applying active voice, varying sentence length and structure, and cutting unnecessary words and phrases. By incorporating these techniques into your editing process, you can elevate your writing to a higher level and make it more engaging and persuasive.

It's important to remember that editing is not a one-time task but a continuous process that requires ongoing effort and practice. By putting the tips and techniques into practice and continuing to hone your editing skills, you can improve the quality of your writing and achieve greater success in your personal and professional endeavors.

So, don't be afraid to edit your work and keep refining it until it shines. The power of editing is in your hands, so go ahead and unleash it to create the best possible writing you can!

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What is Creative Writing? A Key Piece of the Writer’s Toolbox

Not all writing is the same and there’s a type of writing that has the ability to transport, teach, and inspire others like no other.

Creative writing stands out due to its unique approach and focus on imagination. Here’s how to get started and grow as you explore the broad and beautiful world of creative writing!

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a form of writing that extends beyond the bounds of regular professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature. It is characterized by its emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary tropes or poetic techniques to express ideas in an original and imaginative way.

Creative writing can take on various forms such as:

• short stories
• screenplays

It’s a way for writers to express their thoughts, feelings, and ideas in a creative, often symbolic, way . It’s about using the power of words to transport readers into a world created by the writer.

5 Key Characteristics of Creative Writing

Creative writing is marked by several defining characteristics, each working to create a distinct form of expression:

1. Imagination and Creativity: Creative writing is all about harnessing your creativity and imagination to create an engaging and compelling piece of work. It allows writers to explore different scenarios, characters, and worlds that may not exist in reality.

2. Emotional Engagement: Creative writing often evokes strong emotions in the reader. It aims to make the reader feel something — whether it’s happiness, sorrow, excitement, or fear.

3. Originality: Creative writing values originality. It’s about presenting familiar things in new ways or exploring ideas that are less conventional.

4. Use of Literary Devices: Creative writing frequently employs literary devices such as metaphors, similes, personification, and others to enrich the text and convey meanings in a more subtle, layered manner.

5. Focus on Aesthetics: The beauty of language and the way words flow together is important in creative writing. The aim is to create a piece that’s not just interesting to read, but also beautiful to hear when read aloud.

Remember, creative writing is not just about producing a work of art. It’s also a means of self-expression and a way to share your perspective with the world. Whether you’re considering it as a hobby or contemplating a career in it, understanding the nature and characteristics of creative writing can help you hone your skills and create more engaging pieces .

For more insights into creative writing, check out our articles on creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree and is a degree in creative writing worth it .

Styles of Creative Writing

To fully understand creative writing , you must be aware of the various styles involved. Creative writing explores a multitude of genres, each with its own unique characteristics and techniques.

Poetry is a form of creative writing that uses expressive language to evoke emotions and ideas. Poets often employ rhythm, rhyme, and other poetic devices to create pieces that are deeply personal and impactful. Poems can vary greatly in length, style, and subject matter, making this a versatile and dynamic form of creative writing.

Short Stories

Short stories are another common style of creative writing. These are brief narratives that typically revolve around a single event or idea. Despite their length, short stories can provide a powerful punch, using precise language and tight narrative structures to convey a complete story in a limited space.

Novels represent a longer form of narrative creative writing. They usually involve complex plots, multiple characters, and various themes. Writing a novel requires a significant investment of time and effort; however, the result can be a rich and immersive reading experience.

Screenplays

Screenplays are written works intended for the screen, be it television, film, or online platforms. They require a specific format, incorporating dialogue and visual descriptions to guide the production process. Screenwriters must also consider the practical aspects of filmmaking, making this an intricate and specialized form of creative writing.

If you’re interested in this style, understanding creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree can provide useful insights.

Writing for the theater is another specialized form of creative writing. Plays, like screenplays, combine dialogue and action, but they also require an understanding of the unique dynamics of the theatrical stage. Playwrights must think about the live audience and the physical space of the theater when crafting their works.

Each of these styles offers unique opportunities for creativity and expression. Whether you’re drawn to the concise power of poetry, the detailed storytelling of novels, or the visual language of screenplays and plays, there’s a form of creative writing that will suit your artistic voice. The key is to explore, experiment, and find the style that resonates with you.

For those looking to spark their creativity, our article on creative writing prompts offers a wealth of ideas to get you started.

Importance of Creative Writing

Understanding what is creative writing involves recognizing its value and significance. Engaging in creative writing can provide numerous benefits – let’s take a closer look.

Developing Creativity and Imagination

Creative writing serves as a fertile ground for nurturing creativity and imagination. It encourages you to think outside the box, explore different perspectives, and create unique and original content. This leads to improved problem-solving skills and a broader worldview , both of which can be beneficial in various aspects of life.

Through creative writing, one can build entire worlds, create characters, and weave complex narratives, all of which are products of a creative mind and vivid imagination. This can be especially beneficial for those seeking creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Enhancing Communication Skills

Creative writing can also play a crucial role in honing communication skills. It demands clarity, precision, and a strong command of language. This helps to improve your vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, making it easier to express thoughts and ideas effectively .

Moreover, creative writing encourages empathy as you often need to portray a variety of characters from different backgrounds and perspectives. This leads to a better understanding of people and improved interpersonal communication skills.

Exploring Emotions and Ideas

One of the most profound aspects of creative writing is its ability to provide a safe space for exploring emotions and ideas. It serves as an outlet for thoughts and feelings , allowing you to express yourself in ways that might not be possible in everyday conversation.

Writing can be therapeutic, helping you process complex emotions, navigate difficult life events, and gain insight into your own experiences and perceptions. It can also be a means of self-discovery , helping you to understand yourself and the world around you better.

So, whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the benefits of creative writing are vast and varied. For those interested in developing their creative writing skills, check out our articles on creative writing prompts and how to teach creative writing . If you’re considering a career in this field, you might find our article on is a degree in creative writing worth it helpful.

4 Steps to Start Creative Writing

Creative writing can seem daunting to beginners, but with the right approach, anyone can start their journey into this creative field. Here are some steps to help you start creative writing .

1. Finding Inspiration

The first step in creative writing is finding inspiration . Inspiration can come from anywhere and anything. Observe the world around you, listen to conversations, explore different cultures, and delve into various topics of interest.

Reading widely can also be a significant source of inspiration. Read different types of books, articles, and blogs. Discover what resonates with you and sparks your imagination.

For structured creative prompts, visit our list of creative writing prompts to get your creative juices flowing.

Editor’s Note : When something excites or interests you, stop and take note – it could be the inspiration for your next creative writing piece.

2. Planning Your Piece

Once you have an idea, the next step is to plan your piece . Start by outlining:

• the main points

Remember, this can serve as a roadmap to guide your writing process. A plan doesn’t have to be rigid. It’s a flexible guideline that can be adjusted as you delve deeper into your writing. The primary purpose is to provide direction and prevent writer’s block.

3. Writing Your First Draft

After planning your piece, you can start writing your first draft . This is where you give life to your ideas and breathe life into your characters.

Don’t worry about making it perfect in the first go. The first draft is about getting your ideas down on paper . You can always refine and polish your work later. And if you don’t have a great place to write that first draft, consider a journal for writing .

4. Editing and Revising Your Work

The final step in the creative writing process is editing and revising your work . This is where you fine-tune your piece, correct grammatical errors, and improve sentence structure and flow.

Editing is also an opportunity to enhance your storytelling . You can add more descriptive details, develop your characters further, and make sure your plot is engaging and coherent.

Remember, writing is a craft that improves with practice . Don’t be discouraged if your first few pieces don’t meet your expectations. Keep writing, keep learning, and most importantly, enjoy the creative process.

For more insights on creative writing, check out our articles on how to teach creative writing or creative writing activities for kids.

Tips to Improve Creative Writing Skills

Understanding what is creative writing is the first step. But how can one improve their creative writing skills? Here are some tips that can help.

Read Widely

Reading is a vital part of becoming a better writer. By immersing oneself in a variety of genres, styles, and authors, one can gain a richer understanding of language and storytelling techniques . Different authors have unique voices and methods of telling stories, which can serve as inspiration for your own work. So, read widely and frequently!

Practice Regularly

Like any skill, creative writing improves with practice. Consistently writing — whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly — helps develop your writing style and voice . Using creative writing prompts can be a fun way to stimulate your imagination and get the words flowing.

