The task of completing a work of writing has always seemed to me a difficult one. It often resulted in dozens of in-progress works stacking up—all unrealized and incomplete. Discouraged and more than uneasy about so much unfinished work, in 2015 I began work on an essay that was eventually titled “Thoughts on Finishing.” Writing the piece was an exercise in teaching myself what the process means, and what it entails—the choices and emotional stance the writer takes that enables a writer to finish. And if there was indeed a process, or a thought pattern, what was it and how could I learn it?
Writing that essay, which you can read here at the Northwest Review of Books, was one of the best things I ever did for myself. By unpacking the process, and reading how others tackled the issue—writers whose books I admire and had learned from—I managed to demystify the process for myself. And importantly, I learned that the frustration, and limbo, of the middle stage is in itself a step toward finishing.
In the process of writing his novels, Michael Chabon says he reaches a point where the book seems like “an utter flop,” but experience gets him through the bad patches. “The lesson I’ve learned is that you do come out the other side with a clear understanding of what you’re doing.”
Experience is indeed the best teacher. But sometimes we need help. Once a draft is complete—a huge achievement in itself—the work may not yet be finished; it may be in need of more: perhaps better organization, more precise or vivid language, or a good polishing to clear out the extraneous words. If you’re a writer who’d like a keen eye on your WIP, I’ll be accepting work for editorial consultation between now and April. You’ll find all the details here