Tweet

Back to Writing--How to Finish the Book You Started and Set Aside

Guest post by: Melinda Copp

Article Overview: Sometimes, for any number of reasons, even the most well-intentioned writers need to put book projects aside before they're complete. Maybe they need to get clear about what they really want to say. Maybe they have another big project they need to focus on. Or maybe they just don't know what to do next and they move onto something else. I know I've been in all those situations before. So what's the best thing you can do? Get back into it!

Back to Writing--How to Finish the Book You Started and Set Aside

Sometimes, for any number of reasons, even the most well-intentioned writers need to put book projects aside before they're complete. Maybe they need to get clear about what they really want to say. Maybe they have another big project they need to focus on. Or maybe they just don't know what to do next and they move onto something else. I know I've been in all those situations before. So what's the best thing you can do? Get back into it! Just because you set something aside, doesn't mean you'll never finish it. All it takes is a decision to finish what you started. However, whether you set your book aside because of time, because you needed space to get clear on the topic, or because you just finished a draft and had no idea what to do next, picking up where you left off can be a challenge.

A few weeks ago, I started working on a half-finished book that I'd set aside nearly a year ago. For various reasons, I needed time away from it so I could focus on finishing other projects. And although I didn't plan on being away for a year, the past is the past, and we do what we can. But I realized that the longer I waited, the harder it would be. And I was (am) still passionate enough about the book to make sure it doesn't languish in this unfinished state for eternity. So I made the decision to do it. "Work on book" went back on my to-do list, and I cleared the space in my schedule to fit it in.

With the decision made, I spent an evening with my journal, thinking about what I REALLY wanted this book to accomplish. What did I most want to say? When I set this book aside, I did so, in part, because the meaning of all my ideas hadn't become clear to me yet. I didn't know what exactly what I wanted to say, and we all know that's not a very productive place to write from. Therefore I decided to take a few months off to think about it. Now that I was back, facing 150 or so disjointed manuscript pages, I wanted to go into the project with the clarity I lacked before. Thankfully, those months away allowed me to return with some much-needed perspective.

After getting clear on what exactly I wanted my book to communicate, I started reading. I started at the beginning and read everything I'd written so long ago. Some parts were delightfully close to what I wanted them to be. But others were so disconnected from my new, clear message that they may even need to be edited out. Either way, I started working on it again! And no matter how long you've been sitting on your unfinished book, you can do the same.

Start by revisiting and getting clear on what you REALLY want your book to be about-the foundation of the book, as I like to call it-and then read what you have with fresh and critical eyes. Seeing where you need to go from there will be much easier, and you'll be able to jump in and write with the same energy you had when you started writing the book, no matter how long ago that was!

Related Articles
  Finish that Book--How to See Your Book Through to 'The End'
  When a book is finished
  Your Home’s Silent Enemy
  Winning the Success Race
  5 Tips To Help You Finish What You Start
  When Writing a Nonfiction Book, Don't Put the Cart Before the Horse
  Are You Writing Your Book for the Wrong Reasons?
  Schooling vs. Education
  Why Did You Decide On This Business
  How To Finish Up 2010 Strong – Or Not At All
  Is Your New Year’s Resolution to Write a Book?
  Five Keys to Book Writing Success
  Stay Focused - When The Going Gets Tough
  Start Marketing Your Book Today-Whether You've Finished It or Not!
  Writers: Do You Procrastinate? Make it a Priority to Write Your Book
  Books, Licensing and Franchising
  Is This The Best Work-Life Balance Book Ever Written?
  Gold Medals? Or Alligators?
  Aspiring Best selling Authors - Distractions Can Hamper You
  The Article that became the Book: Tips for gaining Quick and Effective Knowledge using Breadth and Depth

Article Tags: book coach, book coaching, book writing class, book writing course, write non fiction book, write nonfiction book



Related Forum Posts
Re: What are your June Goals? - Nice Evan, congrats on your book draft Finish the goals I didn't finish in May - smiles I want to clean up my primary Gmail account Finish my new websites Continue my 3rd edition of 3 volumes or ..... many smaller new editions Lean more about Penguin Read/re-read a book a day Evaluate Kindle There you go; that is a start since I have never posted goals before
Re: What or Who Sparks Your Business Interest - Hi This is really a great thread. For me it was always wanting to be responsible for myself without anyone have the power to make my decisions for me. I have also done many different things in my life. Started as a hairdresser and did that for 20 years, some of them working from home (which was good when my children were young and needed me around). Then worked as a bookkeeper and then a credit manager in a video distribution company for 18 years. Loved the job but hated having to answer to a boss. In between joined an MLM company selling health and weight loss products and then became a bookkeeper again but working for myself with my own clients. Started internet marketing and this I truly love. I can work the hours that suit me and it's totally up to me to do the work if I want to succeed. MichelleJ
Jacqueline Cochran! - Started out as a poor sharecropper, ended up as the founder of a cosmetic line and a pilot, head of the WASP during WWII. From starting from adversity and reaching the top, she's got to be up there as one of the greats.
Young Entrepreneur in International trading - I’m 23. Owns an ice-cream company. Started the company when I was 20. Increased sales compared to previous owners with 50%. Are now looking for new opportunities to expand my business.
My reading log - Hi OmnivoreInk, Before starting my business, I read the following books as research: -"The Art of the Start" by Guy Kawasaki -"The AdSense Code" by Joel Comm -"Don't Think Pink" and "Mind Your X's and Y's" by Lisa Johnson And since then I've continued my "research" by reading (in this order): -"Technical Tennis" by Rod Cross -"For One More Day" by Mitch Albom -"The Twits" by Roald Dahl -"Little Black Book of Connections" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne -"The Profitable Retailer" by Doug Fleener -"Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell -"Little Gold Book of YES! Attitude" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" by C.S. Lewis -"Little Green Book of Getting Your Way" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling And I'm currently reading and am in the process of finishing the following: -"There's No Such Thing as Public Speaking" by Jeanette and Roy Henderson -"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell -"The Book of Tells" by Peter Collett -"Little Red Book of Sales Answers" by Jeffrey Gitomer -"Chocolates on the Pillow Aren't Enough: Reinventing The Customer Experience" by Jonathan M. Tisch -"The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity" by Julia Cameron -"The Inner Game of Tennis" by Timothy Gallwey


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Looking for an Easy Online Business Opportunity?

SEO Gurus, Software and Ebooks

How To Calculate A Minimum Fee For Your Services

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.