Attend Writing Workshops and Courses

Formal education such as workshops and courses can offer structured learning and expert guidance. These can provide invaluable insights into the world of creative writing, from understanding plot development to character creation. If you’re wondering is a degree in creative writing worth it, these classes can also give you a taste of what studying creative writing at a higher level might look like .

Joining Writing Groups and Communities

Being part of a writing community can provide motivation, constructive feedback, and a sense of camaraderie. These groups often hold regular meetings where members share their work and give each other feedback. Plus, it’s a great way to connect with others who share your passion for writing.

Seeking Feedback on Your Work

Feedback is a crucial part of improving as a writer. It offers a fresh perspective on your work, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. Whether it’s from a writing group, a mentor, or even friends and family, constructive criticism can help refine your writing .

Start Creative Writing Today!

Remember, becoming a proficient writer takes time and patience. So, don’t be discouraged by initial challenges. Keep writing, keep learning, and most importantly, keep enjoying the process. Who knows, your passion for creative writing might even lead to creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Happy writing!

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

Gratitude Journal Prompts Mindfulness Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Anxiety Reflective Journal Prompts Healing Journal Prompts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journal Prompts Mental Health Journal Prompts ASMR Journal Prompts Manifestation Journal Prompts Self-Care Journal Prompts Morning Journal Prompts Evening Journal Prompts Self-Improvement Journal Prompts Creative Writing Journal Prompts Dream Journal Prompts Relationship Journal Prompts "What If" Journal Prompts New Year Journal Prompts Shadow Work Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Journal Prompts for Dealing with Loss Journal Prompts for Discerning and Decision Making Travel Journal Prompts Fun Journal Prompts

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3 Types of Creative Blocks, and How to Overcome Them Science can help you understand the walls you're running into, when you struggle to start or finish a project.

By Amber Rae • Apr 24, 2024

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

I had every intention of writing this article yesterday morning. And then again, last night. And then this morning. But my team needed me, I had a couple of fires to put out, and honestly, I just didn't really feel like doing it.

When I finally sat down to write, I realized what was going on: Procrastination was rearing its head. Or, as I like to call it, "Fear in overalls." Procrastination is a type of fear that has good intentions but lacks consistent follow-through, and it's easy to slip into. It's the part of us that says, "It's all good, I can do this later, I'm not really in the mood, I'm waiting for inspiration to strike."

As a bestselling author of three books, and a writing mentor who's supported thousands, I've learned a thing or two about why we don't start or finish projects — why ideas nudge us for years but rarely see the light of day.

Whether I'm supporting a founder with a track record of success, a New York Times bestselling author, or an aspiring writer who's just picking up the pen, creative blocks plague us all. Through my work, I've identified three types of creative blocks and how to overcome them.

Creative Block #1: Procrastination — "I'll do this later after I do that other thing."

Maybe you're reading this right now to avoid something else that you need or want to be doing. If so, you may be dealing with procrastination. But before you get down on yourself, let's look closer at the real cause. Unlike what many of us learned, procrastination is not a sign that we're lazy, weak, or lacking in motivation. Procrastination, from a psychological perspective, is also a survival function.

When we're stressed, overwhelmed, burnt out, or dealing with any perceived threat — which could be, "I really want this to go well but the outcome is uncertain," or "I want to put myself out there but I'm not sure how it'll be received," — our nervous system moves into a fight/flight/freeze response. In other words: we procrastinate.

Understanding the science of this can help us have compassion for ourselves—and others—and also decide what to do about it.

I learned about "micro-yeses" from my friend Britt Frank, a neuropsychotherapist and the author of The Science of Stuck . A micro-yes is the smallest next step you can take—a step so small, it seems almost ridiculous to call it "a step."

So, if you're wanting to write an article but you're stalling — like I was — the next micro-yes is not to schedule an hour to write. That might spook your nervous system and send you into further delays. In my case, my micro-yeses were:

• Get my tush in the chair.
• Write one bad sentence.
• Write another.

And voila, the brain stopped perceiving threats, my nervous system was more regulated, and I cranked out the article. I was on my way, and micro-yeses will help you get going, too.

Creative Block #2: Perfectionism — "This isn't good enough."

If procrastination is "fear is overalls," perfectionism is, as Elizabeth Gilbert put it, "fear in fancy clothes." Of all the blocks out there, perfectionism—and the pressure to be great right away—is one that will stop a project dead in its tracks before it ever has a chance to flourish.

When I landed my first book deal, my publisher asked me if I could write the book in three months. As crazy as that sounded, my book was titled Choose Wonder Over Worry , so instead of worrying about how unrealistic that deadline sounded, I asked myself: I wonder how I can get this done?

I cleared my calendar, flew across the world for a writing retreat, and then, as I sat down to write, I found myself paralyzed by a voice inside my head that chimed in every ten seconds to tell me, "That's a very bad sentence."

After consulting with a mentor (and nearly losing my mind), I was reminded that there is no such thing as a great first draft. In fact, my goal was to be a "bad writer" and write terrible first drafts, so that I'd get to the stage of having so-so second drafts and better third drafts.

That strategy helped me finish my book—and it's one that's helped many others in my signature writing workshop, On The Page . Revision is essential and will strengthen your work—but first you need to get those "pen miles" down.

Creative Block #3: Imposter Syndrome — " Who am I to call myself a writer? Am I going to get found out?"

If procrastination is "fear in overalls" and perfectionism is, "fear in fancy clothes," then imposter syndrome is "fear in hiding."

Whenever you're putting yourself out there, or trying something new, there will be people who will be more experienced, or knowledgable, or renowned than you. It's a simple fact of life. Whether you are just starting out in your career, or have decades' worth of accolades, there is always a fear that people who have achieved more will say: You don't know what you're talking about, or, who are you to think you can do this?

In fact, sometimes the more successful you are, and the more you've accomplished, the more likely you are to feel imposter syndrome. It's like the old saying attributed to Aristotle: "The more you know, the more you know you don't know." Case in point, I have a client who got a significant book deal on a topic that she's a world-renowned expert on. She's been featured in dozens of publications, she has a thriving business in her field, and her book is a vehicle to make her message more accessible to more people. And yet, on one of our calls, she shared with me: "I hope I can one day call myself a writer."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, I'm not a writer like those other writers," she said. "Maybe if the book's a huge success."

That right there is where imposter syndrome thrives: between internal doubt, and the belief that external accolades will prove we are worthy. And the most brutal part of imposter syndrome is that even if we reach our vision of "ultimate success," it's still not enough.

So what to do about it? The solution to imposter syndrome is two-fold:

• Notice the critical voice inside your head that says, I'm not enough, I'm going to be found out, I don't deserve this, I have to work harder to prove myself — and remember that voice is an old and damaging story that you don't need to buy into anymore. Notice it, remember it's not you, and as uncomfortable as it might feel, choose a more empowering narrative, such as: I'm already enough.
• Celebrate the progress you've already made—including the mistakes. Focus on what you're learning, how you're growing, what you value, and what is meaningful to you. Don't get caught up in what you'll need to "someday" achieve so that you'll finally arrive. You've already arrived.

I know encountering blocks can feel unsettling. But once we name what we're experiencing, we can recognize it more easily, and then respond to it differently. Creative blocks are challenges, yes, but they do have science-backed solutions. Sometimes it starts with lowering our really high personal expectations, rolling up our sleeves, and having a little faith in the process.

Author, speaker and writing mentor

Amber Rae is an international bestselling author, speaker, and writing mentor, best known for her acclaimed works Choose Wonder Over Worry, The Answers Are Within You , and The Feelings Journal . Through her work as a writing mentor, Amber guides creatives and entrepreneurs to turn their mission and message into stories worth sharing. Amber's writings and work have been featured in The New York Times, TODAY, Forbes, and New York Magazine , and she has collaborated with companies such as Kate Spade, Meta, Microsoft and TED. Her signature writing program  On The Page  with Amber Rae helps people break through creative blocks and get writing.

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72% of Writers Struggle With THIS

by Joe Bunting | 158 comments

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In a survey we recently conducted , seventy-two percent of people said they were focusing on or struggling to do one thing: finish their book.

In a recent survey we conducted, 72% of people said they were focusing on or struggling to finish writing a book.

The fact that so many said they struggle knowing how to finish writing a book did not surprise me.

Nearly every day, I hear from writers who want to finish their book but don't know how. They tell me they have great ideas, have already finished a few chapters, but they just can't summon the motivation to complete what they started.

Why We Struggle to Finish Our Books

I can relate. At one point in my life, I struggled to finish every creative project I started. As a kid, my house was filled with half-filled journals, half-built carpentry projects, and, of course, half-written books.

