When I was in college, I thought when I got to that last semester I had it figured out. I knew how to write papers quickly and efficiently. I could research with the best of them. I knew what the professors expected and had established a time management plan that worked for me.
Boy was I wrong. That last semester was the hardest of all. Everything I said above was true, but that semester almost killed me. I still remember calling up my dad crying, wanting to quit, and just all around throw in the towel.
Why? Well the courses weren’t hard. The professors were great. Everything was fabulous. So why was I a wreck?
It came down to one, small, yet extremely relevant reason. It was the LAST semester. My brain decided I was done before the end. Finishing that degree was one of the hardest things I’d had to do. And ultimately, I discovered that finishing period was the culprit. Not the actual activity, but the grand condition called Completed.
I have discovered this as a trend in subsequent projects, and especially those that take extended periods of time. Graduate school was the same. Then I started writing books and ran into the same issue.
Finishing a book is rough. But just like with anything else, you have to put your head down and just get it done.
I keep telling myself that. And yet, here I am again. I have five chapters left. I’m so close, I’m not even looking at word count anymore. I have a series of scenes that are laid out before me and just need to be written. It’s exciting. It’s invigorating. It’s driving me nuts.
Five chapters. I even have the outline in big bold letters on the Huge dry erase board my fabulous husband built for me. And…. My brain decided I was done last week. Now it wants to think about what happens next. What are my plans when it is done? What revisions do I need to focus on first? Where do I go next? How long will I let it sit? When will I be able to send to my Beta Readers? How soon will I be able to have it released?
Oh My God. IT ISN’T EVEN DONE!
You can see the problem. So what’s the solution? Well, I have declared war on my brain and told it to shut the hell up. I am going to write a chapter tonight if it kills me. Then I will write another the next day and the next day. One day at a time. I am going to stop thinking and just write.
I don’t care if it sucks today. I can fix it in revision. I don’t care if I missed something. I can fix it in revision. I don’t care when it will be released. It never will if I Don’t FINISH, so that’s just a stupid thing to get in the way of writing.
It will be done, and with luck, my next post will have some fabulous news. Wish me luck!
Oh, and, yes, I did make it through that last semester. Thanks Dad.
Erin Lausten 