#39: The #1 Reason Why So Many Novels Go Unfinished

In today's episode, we’re going to talk about why so many novels go unfinished, and what to do so that you can start finishing every project that you start. Here's a preview of what's included: [03:20] The #1 reason why so many novels are never finished is because most writers expect to produce a first draft that’s perfect, or at least, really good -- and then, when it’s not perfect or really good, they give up on writing their story altogether. [04:35] Trying to be a perfect writer (or even a good writer), trying to write a perfect draft (or even write a good draft), is an impossible task. It's like expecting to go through life without making any mistakes. [05:35] Even if you outline your story in advance, or follow one of the popular plotting methods like Save the Cat or the Hero’s Journey, there’s a process of discovery that needs to happen with every story you write. [06:45] Too many people think or hope that they can write a perfect first draft. And even worse, they believe if they don’t then that somehow means they aren’t good writers. So they expect perfection, and then the moment they hit any kind of snag, they give up because they feel disappointed in themselves and their story. [07:45] You need to shift your mindset and allow for things to be a bit messy -- remember, they’re supposed to be. If you go into the drafting process knowing that you’re just figuring things out and that whatever you come up with WILL require revisions, it’s going to be so much easier for you to succeed. [08:25] A lot of the writers I work with try to do too many things at once. They try to write and revise at the same time. They try to discover the story and perfect the story simultaneously. Don't do this! [09:15] You have to get to know your story first. You have to get it all down on paper and then worry about cleaning things up later. You can do this with an outline but you still need to allow your first draft to be about getting the story down first before you go back to revise. [10:35] It’s probably not going to feel easy at first. But every day that you can practice these mindset shifts, they’ll be more ingrained in your mind and you won’t have to think about them so much. They’ll just be a part of you and a part of how you approach the writing process. [11:25] Key points and episode recap. Subscribe & Review in Apple Podcasts Are you subscribed to my podcast? If not, I want to encourage you to do that today. I don’t want you to miss an episode! Especially because I’m adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the mix and if you’re not subscribed there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on those. So, click here to subscribe to the show in Apple Podcasts! If you're already a subscriber, and if you enjoy the show, I would be really grateful if you left a review over on Apple Podcasts, too. Those reviews help other writers find my podcast and they’re also super fun for me to go in and read. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the show is. Thanks in advance! Links Mentioned in This Episode: 5 Questions to Ask Before Writing a First Draft (article) FREE QUIZ: Take this 30-second quiz to get a custom action plan that'll help you move from stuck writer to published author! Support the show