The art of finishing, part two

Dear Reader,

Last week, I answered one question about the art of finishing a book—how to make the plodding nature of finishing a novel more playful.

As part of my “art of finishing” series, this week I’m tackling another question from Drew (but I’ll answer yours as well if you post it in the comments below). He said he has a problem finishing because he’s unable to take the leap and commit to the time it takes to finish.

“I do find myself mulling the story over, thinking about the characters, and wondering what will happen next,” he says. “But I rarely take the time to sit down and put some of those thoughts into actual words.”

It’s true, books require one thing beyond inspiration, great ideas, and wonderful writing: commitment.

And that means that some days you’ll feel yourself plodding (but remember to do it playfully!) or outright stuck (and miserable).

Writing a novel has been compared to months of pregnancy, running a marathon, climbing a mountain, or even going to war. And it can feel like all those things in one.

So, one crucial task of finishing a book is to train for endurance and believe that the very act of finishing is magic itself because the stamina it takes to finish a novel is the same kind it takes to make a novel good.

“It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop,” said Confucius, who had to be talking about novel writing.

It’s tough to keep moving, though. The slow march of daily progress can abrade against the sparkling zeal that fuels the early creative stages, and the day-after-dayness of it all often exhausts writers’ attention spans.

It’s critical to remember that training for a marathon isn’t just about physical training; it’s also about preparing your mind to run for such a long time. This is where the metaphor of pregnancy doesn’t necessarily apply: Some novels take nine months, but some might take nine years.

Writing The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao was anything but brief for Junot Díaz: It took 10 years. J.R.R. Tolkien labored 12 years over Lord of the Rings, as did Victor Hugo on Les Misérables.

That’s fitting, you say, these are all big books. But Catcher in the Rye also took 10 years. I’ve been working on my 60,000-word novel, The Letters, off and on for seven years. You need to prepare your mind for the grind no matter what length or how ambitious your novel is.

A terrible book?

“I think the hard work of writing is just how long a book is terrible before it’s good,” said Leigh Bardugo, bestselling young adult and fantasy author.

Working on a book that seems terrible (and every novel goes through stretches where it seems terrible) requires a special kind of patience and determination.

Think of the many days that a marathon runner’s legs are stiff with fatigue, when every stride is the definition of slogging along. You’re going to wake up some days and stare at your novel and have to proceed with a similar slogging stride—through the terrible, the mediocre, the not-quite-there, the I-don’t-think-I-can-get-it-there, the I’m-not-a-writer, and the definitive “I quit.”

Yes, you’re going to want to stop. Perhaps often.

Every novel requires a simple four-letter word that is as important as imagination itself: grit. Grit is that extra something that separates the most successful people from the rest. Research has shown that grit is even more important for success than intelligence or talent.

Grit is a superheroic elixir. It’s a persistence that’s fortified with passion, optimism, and hope—a combination that coalesces into a steely and unwavering purpose that keeps us moving with consistent effort toward our goal even when we struggle, falter, or outright fail. Grit equips us with a shield that deflects naysayers and doubts. It’s an energy drink, a pep talk, a sprinkle of fairy dust, and a compass all in one.

“Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out, and not just for the week, not just for the month, but years,” said Angela Duckworth, a psychological researcher who focuses on studying grit and has given a popular TED talk on it.

Years. Years made up of days of work. As British novelist Martin Amis said, “Novelists are stamina merchants, grinders, nine-to-fivers.”

Developing grit leads to another writing superpower: resilience. Resilience allows you to adapt in the face of adversity and push yourself through obstacles. So often we think that mental toughness is about how we respond to extreme situations—bouncing back after getting fired or divorced or surviving a traumatic experience.

There’s no doubt that extreme situations test us, but the everyday work of writing a novel requires you to approach your mental toughness like a muscle that needs to be worked to develop. If you haven’t pushed yourself in hundreds of small ways, you’ll wilt when things get difficult.

Drew asked another important question in mulling all of this over: “What if engagement drives inspiration?”

Yes, that’s it. All of these words—plodding, commitment, grit, resilience, stamina, endurance—they all add up to inspiration. No one has ever finished a novel by sitting around and waiting for inspiration. Inspiration is conjured by the work.

Ask a question about finishing a book in the comments below, and I’ll answer it in the coming weeks!

Because a quote or two

“I made a startling discovery. Time spent writing = output of work. Amazing.”

~ Ann Pachett

“Inspiration usually comes during work, not before it.”

~ Madeleine L’Engle

Because an exercise might help you commit to finishing

One way to lessen the daunting nature of writing is to wave a wand over it and make it into a lot of small things. This is when simple math comes in handy. If you write a “mere” 200 words a day, that adds up to 6,000 words a month, which is 72,000 words per year—which is a decent-sized novel. If you focus on a manageable chunk of work, it has a way of creating momentum and carrying you further along. Think of how five minutes of writing often turns into 15 or 30 minutes without you even knowing it.

Because here’s a way to write your novel in 2024

My course on novel writing recently launched with Domestika!

One student said:

“Grant Faulkner imparts great knowledge here—inspiring in me the belief that I can write the novel I want to write. I have enjoyed the way he relates to other authors and how he uses examples from his own writing (and life) to illuminate the writing path.” See more reviews.

If you use this code, you'll get a 10% discount: GRANTFAULKNER-PROMO

Because storytelling—live, on stage!

I have a secret goal: to become a good live storyteller. I’ve told a story on stage once—at San Francisco’s Porchlight—and after the worst bout of performance anxiety before my story, it took the fire department to get me off the stage. It’s addictive.

I’m a special fan of the BACKFENCE series, which originated in Portland. BACKFENCE is now offering storytelling workshops—online and in person. Here are their bona fides:

“We are all award winning storytellers who’ve performed in different corners of the country. Combined we’ve coached over 850 stories for stage, screen, conference, and pitches.”