It actually wasn't until I started blogging that I learned the secret to finishing:

Small deadlines.

We've published a post on The Write Practice nearly every day since July 2011 (nearly four years as of this writing!). Since then, I've written four books, published short stories, and taught nearly a dozen writing courses.

While I still have a lot of unfinished projects, I now feel like I have more control. I can now finish things when I really want to, as long as I use my secret trick.

Why do small deadlines work, and can they work for you? Let's find out.

How to Finish Writing a Book

To finish a book, you need stress .

Before you scoff, let me make my case.

While stress isn't a particularly pleasant feeling, it's absolutely necessary if you want to be productive. Daniela Kaufer, a biology researcher at UC Berkeley, says this about the positive side of stress :

You always think about stress as a really bad thing, but it’s not. Some amounts of stress are good to push you just to the level of optimal alertness, behavioral and cognitive performance.

Writers and other creatives often try to avoid stress. They say they need to get into the “zone,” “commune with the muse,” or “wait until inspiration strikes,” as if writing a great book should be easy.

But the truth is, stress helps you be creative. More importantly, it helps you finish things.

Of course, too much stress can ruin your health and eventually de-motivate you. But if you set the right deadlines (and keep them) you can create just enough stress to motivate you to finish your work.

To Finish a Book, Keep Your Deadlines Small

When I first started blogging seven years ago, I decided I would post every day, which meant every day I had a deadline, every day I had to create something or I would feel like I had let my readers down. The best part about these deadlines is that they were small, they only took about two hours to complete.

The mistake most writers make is they make their deadlines too big. They commit to writing a book by the end of the year when they should really commit to writing a page every day for the next year. Huge deadlines make you feel proud of yourself at first, but they can feel too far out of reach and thus are too easy to abandon.

Instead, you need bite-size deadlines, daily deadlines, deadlines you can finish in an hour or spend five hours on if the mood strikes. Small deadlines are harder to abandon, easier to keep, and don't crush your spirit by the enormity of the task.

That's why at The Write Practice we only ask you to practice your writing for fifteen minutes, and in Becoming Writer, our online writing community , we help you write just one piece per week, whether it's a chapter in your novel or a poem or short story.

If the deadlines were larger, you might procrastinate and end up not doing it. But anyone can write for fifteen minutes a day, anyone can write one poem per week, no matter how busy they are.

Two Final Tricks to Finish Your Writing Project

How do you finish a book? Here are two final tricks:

1. Big Deadline + Small Deadlines For The Win

Those larger deadlines can still be helpful for providing an overall vision and directive. You might set a deadline to finish writing your book by January, but then a smaller deadline to write two pages per day.

2. Use Your Emotions to Solidify Your Deadline

Put some emotional mojo behind your deadlines by asking these two question:

“How good will I feel after I finish this deadline?”

Meditate on how you'll feel when you complete your deadline. Imagine how proud of yourself you'll be, how amazing it will be to hold that completed manuscript in your hands. Think about how finishing this project will improve so many other aspects of your life.

You CAN Finish Your Writing Projects

It may not always feel like it, but you can and will finish your writing projects.

You are not powerless to your emotions. You will not be beaten by procrastination. You are committed and you will finish.

Now, go make it happen.

How about you? Do you struggle knowing how to finish writing a book? Let us know in the comments section .

Get Practical Help Finishing Writing Your Book

Very soon, we will be re-launching a resource designed to help you not only finish your writing projects, but also to help you get published, too.

It's called Becoming Writer, and it's a writing community designed around this idea of small deadlines. (You can learn more about Becoming Writer here .)

This will be a limited opening, meaning we'll only be accepting a small number of new members.

However, if you'd like to be the first to get a chance to enroll, please sign up for the Becoming Writer waiting list here . Thank you!

Today, let's practice finishing .

First, set a deadline. Here's an example: “I'm going to practice my writing for fifteen minutes a day for the next year.” Or: “I'm going to finish my novel by January by writing one page per day, six days a week.”

Then, get started by accomplishing your small deadline today.

Get some accountability and share your deadline with us in the comments section .

For even more encouragement and accountability, check out Becoming Writer , our premium community designed to help you finish your writing projects.

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

158 Comments

Wonderful post! I completely agree. I have always felt that if I set small targets, I can consistently accomplish them. Keep doing this on a daily basis, and achieving goals becomes a routine habit. Actually, this advice can be applied to any aspect of life we wish to improve.

I agree with setting deadlines in everyday life. I think life will be a little smoother if we all set manageable deadlines. I think we would be surprised at all we can accomplish.

Indeed it can, Aruna. Thanks!

Deadlines would help me write my short stories. It gets overwhelming when I hear about cramming so much in as little as possible. I’ve heard it say that people should complete a draft in about a day. Unfortunately, I don’t have that much time to myself. Plus, I make the mistake of editing while writing. I need to concentrate on writing a draft. I can set deadlines of writing a page or a scene a day. That certainly will help.

Hey George. I do the same. I find I can’t resist re-read a chapter that I have just written and then I end up reworking it a bit and then a bit more … and then a bit more. But hey, if it works …! 🙂

Some people thrive like that and end up having to do very little editing at the end. I go back and forth between vomit writing and painstakingly edit-writing, but I usually am content being somewhere in the middle. You gotta write the way you write, you know?

DEADLINE: I’m going to finish my current WIP by April 31. DEADLINE2: To do that, I’m going to write at least 700 words a day, 6 days a week.

Awesome, encouraging post! I’m a college student, so you’re seriously speaking my language here — I LOVE deadlines, and it’s definitely true that we tend to work better under a liiiiiitle bit of pressure (such as a reasonable deadline)

700 words a day. I like it, Katya. How many words do you have so far?

Not far, I just started a new project 🙂 I was just short of 4k when I commented. I thought of setting a higher goal, like 2k or something, but I’m so afraid I won’t meet it a few times and then give up, I figured I should start with a lower number.

Katya, I’m curious what you mean by “finish?” Are you going to complete the first draft and type the words “The End” by April 31? “Finish” could also mean completing the final draft, publishing your story, etc.

Complete the first draft, write THE END, and put the work aside for at least a month (start outlining the next project, go to a writing conference, or read a few books on writing in the meantime) and then begin the first round of editing come summer.

Deadlines keep me running.

Running for a train.

Train it is leaving.

Leaving far too soon.

Soon is arriving.

Arriving yesterday.

Yesterday it wasn’t finished.

Finished neither today.

A light hearted ‘poem’ (apologies to poets for my disregard to the rules :S) about deadlines. But yes, I agree, they are vitally important in order to actually get anything done. Without them the temptation to just keep going a little bit longer often wins out.

Fair enough, sometimes we have to shift the odd deadline a few days, or even weeks, a long the calendar. But hey, I don’t see that as a great crime. The fact that we have them keeping the pressure on us is, I think, enough.

My deadlines? Get my debut novel published by Easter. It WILL be done! I promise! (You heard it here first … hmmm)

Follow me on twitter @DaveyNorthcott

On my blog: http://daveynorthcottauthorwriter.wordpress.com/

On my FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/daveynorthcottauthorwriter

Great point, Dave. I thought about adding that to the post, but my deadline was looming. 😉

That’s a fantastic deadline. Good luck!!!

And your poem reminded me of that quote from Douglas Adams. Have you heard it? “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

Hey Joe. Thanks a lot. I’ve not heard that one but I’ll check it out. Some good old Douglas Adams irony 🙂 He’s great.

Great post, Joe! Good ideas and the whole writing community is behind you to complete your goals and embrace your new home for a 7 week stay. How exciting!

Thanks Ruth! Great to have your support. 🙂

That’s great news, Joe for your European stay. I’m happy for you. And small deadlines definitely give your conscious mind some jolt to find out how time is just passing away before your eyes, thus big deadlines just mean unattainable goals to me and needless to say if setting goals for writing is one important thing, planning to achieve them is like mapping the best way to get to there! Thanks again for your post, reminding me to complete my half-done projects.

Thanks! I think you’ve put it perfectly. Good luck with those projects. 😉

Just tapped into the power of this truth recently. I’ve been all over the place with writing projects in the past. I’m ready to take writing to the next level though. I finished the second draft of my first novel this summer but still felt stuck. I realized I needed to send it to my friend for her approval, the story is loosely based on our relationship. I did that last night and felt such freedom. In the meantime I felt inspired to begin a new story but I didn’t want to take the ten years it took to write the last one! So, I challenged myself. I decided to write it on my blog in real time, posting a section every Friday. That deadline is exciting, compelling, and a little intimidating. I’m the kind of person who needs a deadline. The accountability of blog readers is an extra bonus!

