K.M. Gallagher

A lot of people (including myself) have trouble seeing a book all the way through, especially when so much else is going on. I’ve published three books, so let’s talk about some strategies I use to stick with it!

Getting Unstuck

I find a lot of people abandon writing projects because they get stuck on something. They run out of ideas, don’t know how to proceed, or lose interest in the project. To get unstuck, you might try the following:

• Putting the project down for a few days and coming at it from a new angle.
• Skipping the parts you’re stuck on and coming back to them later.
• Switching the point of view.
• Writing a quick outline of how you want the rest of the story to go.
• Changing the setting.
• Re-evaluating the role of the main character.
• Taking some time to flesh out your cast on the side.
• Writing a few scenes completely removed from the narrative in a separate document.
• Developing the climax.
• Brainstorming smaller conflicts to put throughout the story.

Sticking With It

The other main issue I’ve seen is in regards to commitment. Writing a book is a long and arduous process (Radio Apocalypse came out to three-ish years of nonconsecutive work), and it’s easy to get intimidated by that, so let’s talk about sticking with your project.

• It’s tempting to try and get large chunks of writing done at a time, but it’s best to set manageable goals so you don’t get overwhelmed.
• Make a habit of writing (try to write every day). It isn’t always possible, but once you get into a consistent routine of writing as often as you can, it’s much easier to get work done.
• Pick a story you love and wouldn’t mind spending years with.
• If you have multiple story ideas, try creating a ranked list of which ones you want to priotitize.
• In my experience, it’s fine to have multiple stories going on at once, but one of them should be your “main” project.
• Even if you don’t outline your projects, try to have an idea of where the story is going.
• If you find something that works for you, do that as often as possible.

Keeping Up Morale

The final factor I see that prevents people from finishing a writing project is motivation (or lack thereof).

• If at all possible, avoid comparing yourself to other writers. Everyone has different circumstances, and everyone is at a different stage in their journeys. For this reason, it’s beyond unfair to yourself to criticize your work based on the quality of published books.
• Don’t be afraid to have fun with your book. Write what you want to write, and write the things that make you happy.
• In the same vein, make as many Pinterest boards, playlists, and character face-claims related to your story as you want! Usually when I’m stuck, listening to music or adding things to a moodboard that make me think of my work in progress helps me regain my motivation.
• Don’t put pressure on yourself! Only perfect people with perfect lives can effortlessly produce flawless writing every single day of their lives, and perfect people don’t exist. If you don’t feel like writing, and nothing is helping you, don’t force it. Take a break!
• If you feel like you don’t want to finish the project you’re working on, don’t. You can always shelve it and come back when you’ve had more time to grow as a writer.