Writing Saturday; Help! How do I finish my book?

Do you have a story that you just can’t seem to finish? Someone asked me about this in an email, so today I would like to offer you some tips for solving some basic problems.


Problem 1; I hit a wall; I just don’t know what to do next.


Sometimes you will come to a point and you get stuck, you’re not sure how to go on. One thing that has helped me is to take a break, I mean a long break. Don’t even look at it for a couple weeks. The other thing you can do is a writing warm-up. This might get your brain working.


Problem 2; How do I end this book?


If you are having a hard time coming up with an ending, think about your main character. What lessons do you want him to learn in the end? Has he/she changed at all? If so think of an ending that would showcase that change or lesson learned.


Problem 3; I just don’t feel like finishing my story.


Keeping the motivation to finish you story can be hard, but here are some things I do. I finish a story before I start another. If I come up with a great idea I write it down and then set it aside until I have finished my current project. This is hard sometimes, because I get excited about a new story, but it is important to get your projects done. I also sometimes just sit down and start writing even when I don’t feel like it.


Problem 4; I just don’t feel like I am doing a good job.


I wish I could show you my first rough draft of my first book. It is horrible. There are so many misspellings; it is boring; and none of you would probably like it. It takes time to hone your skills as a writer, and the best way to do that is to keep writing.