Good morning, friends! I’m just weeks away from turning in the sequel to my YA Fantasy, WINTER, WHITE AND WICKED. I’d love to tell you that it’s ready to be seen by my editor, but I’m still hammering away at it.
And while I was thinking about how hard it is to actually finish something, I was reminded of this article.
I wrote it as part of the release week festivities for DARK HALO, the final book in my Angel Eyes trilogy, a book that hit shelves eight years ago. And yet! Every time I get to the end of a project, I feel this way all over again. Perhaps it will encourage your teen writer heart.
FINISHING STRONG
Once upon a time, eons ago, while sitting in the corner of his obsessively organized closet, a friend of mine voiced two sentences that refuse to leave me alone.
“Everyone says I have so much potential. I hate that.”
I was sitting opposite him in an empty laundry basket and I will admit that while I’m usually very chatty, I could think of absolutely nothing to say.
It was one of those moments you have—in that span of time after high school and before you’re headlong into a grown-up life—and you have no idea what you’re doing but you know it needs to be something. And whatever that something is, it needs to matter.
You’re in the trying phase. You try everything. Stuff you need to try. Stuff you shouldn’t try. Stuff your mama forbade you to try. Jobs, schools, collegiate sports, tightrope walking. But often, in the midst of those funky years, nothing ever gets DONE. Completed. Nothing gets satisfactorily concluded. The world is at your feet, full of possibility and you haven’t got the wherewithal to finish a thing.
It’s normal. Absolutely normal, but those years can be frustrating and that was where we found ourselves that night. My friend in a corner and I in a laundry basket. So much potential.
It would be several years before I understood what we were feeling, much less how to address it. You can’t understand it while you’re living it, you know? You have to get past it. Get through it. And sometimes, in the mad dash to get to the next phase of existence, you actually finish something. Life’s weird like that.
In that way, writing has taught me a lot about myself. With the very last book of my first trilogy hitting shelves, I have the completion I so craved during that time. I finished and I finished exactly as I wanted to. But there were times, in the middle of everything, where I didn’t know if I’d ever get to the end. I didn’t know how my characters would ever survive. Not just the bad guys—cause there are always bad guys to contend with. But, I wasn’t sure my characters could survive me and that seductive little option that constantly made itself available: giving up.
When I look back, I’m not sure why I didn’t give up. Maybe because I had a contract to fulfill. Maybe because I promised myself I wouldn’t. Maybe because too many people knew about this new thing I was trying. After all, it would have been incredibly embarrassing to tell them all, I just couldn’t guys. I tried.
Miley Cyrus (in all her wisdom) says it’s all about the climb. Okay. Sure. There’s truth to that statement. The journey is insanely important and you will start so many adventures that were never meant to be completed. But, if you’re like my friend and you’re tired of being told you have so much potential, there’s really only one way to shut the voices up.
Finish something.
Realize your potential. Oh, not all of it. It’ll take a lifetime of trial and error to ever come close to realizing the whole of who you are, but set your heart to accomplishing something that matters.
Tell me, do you have trouble finishing what you start? Any tips for those struggling right now?
Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.
Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.
It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.
To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.
For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
Congratulations on your sequel!
This was an encouraging post for me! The novel I’m working on is a years-long project and it can be daunting to look ahead, but I can reach my goal by doing a little at a time.
Also, for a while now I’ve been gnawing at the idea of writing a nonfiction faith book on the side. This has convinced me to press to finish that this summer!
Hooray for new goals! I’m cheering you on, friend!
I’ve read a lot of people say we should finish every story we write whether we like the story or not. I’ve finished a lot of my stories, but every so often I have a story I don’t like & can’t figure out how to finish. A month or so ago, I allowed myself to trash one and I’ve written four short stories sense. Is it so bad to abandon a story here and there? It was really hard for me to let go of that one, but I think it was a good decision
I say trash it! And by trash it, I mean set it aside. I don’t recommend throwing anything away cause you just never know.
But here’s some truth for you: I’ve heard that advice as well and I call bologna. I think most authors can say they’ve trashed a project here and there. The most amazing part of being a writer who’s not bound by a contract is that you can trash whatever you want to trash.
My advice would be to always consider carefully whether or not to set it aside. If you’re setting it aside simply because it’s gotten difficult, the other bit of hard truth is this: Your next project will get difficult too. Every project does. Getting into the habit of setting aside a project once it gets hard is a bad habit.
I think a better reason for setting aside a project is because you’ve lost the passion for it. When that happens, I would take a break and then try again before abandoning it altogether, but if it’s sapping your joy after a handful of breaks / tries, I think it’s okay to walk away. In fact, that might be the best choice you can make for yourself and your writerly brain.
I’ve been working on my current WIP for a couple of years now, and I’m just about to start edits for draft 5. Tomorrow is actually the end of my six-week break, but I’ve tried to write other projects during it. I got about 10k words in one story, but I’ve been struggling to continue it. Setting tiny goals for myself has helped me get back into it. I’m wanting to work on this story for the 100-for-100, because last year, that challenge really helped to motivate me, and it helped me finish a draft.
Congrats on being so close to finishing the second book!
Oooo! The 100-for-100 is excellent for keeping us writing! I’m wishing you so much luck with that. Small goals are definitely the way to go! Cheering you on, friend.
And THANK YOU for cheering me on as well.
This post really resonates with me! I am one of those people who likes to start a million projects and will give up when I feel the least opposition.
Last fall, I sped through writing the first draft of a book, and then started trying to edit it and paused. Something wasn’t right, and I got frustrated enough that I gave up and stopped writing.
But recently, a friend asked me what had happened to that draft. So, I started thinking about the story again, and I finally figured out what’s wrong with it! Now I’m working on it again. I’m sure that finishing it is going to be a huge challenge, but I’m determined to get through.
So, I think the two things that are most helpful for me for finishing projects, writing or otherwise, are 1) lots of time, and 2) friends who will encourage.
Have a great day, and congratulations on your (almost) finished book!
First off, let me just say, I can’t wait for the Winter sequel, and I wish you all the luck getting it out there! You’ve got this!
For the first… I don’t know… ten years or so after I discovered my love of storytelling, I pinballed from idea to idea to idea constantly and never finished everything. When I finally committed to an idea, it took me three years to draft it. And I said that I wanted to be done with draft two by June, but then school work said haha, so now I’m thinking it might be July before I complete it. But I intend to keep plugging away at it, and I’m in the part of the story where things really kick up, so that’s always fun. I don’t know when I’ll get it done, but I will… eventually!
I think one of the keys to finishing something is to commit to making time for it, while still giving yourself a healthy break/reward every now and again to avoid burnout. Also, try to hold on to some reminder of why you do it- a vision board, a quote, a personal statement, anything- so that you always know what you’re working towards.
This is a very timely post for me! I’m right in the middle of that post-high-school, pre-adulthood phase, and it feels like forever since I’ve finished anything. I want to complete a novel draft this summer, but I’m honestly not sure it’ll happen. Still, I know I’ve been making progress, and this post is encouraging. Thank you!