By the way, I’m looking forward to hearing about Paris!

Wow. What a great deadline. I like it. How’s it going so far?

I put my first section up today and have had a good response on twitter and Facebook so far! I’m excited! I think I’m going to clean it up and turn it into an Amazon Single when it’s done. http://beckgambill.wordpress.com/2014/01/24/dixie-lee-part-1/

You should! Although the singles program can be tough to get into. It’s almost like having Amazon as your publisher. They don’t let that many people in. You should definitely give it a shot though!

Joe Bunting joebunting.com

Thanks! I’m hoping that all this practicing is going to pay off eventually! Do you have any suggestions on how to get into the program?

I would like to start small. I am enjoying this site so I want to do a practice a day, or write three hundred words in my book. This will leave me room for writing more when I feel the need or, at least, leave me with a steady level of writing a day. The end goal would be to finish the novel. That alone would be my prize.

I like your goal, Eliese. 300 words a day feels very attainable, especially when writing during nap time. Steady writing/editing is what I’m trying to do, too. Do you have a novel in progress, and if so, what is it about?

Thanks. I was worried that the goal was to small but it works for me. I do have a book that I am writing. It’s a story behind a very well known fairy tale. There is much more than that but I don’t want to say to much. 🙂

Oh, that is very intriguing! I love reimagining of fairy tales. Hey, if you want an accountability buddy, I’d be in! If so you can reach me off list at: [email protected] No pressure though 🙂

Thanks! That’s really sweet of you 😀

This sounds fantastic! Like Dana, I’m a huge fan of revisionist tales (Gregory Macguire, for instance, wrote the Wicked series and a host of others. One of my favorite authors.) if you want someone else to look at your work now and again, feel free to contact me as well: [email protected]

Thanks! It’s nice to have support. I am still drafting it and very shy about anything I’ve written, but I might take you up in your offer in time.

I love these tips! My big deadline is to finish the new draft of my novel by my birthday in June (a gift to myself) and my small goal is to work on it during my toddler’s naps every day and some evenings if I can stay awake, ha. -Dana

I like this goal and I agree about working when the little one sleeps. Your comment made me laugh because that is exactly what I try to do too. Good luck to you on your book. What is it about?

I’m glad I’m not alone in my nap time writing! And thanks for your supportive words about my book. It’s about the aftermath of a car accident, survivor guilt, and the complicated terrain between mothers and daughters.

Your book sounds like something I would read. 🙂

Well, that made my day! 🙂

Sounds intriguing!

Thanks so much Kevin!

I just completed a deadline I set two months ago. That was to put a collection of previousely publshed short stories on Amazoon Kindle by the end of January. I did it. POTPOURRI, A Collection of Short Stories, Volume 1, is now available on Kindle. Now that my short deadline has been me, I have another deadline, also short: to contact publishers for my completed novel, at least to send two queries a day.

Adelaide B. Shaw

Congratulations, Adelaide. That’s such a huge accomplishment.

Everyone, here’s the link in case you want to pick it up! http://www.amazon.com/Potpourri-Collection-Short-Stories-Volume-ebook/dp/B00I08C4EO/

Thank you, Joe. And thanks for providing the link. Adelaide

Very good subject to tackle. You’re so right that we creative people can easily get enthused about a project, but the steam runs out part way and there we sit.

One thing you mentioned struck a chord with me: the idea that we creatives try to avoid stress so we can sit and commune with the muse. I see that this is too true for me. I keep wishing to arrive at that state where everything is done and now I can relax. And because things are never all done I’m constantly wishing for the impossible. I need to learn what “joy in the journey” is all about and muse as I work.

One day a teen girl commented that, “self -discipline may be unpleasant, but it’s the way to freedom in the end.” I grew up in a different generation, one that preached “spontaneity is freedom; routines and schedules are bondage.” Alas, I’ve learned that flying through life leaving a trail of half-finished projects in my wake does not lead one to freedom. That “do whatever you feel like doing” was a disaster. I’m still fighting the effects of that mind-set. I’m glad that teen girl grew up with better teaching. It takes self-discipline to finish projects when they get tough, but it does give a person the sense of accomplishment that makes like fulfilling.

That same girl’s mother told me one day that it’s not the work we do that makes us feel tired and dragged out; it’s the work we didn’t get done. So I see the mother’s wisdom in her daughter’s thinking.

At least I can. In writing, housekeeping, gardening, and other areas, I’ve tried to remember that old saying, “better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.”

If I have a mountain of dishes on the counter, I tell myself I’ll just wash the glasses now. I’m not going to do the whole works. And once I get started it becomes so much easier to do more—or even the whole job. Better to write one blog post than think of the month of articles I need to do, or answer one e-mail than get bogged down because there are fifteen I MUST answer right now.

Now for the next problem area: I don’t have fifteen more minutes for a writing exercise because I just spent twenty writing a lengthy comment on someone’s blog post. I’m just too busy writing to find time to actually “write.” Anyone else have THIS problem? 🙂

Yes, I have this problem of planning too many writing projects at one time. Lately, I’ve been making lists of what I want to do. I try to put the list in the order of importance to me. Not everything is ever of equal importance. There is always one project that I want to do first.. Check it off and then do the next. I think stress comes when we set unrealistic deadlines for ourselves. I finally realized that everything I plan will always take longer than I expect. Ideas dry up and life interfers with my time for writing. I’m come to accept that and not be upset when I must delay a writing project. Fortunately, I don’t write for a living. Otherwise I would be a nervous wreck.

I have the same problem! 🙁

I so relate to the spontaneity issue of my generation, avoiding anything that seems limiting, and, in so thinking, ending up limited. Also with the 20 min writing emails, FB posts (mostly comments), responses to blogs, etc., and not on my own creative writing projects. Must value my own “work” more!!! must must must, and therefore I won’t. But perhaps I could look at discipline differently too. The latin root word is discere, meaning to learn. We learn to write by writing. Discipline also means a field of study, so when we write we are studying writing Too often I think of discipline as obeying the rules (doing something I don’t want to do) or being punished for not doing something or doing it wrong. I love to learn so thinking of writing discipline as education might also help me.

Oh yes. It’s amazing how many distractions pop up when you sit down to write. It’s even more insidious when these distractions masquerade as “writing” too – reviewing somebody else’s writing, jotting down thoughts on possible plot ideas, responding to other people’s story ideas. I’ve told myself it only counts as “writing” if it results in something I can publish and label as a story. Or at least, part of a story.

And the dishes thing happens to me too! When I was living abroad and the sink starts getting full, I’d keep putting things off…but when I told myself I’d just wash the glasses, sometimes the cutlery would get done too, and even the odd pot or pan. The power of starting!

As someone who has a lot of trouble finishing projects, this was very helpful. Thanks!

Awesome. Thanks Natalie!

My writing never goes beyond writing on FB posts and comments but I think it’s worth follow you. This informative article about how to finish incomplete books came with a useful trick which is good for completing all other jobs as well. Thanks for coming up with it.

Wow. Thanks Justice. Glad it helped!

Good piece. A simple answer might be to say that there are two types of people: those who finish things, and those who don’t. And each person gets to decide which they are. Which do you want to be?

Another tip to add to the mix, however: each day, after you’ve done your early morning writing practice, write down (that’s important!) appointments for yourself throughout the day when you’re going to do some task. For example: at 11.00, for 60 minutes, I will write 500 new words. Or whatever. The existence of that appointment, at a specific time, will help you avoid procrastination.

Ha. Good way to look at things, Alex. I like that. 🙂 And great tip. You should write a guest post about that for The Write Practice!

This is very helpful. Thank You, Joe. Very excited for you and your family to go to Paris. My problem is focus. I tend to see an idea, start running with it, and then another idea appears. It’s like a canoe ride, where I’m rowing along, and then an interesting stream shows itself on the side, and I want to venture off along that branch. I guess your suggestion about short, realistic, doable deadlines is also the key here. If I think of it as a brook that I can navigate, put it at the beginning, paddle with the current, take in the sights and sounds of the waterway, and then dock at the finish, or at the harbor that leads home, maybe I can create…and finish.

I so identify Susan! I try to outline those interesting side streams that branch off and go back to the task at hand, hoping the inspiration will remain!

