Step Eight: The Finished Draft

And Now The Real Work Begins

We’ve arrived at what is possibly the most crucial and important step in writing a novel. I say this without hesitation or hyperbole because there is a simple truth in the fact that without reaching this step, you will never go any further in the process. The finished draft. Why do I say this?

Finishing is everything.

Finishing is how I measure success. Not bestseller lists or sales or reviews. Those parts of the process are important, yes. And don’t think for a minute they don’t matter to me, of course they do. But I can control only one thing in my creative life, and that’s how often I finish my projects.

If you want to be a writer, you gotta finish. Because finishing means you now have something to work with. You can’t leave a trail of half-eaten sandwiches all over the house, or you’ll draw ants and vermin. Writing is the same. Without the finished product, you’ll never be able to learn the art of revision, which is where the craft of writing shows itself.