WRITE-BYTES blog

It’s Friday and time for my weekly WRITE-BYTES blog…concrete tips for developing writers. This week’s topic: HOW TO FINISH YOUR BOOK.
Recommend you read this one even if you haven’t started writing your book!✍🏼 Go to my website www.lindasgunther.com 
OR just read the whole blog post below. (for your convenience).

April 28, 2023 - #33 – HOW TO FINISH YOUR BOOK 
I’ve attended a few webinars on this topic and one that stuck with me was a presentation from Brooke Warner, author, publisher and writing coach. Her first point of emphasis was related to the writer’s mindset, and how you, the writer can often see your first draft (of a chapter or short story) as a piece of crap. Yet, when you pick it up five days later and read it again, you may actually be impressed with what you wrote. And then there’s the fact that some writing days are good and other days may turn out to be duds. If the latter happens, just let it go. But save it anyway and write something fresh.

Another point Brooke made was to claim your manuscript as a ‘book’ early on in your process. “As writers, we are our own inspiration,” she said. To claim your book, make it a bona fide ‘work in process’ project. This includes developing a draft book cover. You could draw it out with stick figures or use a photograph or some rough artwork that you put together on Power Point. I thought about this for myself. What I did for each of my six suspense novels, was to ask my good friend, a gifted artist, to do an initial rendition from what I was envisioning in my mind’s eye as a potential book cover. And that included coining a working book title, which I sometimes modified later as I moved to completion of a first draft manuscript. 

Brooke also advised us to take accountability through setting a schedule for writing, and if not, have a target word count for each writing session to enable us to at least accomplish a messy first draft. Her umbrella message to the audience was this: “There is no wrong way to write a book. The writing process you adopt depends on your writing style and personality.”

Probably one of the golden nuggets of advice from Brooke was the importance of creating an author website. This is the foundational element for establishing your author’s platform which she defined as anything you are doing to amplify your own work as a writer.

I did more research on what other authors have advised on how to complete a book manuscript. Here are ten additional tips I picked up, including my self-evaluation on how I measure up regarding each of them.

- Speak with family and friends about your writing goals. Yes, this is what I do, mostly to those who are interested and supportive of my writing. Some friends can’t wait for the next thing. And that alone catapults me forward.
- Adjust your sleep/wake schedule to accommodate writing time. I’m all over the map with this one and honestly, I don’t usually plan on writing. I just do it when I’m inspired to write.
- Create a story or memoir plan with a rough skeletal outline, even if it’s bare bones with a beginning, middle and potential ending. I usually craft a book outline but wow, do I deviate and invent plot points and characters as I write.
- Develop each of your lead and secondary characters. I create a character card on each one, describing their likes/dislikes, desires, hot buttons, physical traits, fears, obsessions and more.
- Get a writing buddy and/or join a writing group that meets weekly or bi-weekly. I’m in a weekly writing group where we read and offer positivity as well as critique. I also participate in a weekly short story/poetry ‘submission to publications support group.
- Avoid perfectionism keeping in mind that the first draft is for YOU. I fall down on this one because I usually edit as I write (after four or five pages); but not so much that it won’t let me move forward and complete my target goal for the day.
- Give yourself a deadline for drafting each segment of your story. I do this mentally but it’s kind of vague. Again, I do what feels comfortable and suits my style.
- Write SMART goals for your writing project (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-based). I personally love this idea as I’ve used it all my life in the business world. It helps my book project become tangible (in my head) and moves me from concept to completion.
- Reward yourself after each writing session, especially when you’ve reached your targeted word count or you’ve completed a chapter. YAHOO! I go for a walk with my dog which triggers more writing, lets my mind wander, stimulates my imagination, gives me more ideas.
- Don’t give up in the middle of the story when you feel the slump. It’s true. When I get to the middle of the book, I dawdle, get a little stuck. I need to do something to get those creative juices going. Attending a writing prompt session or doing that on my own helps me.
- Capture ‘truth’ in your writing and ‘honesty’ in your characters. Peel that onion and get it down on the page. In memoir and in fiction, that’s what I’m going for more and more as I grow as a writer. I need to continue to be brave which means I reveal the good, the bad and the ugly in both my memoir writing as well as in my fiction writing.

After all, a finished book can be your legacy. It will likely live beyond your lifetime.

Highlights in bold italic above capture the core of this blog post!

Stay tuned for next week. Look for this BLOG every FRIDAY which will l be posted at 9 a.m.

Next week’s WRITE-BYTES post will be titled WRITING A WEEKLY BLOG – INSIGHTS AND LEARNINGS

 Linda S. Gunther has written five novels: Ten Steps From The Hotel Inglaterra, Endangered Witness, Lost In The Wake, Finding Sandy Stonemeyer, and Dream Beach.

 She grew up in New York City, received a Master’s Degree in Psychology,
 an MBA and studied theatre at Oxford University with the British 
American Drama Academy. Linda’s passion for travel and continuous 
learning fuels her fire to create vivid fictional characters and 
unforgettable story lines.