That is a good suggestion, Beck. Thank you so much. I guess that is the idea behind the little pocket notebook, I hear from many is the key to never having writer’s block and not losing ideas. If I’m honest, all those little streams are not far off of the larger body of water, anyhow.

I can definitely relate, Susan. Here’s a provocative question: What if you could only write three of your ideas in your lifetime. Which would you choose? You only can work on those ideas, so you have to make the most of them. The truth is that we have limited amounts of time, and unless you choose, you won’t finish any of your brilliant ideas. Creativity is always paired with destruction. You can’t create unless you destroy all the other possibilities that might have been. So which ideas are you going to choose? You don’t have to commit now, but you do absolutely have to commit.

I don’t know why my picture isn’t showing up here, Joe, but oh well, here goes. Thanks for your provocative nudging. That is kind of easy, because I’m actually afraid that after the 2 ideas I have, I’ll be all out of ideas. The first one has been a memoir and has morphed into a book of personal essays. The second is a young adult novel. I am inspired by A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and a current author, Natasha Friend who wrote Lush, Bounce, and Perfect ( 3 different novels for teenage girls.) You are right though, I am feeling the pressure to make decisions and commit.

Hey Joe, I think one of the reasons writers don’t finish their fiction projects is because they’re not in love with the story. I think you have to figure out who your characters are first and become friends with them or you’ll never want to hang out with them.

I’m not sure what project to focus on for this practice…I have a good story idea in my head, but I’m still trying to figure out where exactly it goes and how the pieces fit. I don’t feel ready to set deadlines with it yet.

Alicia, you’re absolutely right. I’m working on a piece myself, and one of the hardest things is actually feeling like I can really get into a character’s mind.

Definitely, Alicia. Of course, what is love? A feeling or a decision. The nice thing about writing is that you’re in charge. You can choose to love what you’re working on or you can work on something until you love it. Sometimes it takes both to finish. I can’t tell you, though, how many times I freaking hated my writing projects. It was still important for me to finish them, and afterward, I was able to rekindle that admiration.

Julia Cameron has some really good things to say about writer’s block in both “The Artist’s Way” and “The Right to Write” that are true for me. Basically, the only time I don’t write is when I’m afraid. (Generally that I feel like I’m flinging myself over a cliff and it’s scary to trust that something will come out).

Something that (for me) really helps keep those character-writer relationships alive and fun is to do some free writing (like Julia Cameron’s ‘morning pages’ practice): I’m not writing the STORY, I’m writing ABOUT it– writing questions, wondering aloud (in writing), poking around. I find that if I do that long enough without interrupting myself with judgements, I’ll see a path through the scary forest: something I can easily write about.

Try it if it feels right to you.

My short-term goal is to write every day, whether it be a blog post, a poem, or a paragraph of my book. 🙂 My long-term goal is to finish my NaNoWriMo novel by May, so I can get the Create Space proof before my coupon expires in June.

MV, I love your short-term goal. I’m defo going to follow your suggestions myself. My long-term goal is slightly different, as I’m planning my first NaNoWriMo this year!

Oh, the first NaNoWriMo can be incredibly nerve wracking, but it is so much fun! 🙂 Good luck!

I did my first NaNoWriMo in November 2013. It was a fantastic motivator. I nearly completed my very first novel. Up to that point I’d kicked around writing personal reflections, private stories, poetry and prose ever since I was at primary school. I totally enjoyed the challenge. And I’m still motivated. It’s an incredible feeling when the story starts spilling its own tale. Magic happens! Go for it 🙂

Dawn, thanks for your words of encouragement. I’m very motivated by your successful NaNoWriMo, and glad to hear that it provided you with that extra focus on your writing. Hopefully it will do the same for me 🙂

Love it MV. You can do it!

Thanks, Joe! 🙂

…sounds like we’re I the same predicament…love your short term goals…I’m inspired

Thank you! 🙂

Great post. Indeed, I find that deadlines are a great incentive to finishing projects. Right now my goal is to write at least 500 words a day in order to get my blog posts done on time, my novel finished, and to keep myself productive. I started working on my daily goal on January 1st, and so far so good. I’m really getting a lot more done. But never enough 🙁 …

Never enough is healthy, Mirel. It means you still love it!

What do you mean still? It passes for some? This is a lifetime love, pushed to the sidelines for far too long. I’m finally living my dream of writing, and yes, loving it!

Yes, I think so, or at least the breathless need for it. It’s sort of like being married for several years. Life is better and your relationship is (hopefully!) more satisfying, but you don’t have that giddy, painful need to see your spouse every moment that you did when you were first dating. You’ll get to a point, I think, where there won’t be much drama surrounding your writing. You’ll do it and it will be great and that will be fine.

I dunno, the more time goes by the giddier I get, since the more time goes by the more real it becomes. What the heck, I’m enjoying it. I’ll take that for now 🙂

themagicviolinist, writing every day sounds like a wonderful short-term goal. I’ll definltely adopt that too. I like how flexible it is – I’m currently juggling two novels, one short story, a New Year’s resolution to take part in one writing competition a month and a (private) journal of my life – and this goal is broad enough to let me work on any of them, for any amount of time, for any amount of words, but still tangible enough to ensure I get something done. Thank you for the suggestion!

Joe , you have literally mentioned how it feels to have lots of ideas and also having many unfinished writings /posts. The short deadlines trick is easy to employ and accomplish.Thank you for your enlightening post.

Thanks Rady! Glad you liked it. 🙂

Wow. You’re a very busy person! It sounds like the things you’re working on are really exciting, though. My suggestion is to focus on one of those creative projects at a time. You can still cheat a bit, but by focusing on one, you’ll feel more in control. And when you finish, you’ll be revved up to tackle the next one!

Yes – to small manageable goals. I’ve been a writer for years. I write in my day time job with relative ease because I know I have to get the job done! I just manage to get started and aim for small milestones and timed attention. When it comes to my personal passion to write I procrastinate with ease. Or I start writing something else rather than finish off a project. I’m currently, and for some ridiculous reason, avoiding the last couple of chapters of my first ever attempt at writing a novel.

So thanks for the reminder…even one page at a time keeps me moving.

I worked to a schedule by writing for an hour before work. The momentum kept me going, and I finished the novel by the target date. (The stress of finishing 1000 words before the clock struck eight, and the curious looks over my shoulder from my co-workers – “What’re you doing? Oh that! – spurred me on.) That daily hammering away at he keyboard before the others started trooping into the office was my little deadline. At the end I reached the big deadline and had a 50 000 word novel to send to a publisher. It was never published, but that’s beside the point. I learnt a lot form my subsequent interaction with the Development Editor, who kindly pointed out the good bits as well as the bad and referred me to helpful articles on the web.

My goal is to publish (including editing and so forth) by the end of the year. Shorter-term, I’m working to write daily, at least 5 days a week.

Great post Joe! I’m actually writing about this subject too. It seems like the deadlines that I stick to are the ones that are the most rewarding. I would add to this that, after accomplishing a medium to big goal, reward yourself. It gives you a little more motivation to keep plugging along.

To quote Yoda, ” Do or do not, there is no try.”

Yes but there is a west Texas corollary; easier said than done. 🙂

And then there is Henry Ford, who said, if you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re probably right.

I’m going to finish my Poetry/Short-Story book by August

I will commit to editing and getting help on the editing process everyday till August

Church Johnson

Good for you Church! Thanks!

My short term goal is to write daily for at least 15 minutes using the exercises on “The Write Practice”, or whatever moves me on a given day. My long term goal is to publish something – my book, a short story, an article or blog…this is evolving, I need to figure this piece out yet.

One small deadline at a time, Colleen. Thanks for reading and practicing!

Thanks, Joe! I have yet to make the 15 minute mark… working on that. 🙂

I’ve started posting my novel scene-by-scene on my blog, hoping to post every Monday evening (GMT) :S I tried it once before, but mental health issues got in the way so I stopped all the pressure and it took me two years to write one crappy first draft :/ But now I’m posting piece by piece as I go through the first rewrite. It’s just enough pressure to keep me motivated, but the pieces are short enough that I don’t panic and implode :3

I love that idea. How’s the feedback so far?

Only family have commented on it so far, so it’s been very nice, but not at all constructive ^^; But I’ve only posted one scene since the hiatus, so there’s still time 🙂

I’m trying to start a schedule of working on one scene of my novel per day. I finished the first draft a few months ago, and now I’m working on perfecting it. I’ve also given myself a new commitment by starting a blog. I hope to write one article (whether for my blog or this one) a week. Deadlines can do miracles for procrastinators! Great article!

“Whatever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men” (That’s a great motivator, too!)

Definitely a big fan of finishing a draft through long-term and short-term goals. I started writing again a couple years back–and writing consistently–while juggling a day job by committing myself to specific goals. I’d pick a date roughly three months in the future, often rather definitive ones such as the day before I’d be leaving on vacation, or before the holiday season began. I wouldn’t want to leave a project unfinished so close to the end, so these kinds of dates were really good for motivating myself not to be late.

Then, to help myself meet that large goal, I’d set small goals such as writing down 1000 words a day. Especially on early drafts of the projects, I’d keep myself going by telling myself that those words didn’t have to be GOOD words, but my manuscript needed to have grown by at least 1000 more every day. And these goals worked! I still write by specific word counts each day.

–Sam Taylor, AYAP Intern

I write every day (posts on Facebook group on Happiness, short paid reviews for another site, and some other such activities) but I have ten short stories which I need to edit and ready for publication. I’m just not doing that. I did try but editing is scary and sometimes makes a greater mess of what just needed a small tweak.

why is editing scary for you? I seem to avoid it, but haven’t examined why, other than I actually lose interest in my own work. Others say it’s good, but my ego says, not that good, start something better.

It’s been scary because, quite often, when I edit according to feedback, the work tends to suffer for it,becoming stilted or worse. However, when I re-read, after a decent gap of time, it appears to be better. I do know of at least one person who preserves all versions of his work and that is one good point to bear in mind.

What I’ve been doing is have weekly word deadlines. This way if I’ve having some difficulties one day, I can make up for them in another day. Right now my weekly deadly is 3000 words but I’ve just discovered ways to improve that. My big deadline isn’t until 3/28/2016 and I’ve over 28,000 words right now. My approximate ending word count is 80,000 although that can change during the course of the remaining time.

I appreciate your remarks, and they are often helpful. I just don’t have time to respond to your “assignments.” No, I’m not a busy young wife with a career, four kids and a demanding home life. I did that already. I’m 71 years old, and I just decided to start writing stories last year, having given it up in high school. I have a lifetime’s worth of stories to write and finish in the twenty years or so I plan to remain on this earth. And when I finish with my writing career, I’ll undoubtedly be looking forward to the next one. So, I’m not taking any more courses, studying any more texts, or completing any more practice lessons. I have work to finish. JP

Thank you, you give me hope.

I seriously thought it was only me, and not finishing what I started. I want to finish this one life quest before…my time on earth is through. Hopefully way before then, but these thoughts enter the mind. Who would finish it for me… and should I start writing my vision of the ending? Now realizing it is not only me in this universal struggle to write, it feels as if the elephant sitting on top of me has been pulled off. I can finaly inhale that life saving gasp of air. It’s alive!

I feel the way you do and am pleased to know there are many others like me, struggling to finish a novel. Basically, it’s my fault if I don’t put in a daily dose of writing. I procrastinate, thinking that I can write ‘later’, but later turns into later and later and… You guessed right! I like the idea of setting a small deadline. I will apply this method from now on. A page a day, and two pages next day if I miss writing a page.

Yes! I find that I still need some external pressure to write daily, so I have a google hangouts check-in with a few writers. We say what our goals are (currently: write 1,200/next chapter of “Lizzie + Bluebeard”). We hang up, write, and check in briefly at the end of the hour/90 minutes.

I also post my WIP chapters as I write them: http://www.lizziebluebeard.wordpress.com

I find that I can’t yet set a ‘big goal’ (when the book will be done) because that feels overwhelming and I get in my head too much. But I can roughly estimate that it will take about 50 days of writing– and that encourages me.

Ha! i’m one of those who’s struggling to finish. Small deadlines – the way forward.

Hey Joe, You wrote this over a year ago. And I need it today. Now to write. xo Pamela

Joe – that is great advice and something I can use with my current short story project. I have all or a good part of the details I need to write the book but need to organize and find out what information goes where, by what character, etc… Putting a deadline on what I need to do I think might help. I’m willing to give it a try! Thanks for your great advice as always.

Thank you for this post. I’ve been feeling lost with my book for about eight years now, and I decided that instead of trying to do it all at once, and worrying about the future of the book, I would just focus on the present and try to make the most of it. I know my idea is good, my plot is good, and all I need is perseverance. After reading this post, I sat down and wrote around 600 words, and I realized that the problem wasn’t me not being able to focus. The problem was me not believing that I could focus.

From today, I will try to write at least 500 words every day. A little bit of Math, and I arrive at the conclusion that I’ll have written 60,000 words in a month. Sounds too good to be true, but let’s see where my conviction lands me.

Thanks again for providing inspiration, and I hope that I really do focus from now on.

I will do the NaNoWriMo this year !! Till then, I will write 750words per day.

I write every day, and I edit. It is hard but it strengthens my skills up real good. I enjoy doing it and will be publishing my first book Seduction at the end of August. Can’t wait.

Every NaNoWriMo, I goes underground.

Write a page a day. At the end of a year, you’ll have a good-sized book, even if you take all the major holidays off.

Great tips! I’ve found them to be true.

However, this week my deadline came back to bite me in the butt. I told myself I would launch my blog by today, but my editor was too busy to help me go over everything. The result was not bad, but I still had errors. Someone is going over it for me now and so I’m hoping to get those corrected asap!

Posting once a day on a blog would be ideal, but it’s also rather frightening to think of! That’s a big commitment. I’ll consider it though…

These are good points well made. I didn’t think this “deadline” thing was a problem! Thank you!

The small deadlines…. are key!

My over all deadline is to finish Nano this year. I am just over 41,000, and have 3 days including today to finish the 50,000. so this weekend doing just that.

For me, deadlines don’t do much because I have a tendency to abandon them. I think to myself, perhaps just one more day wouldn’t hurt. As you can clearly see, I am a procrastinator and I excel despite it. I have been working on my english Associates degree in college for some time now and find that I have barely enough time to write every day. Although, I do have papers and essays that must be done and they seem to come in threes a week for an english major but they are not the same as writing on different topics every day. As a result I see myself becoming more and more laid back when it comes tomorrow and sometimes even have the “Due tomorrow, do tomorrow” attitude when it comes to homework. I think that fixing this problem will help me become, not only a better writer, but also a better student.

There are writers who have no problem writing page after page with a fountain pen and not cross out a word. I see a few of them at Starbucks. For me, I agonize over every word or sentence I write even if it is a comment such as this. If I were to write long hand I would, most likely, have every other word crossed out. So writing a page for me is not that easy. Also, I understand that constraint in choosing an unfamiliar subject that the novice writer may not be particularly interested in is also an important exercise in the learning how-to-write process (such as the designated subjects in the current Practice Writing Contest).

It sounds like you are not clear on what it is you want to write. It also sounds like you are engaged in a 24/7 verbal argument in your head about all the crapola and useless details that have nothing to do with writing.

If you want to write. Write! But to go on about the ins and outs of a ducks bum is fairly boring.

You know the problem. Focus on the solution…not the freaking problem!

One can change one’s process. I took a great course in which I learned to do write in different phases. 1. Even if I knew the whole story/had an outline, I was to write a practically stream of consciousness rough draft; get the content down, the story out there on paper, without thinking what the best way or best words to use. 2. review and use better words, put more meat on the characters, reveal more through dialogue and action, fewer words when able, more action packed words, fewer gerunds, delete clichés and adverbs which are indicators we are telling rather than showing; during this phase ask if it needs more or less or rearrangements, a more interesting hook, even a different ending. maybe even change person, or tense. 3.reveiw and edit again for typos, misspellings , double words, errant grammar and punctuation. 4. have 2 or 3 people read it and give me feedback, for a fresh look at content and copy edits I might have missed, and then fix what they point out are problems. As for constraints in terms of topics, this is creative writing…anyone can take a theme or subject and do something with it, make it ones own, find a viewpoint of interest. And in the case of 15 practice minutes, why not write for 15 min, based on the assignment, post what you wrote, give others feedback, absorb feedback given.

Is there an equal amount of people struggling or focusing on starting their novel?

The idea of small deadlines and a dose of good stress is exactly what I was looking for as far as an answer as to why I have so many partially finished pieces laying around. Frankly I thought I was just a sprinter and saw deadlines as a marathon and I would just run out of steam way before I reached the finish line. Thank You for this post!

Thank you so much about the advice on finishing a book. I just started my book on my life called the falling star. I’m starting off blogging then transfer it to a book.

I do not have words to praise the sunsets…SubhanAllah they are so beautiful…More of peace and less of noise. Sunset is my Favourite colour <3 All i can say is it is one of the best creations of The Almighty 🙂 As every end has a new beginning there comes a beautiful Sunrise after every sunset. Sunsets are proof that endings can often be beautiful too 🙂 🙂

If you did your homework before starting your proyect you shouldn’t have any problem to finish it unless you change your planned course due to new research or a genuinely good new idea, if you are about to finish, just to know how close you are should be enough to steam up your work, unless you have a mental problem regarding goal acheaving or else

My short-term goal is 1000 words a day of my YA novel. I have over 25000 words done. My reader’s comments inspire me to continue.

Thanks for your advice of short deadlines

I have to limit my writing to just 15 or 30 min/day otherwise I become obsessive and still don’t finish because the next day and maybe even for weeks I am repressive and don’t write at all because I have, having spent way to much time on my writing when I have other responsibilities, like sleep and a job and housework and bill paying

I did a step in finish today! I posted my Spring Contest story. 30 min later I decided to change the last paragraph, but I have time to make those changes still.

Hello everyone, I am just putting the finishing touches on my book, hurray! Clap, clap, clap, cheer and bow. It took me almost a year.

Thank you. Stress as I learned can help get things going. Be more focused to get things done. Lots of stress in my life at times,but, I don’t want or need too much to not be able to move forward. Just enough.

I’m going to finish my novel by writing two pages a day, six days a week. My target deadline is June. No more procrastination. Now is the time for me to end this story.

I am delighted to read this and see that I have been doing it. I gave myself the task of a page a day when I started writing. It got me my first book written. Now I am about half way through my second with the same philosophy. I write minimum two pages a day. There is a reason beyond the small deadline. I feel my way slowly through the story. I have a broad pitch, and loose structure. But the story is writing itself. Sometimes I get stuck in unpleasant emotional pieces. Sometimes I just don’t know where to go next. Taking it two pages a day really helps to find answers without pressure. However, it’s suppose to be finished and had it’s first re write by end of July.. so I have as of today tried to set myself a goal of 10 pages a day. It’s very tiring. I find my creative brain tires me out quickly.

I’m good at getting full-circle and making it to the ending, but where I slow down is making connections and smoothing out my book. I generally write in bursts and segments. Sometimes one segment doesn’t easily connect to the other, but in the grand scheme of the book they all work together. How do you deal with polishing after making it to that first finish line? Is that just a daily commitment too? So an example for me would be: today, I’m going to finish the transition between scene 4 and 5 in chapter ten…? Does anyone else share this struggle and know how to conquer it? Maybe the problem is not adding content but knowing what to cut.

I write in bursts too! My ‘first draft’ usually consists of scattered key scenes in non-chronological order, and I have to go back and put everything in the right sequence, and figure out how to get from A to B. What I’ve found effective is to re-write in strictly chronological order. I find this helps me immerse myself in the characters, and sometimes a scene transition that didn’t occur to me before just pops up, because in the characters’ shoes I can see more clearly what happens next.

Don’t know if this describes your situation, but hope this helps!

Wow Stella, that is seriously really helpful! It’s such a relief to read the description of your writing process because it sounds exactly the same. Thank you so much for responding to this. I never considered re-writing it all together…I will definitely start doing this. So excited!

I’m so glad it helped! Haha. Just thought of another analogy, I just returned from a family holiday to Perth. Pre-trip planning mostly consisted of looking at guides listing star attractions and making a shortlist, but of course guides don’t tell you in what order to visit the attractions or how long it takes to get from one to the other.

But once we were on the ground, we could see how it made more sense to do them in a certain order. Or to drop certain places from our shortlist, or add new places of interest we hadn’t discovered before. Or even if we really wanted to go to Shortlisted Place X but it was very out of the way, we’d find a way to make it work.

Random analogy that just popped into my mind. Anyway, happy writing! Look forward to reading your work.

This is great, Joe, thank you! I’ve been hoping to begin the next/ final edit of my WIP for quite some time now. But, thanks in part to another book launching, I’ve got gotten started on it yet. That said, after reading this, I’m noting everything needing to be done before hand and starting to set deadlines for them

Your inspiring words are enough to strengthen our wings. Thanks a lot

My short-term writing goal is to write for 15 minutes on The Write Practice every day. I started only earlier this month and already I’m seeing results. I realise one thing about us perfectionists is the need to make every piece of writing good, and it was killing me. I would rather take a month to make one story perfect, than to finish 7-8 so-so stories. But at this stage of my journey, I really need to do 7-8 so-so stories to get used to the idea that it’s okay to publish substandard work. The point is just to WRITE.

I also have two short stories I want to finish by this week. I’ve given myself two days to finish each – today and tomorrow for the first, a break on Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday for the second. It’s crazy, given that both of them are basically blank pages – I have vague plot ideas but not even a first draft yet. Ever heard of the principle ‘work expands to fill the time available’? I’m banking on the opposite. That if I give myself only two days to finish each story, they’ll compress to fit within my available time. Kind of like how nobody actually spends the whole term on a ‘term paper’.

I don’t know about longer-term deadlines. Eg planning what I want to achieve in the next six months or year. My worry about committing to a routine for so long is that it might start to feel stale, like I’m just going through the motions. I’m still trying to find that balance between using the power of habits to get writing, and keeping things fresh and spontaneous. Anyone have any tips to share?

Hey, this has been my achilles heel for a long time. In fact, I do not only fail to finish my book but also to start it. Thank you so much for this advice. It has helped a great deal

This is exactly my problem. I have two half finished novels, stuck at crucial situations because I cannot decide the next course of action. I have too many ideas. My husband read them and told me there is good stuff buried under a pile of crap. I am already frustrated. I just signed up for your waiting list.

This is so true. Writing a book is a huge project, but it is easier when we set deadlines. I call them milestones and take each milestone build upon the other. I also like the point about telling someone about your deadlines. There are times when I work on my book or my short stories because I feel accountable for what I say. Thanks for a great article. Shalom aleichem, Patricia

Sheila, I am surprised like you about how old these post are. But still It seems we can learn from other’s experiences. I. too, get caught up with answering emails and messages on Joan Dempsey’s ReviseWithConfidence closed site for authors. I have thought. sometimes ,that how well I write those comments is practice for my “real” writing. Even here, I just made a correction. I don’t want to be known for sloppy writing, only my best. As for finishing projects? I’ve been bad with that my whole life. When I was diagnosed with mild A.D.D. in 1994 at age 60, I looked back and wondered if that was why I had not finished what I had started before starting another. Now I believe it is because I have a very active creative mind. At some point doing something the pleasure is not much, so my thought wander to something else to do more exciting. Some days when I have trouble focusing, I joke that it is an A.D.D day, Then put in more effort to complete something. The longest time I have ever spent on any one project, outside of achieving a college education, is writing my memoir about recovering after a Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. I began in 2010, had two operations since then. I have a particular reason for forging on. I believe the content will beneficial for other survivors. The effects of my injury are subtle now and called “hidden disabilities”.

yep… well I am currently working on a short story for Camp Nanowrimo and it has to be done by July 31… so not much longer! My goal is 10,000 words and I have 7 planned scenes. I want to write one scene a day. Today’s is written and just over 1,100 words. I’m saving it to post on Friday as my challenge piece.

I do struggle to finish most writing projects I have, except when it is a poem. Poems are a great burst of energy for me. As for a short story or an essay, I find that I sometimes get board and have to come back at a later time. Perhaps it’s because I’m unsure of why I’m writing it in the first place.

I have struggled with finishing novels in the past and I even had great doubt at times about whether I was capable of finishing a Law Review Article I was writing. However, I managed to complete my Law Review Article by doing just as this article recommends, by setting smaller deadlines which led me to a larger deadline. This is a practice that I will be implementing on my next Novel attempt.

My goal is to work on my Novel for one to two hours seven days a week until it is completed. This is a realistic goal after taking into consideration all of my current day to day obligations.

Self-doubt is my constant enemy. Am I good enough? Is the work good enough? Sometimes, I’d just like to hurl my laptop out the window.

I’ve completed one novel and was working on the sequel. In the process, I’ve stalled a bit. There’s pain in it, and a lot of it. I have to be in a certain mood in order to really get it down. It’s fuel for me.

I decided to drop the project in August (for now). I went on to write and self-publish three novelettes and I’m halfway into a novella which I hope to complete during NaNoWriMo. I’ve been experimenting with different genre and just writing for fun. I don’t expect to get rich from it.

Right now, I’m writing for myself and having a really good time doing it. I’m saving the pain for another day.

I find that knowing the ending helps – I’m now working towards THAT. Also having promised to my publisher and having a definite deadline kicks my bum a lot. I’m also fortunate to have a study I made deliberately for writing and nothing else. It’s a no-go area to the rest of the house and once sat down to write there are no distractions.

This is something I definitely need to try out! Thanks for the tip! 🙂

I’ve never thought of stress that way. But I recognize it from work. When I’m super-busy i deliver fast and the solutions and results are right on target. When not so busy, I tend to get lazy. I guess the issue is finding the right level of stress. I failed at this at work, and I’m struggling to overcome the implications it had on my life. So, is taking up writing a good thing to do at this point in my life? YES. It’s my dream and doing this makes me a happier and better person. So I’ll take today’s Practice. These are my deadlines: The project is a short story (max. 2,500 words):

– Finish character descriptions : tomorrow – Describe 3 scenes in this story : finished friday – Describe another 2 scenes : Finished 2 days after Christmas – Finish plot : the day after – Write 1,000 words : Before New Years eve – Write another 1,000 words : before the 6th of January 1ST DRAFT FINISHED : 8th of January – Distribute draft for commenting : 9th of January – Input to go into the story selected : 13th of January 2ND DRAFT FINISHED : 15th of January STORY EDITED FOR PUBLICATION : 18th of January STORY PUBLISHED : 20th of January

Feel free to comment on this. That way I can improve it for my next project (notice that I haven’t included a ‘change deadline’ in the list above ;-))

Very ambitious! I hope I can reach this point in my writing….

This is the first time I’ve tried to plan for a story with deadlines, so I was a little curious as to how it would turn out. Actually – I’m ahead of schedule. I’ve written about 2,600 words and I’m ready to edit/cut/change into a 1st draft. What helped me get this far already (during Christmas and all) – is that I actually planned in what order I should do certain tasks and stuck to it. Try that first – and when that works – add deadlines.

This hits home with me as well. I started writing a book many years ago and got discouraged because I didn’t know ‘how’ to do it. I have a lot of material but no organization. This past September, I decided to take a writing class and find out what I didn’t know and do it. I was very productive and wrote two short stories.

Months later, I found Joe and The Write Practice online and entered my first writing contest with one of the short stories I’d written in writing class. I loved the experience and will repeat it again–even if I don’t win.

Thanks, Joe. The Write Practice is working and is very helpful (and encouraging) to those who just don’t know what to do or how to do it.

I’ve journaled, blogged, doodled, written poems, etc, etc etc in the past, but it never lasts, now I know why! I like the part where you say, “Instead, you need bite-size deadlines, daily deadlines, deadlines you can finish in an hour or spend five hours on if the mood strikes. Small deadlines are harder to abandon, easier to keep, and don’t crush your spirit by the enormity of the task.”

Since I’m just starting writing, (again) I’m going to take your original challenge to write 15 minutes a day for the next year. I’m working on a book, blogging the book, 1 chapter at a time, and using this Write Practice as a motivator. Thank you for that!

How about s t a r t i n g the book?

It is an encouraging piece. I love it

I’m definitely going to take this advice to heart. Very much needed.

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• How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When ... - […] Nearly every day, I hear from writers who are struggling to finish their stories. They tell me they have…
• How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It) | Eliz's Wonderful World - […] See on thewritepractice.com […]
• Monday Must-Reads [1/27/14] - […] How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It) […]
• Balancing life and writing | E.S.Wesley - […] How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It) […]
• First Draft? Check. | Pick Up Your Pen - […] Bunting has a great article about finishing writing projects through deadlines here at The Write Practice if you’re interested.…
• How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It) | A Writer Inspired - […] via How to Finish Your Writing Projects (Even When You Don’t Feel Like It). […]
• Why You Can’t Finish Writing Your Book - […] a poll we conducted, seventy-two percent of people told us they struggle finishing the writing projects they […]
• 72% of Writers Struggle With THIS - I'm a Writer! - […] Source: 72% of Writers Struggle With THIS […]
• 72% of Writers Struggle With THIS! | zen writes - […] Read On: TheWritePractice […]
• Story Ideas: How to Beat Shiny-New-Idea Syndrome and Actually Finish Your Projects - […] all have files full of unfinished projects and story ideas spread across notebooks and online platforms. Why do ideas…

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• TAIPEI TIMES

您即將進入之新聞內容 需滿18歲 方可瀏覽。

中英對照讀新聞》French artist in race against time to finish monumental piece法國藝術家為了完成巨幅作品得與時間賽跑

法國藝術家謝巴希埃力拚七月底巴黎奧運前寫出3萬多名奧運獎牌得主姓名。（路透）

A couple of months ago, Baptiste Chebassier quit his consulting job to fully focus on his art project - writing the names of all the 30,249 medallists in modern Olympics’ 128-year history before this year’s Games start in Paris.

巴蒂斯特．謝巴希埃數個月前辭去了顧問職務，全心專注在他的藝術計畫上。他要在今年的巴黎奧運登場前，寫出現代奧運128年歷史上一共3萬又249名獎牌得主姓名。

Using a marker pen, the 27-year-old writes the names on a rolling piece of paper that should end up being 120 metres long.

27歲的他使用麥克筆在紙捲上寫下這些名字。完成的長度可達120公尺。

Chebassier said he had the idea for the project three years ago and started from the 1896 Athens Olympics, the first modern games. But progress had been slow since he could only write before or after work or on weekends, he told Reuters.

謝巴希埃向路透表示，他的靈感已在3年前醞釀，並從1896年第一屆現代奧運會的雅典奧運作為起點。但因為只能在工作之餘或週末進行，因此進展緩慢。

"Then, I quit my job a month and half ago, and with the start of the Olympics in late July, I have to finish it whatever happens. I will finish it before the start of the Olympics, and if I can’t sleep doing so, then I won’t sleep."

「於是，我在一個半月前辭掉了工作。無論發生什麼事情，我必須在7月底開始的奧運前完成。若是這麼做我無法睡眠，那我就不睡了。」

monumental：形容詞，巨大的、重要的。例句：Roger Federer’s monumental achievements will be remembered forever in sports history.（羅杰．費德勒的偉大成就將被載入運動史冊永流傳）

progress：名詞，進展、進度。例句：The progress of science extremely blasted in the 20th century.（科學的進展在20世紀突飛猛進）

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中英對照讀新聞》French artist in race against time to finish monumental piece法國藝術家為了完成巨幅作品得與時間賽跑

法國藝術家謝巴希埃力拚七月底巴黎奧運前寫出3萬多名奧運獎牌得主姓名。（路透）

A couple of months ago, Baptiste Chebassier quit his consulting job to fully focus on his art project - writing the names of all the 30,249 medallists in modern Olympics’ 128-year history before this year’s Games start in Paris.

巴蒂斯特．謝巴希埃數個月前辭去了顧問職務，全心專注在他的藝術計畫上。他要在今年的巴黎奧運登場前，寫出現代奧運128年歷史上一共3萬又249名獎牌得主姓名。

Using a marker pen, the 27-year-old writes the names on a rolling piece of paper that should end up being 120 metres long.

27歲的他使用麥克筆在紙捲上寫下這些名字。完成的長度可達120公尺。

Chebassier said he had the idea for the project three years ago and started from the 1896 Athens Olympics, the first modern games. But progress had been slow since he could only write before or after work or on weekends, he told Reuters.

謝巴希埃向路透表示，他的靈感已在3年前醞釀，並從1896年第一屆現代奧運會的雅典奧運作為起點。但因為只能在工作之餘或週末進行，因此進展緩慢。

"Then, I quit my job a month and half ago, and with the start of the Olympics in late July, I have to finish it whatever happens. I will finish it before the start of the Olympics, and if I can’t sleep doing so, then I won’t sleep."

「於是，我在一個半月前辭掉了工作。無論發生什麼事情，我必須在7月底開始的奧運前完成。若是這麼做我無法睡眠，那我就不睡了。」

monumental：形容詞，巨大的、重要的。例句：Roger Federer’s monumental achievements will be remembered forever in sports history.（羅杰．費德勒的偉大成就將被載入運動史冊永流傳）

progress：名詞，進展、進度。例句：The progress of science extremely blasted in the 20th century.（科學的進展在20世紀突飛猛進）

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