How to Finally Finish the Manuscript You Started

Starting a book can be exciting. Finishing one? That’s another story.

Most writers begin with plenty of enthusiasm. There’s an idea we can’t stop thinking about: characters demanding our attention or a message we feel called to share. Then somewhere between the opening chapter and “The End,” real life gets involved.

The ideas become harder to organize. We start second-guessing what we’ve already written. Another project suddenly seems much more interesting. Before long, that unfinished manuscript is sitting on our computer waiting for us to come back.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. But you may not need another burst of inspiration to finish your book. You might simply need a better plan.

Get the Words Down First

One of the easiest ways to stall a manuscript is trying to write and edit at the same time.

You type a paragraph, reread it, change a sentence, and then question everything you wrote before it. Forty-five minutes later, you’ve polished 200 words and haven’t moved the story forward.

Give yourself permission to write an imperfect first draft. You can edit later. Right now, your job is to give yourself something to edit.

If staring at a blank screen makes that difficult, try dictating your thoughts and transcribing them later. Sometimes speaking an idea aloud helps get past the pressure of trying to make every sentence sound publishable. It doesn’t have to be good yet. It just has to exist.

Give Your Ideas Somewhere to Go

Writers are constantly coming up with things that don’t quite belong where we’re currently working. Maybe it’s a great quote, a scene that suddenly comes to mind, a story you don’t want to forget, or an illustration for another chapter.

Instead of forcing every good thought into your current manuscript, create what I call a “parking lot.” Keep those extra ideas in one place and revisit them occasionally.

Since inspiration doesn’t always show up while you’re sitting at your computer, it also helps to have somewhere nearby to capture those thoughts before they disappear. That’s one reason I created my Journal: Writer’s Bedside. It’s a handy place to jot down those late-night ideas, observations, and bits of inspiration you want to come back to later.

📓 Find Journal: Writer’s Bedside on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Journal-Writers-Bedside-Tez-Brooks/dp/B0CNZWBD4M/

Some of those ideas will eventually find a home in your book. Others won’t, and that’s okay. A good idea doesn’t automatically belong in this particular manuscript. It might be waiting for your next one.

Give Your Manuscript Some Structure

Some writers love outlines. Others would rather have a root canal. Either way, having a basic roadmap can keep you from wandering around your manuscript wondering what comes next.

Start by identifying the major ideas, chapters, or scenes. You don’t have to plan every detail before you write, but knowing where you’re headed can make it much easier to keep moving.

If you’re more visual, try the old-fashioned approach: sticky notes and a tri-fold project board. Write your chapters, scenes, stories, or main ideas on separate notes and arrange them on the board. If something feels out of place, move it. Maybe the story you planned for chapter three really belongs in chapter seven. There’s something about seeing your entire book spread out in front of you that can reveal gaps, repetition, and connections you might miss on a computer screen.

Need Help Planning Your Manuscript?

Once you’ve captured your ideas, the next challenge is figuring out what to do with them.

If organizing your book is the part that keeps slowing you down, I’ve created a free Manuscript Planning Tool to help you map out your thoughts and give your project some direction.

👉 [DOWNLOAD THE FREE MANUSCRIPT PLANNING TOOL HERE] https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-vSKRxCKiTegzsCumQqzmZbzqXgF92W/edit

Use it to take those ideas floating around in your head—and the ones you’ve been collecting along the way—and start turning them into an actual plan for your book.

Do the Research That Makes Your Book Better

Sometimes moving forward means stepping away from the actual writing for a little while.

Research can uncover information, stories, and perspectives you wouldn’t have discovered sitting alone at your desk. Interview someone who knows more about your topic. Conduct a poll. Ask your audience a question on social media. Dig into credible sources that can strengthen your message.

For nonfiction writers especially, good research can add depth and authority to a manuscript. It can also spark new directions when you’ve reached a section where you’re not quite sure what to say next. Don’t research forever, though. Eventually, you have to get back to writing.

Create a Space Where You Can Actually Write

Take a look at where you’re working. Is the chair comfortable enough to sit in for a while? Is the lighting good? Are you constantly getting up because the room is too hot or cold? Does that beautiful view outside inspire you—or give you another excuse to stare out the window?

Your writing space doesn’t have to look like something from a magazine. It simply needs to help you work. If possible, find a place where you can close the door and let others know you’re writing. Over time, even sitting down in that particular spot can signal to your brain that it’s time to get to work.

Make Distraction a Little Harder

Sometimes we blame the manuscript when the real problem is the phone sitting beside us.

One notification becomes checking an email. The email reminds us to look something up. Twenty minutes later, we’re watching a video that has absolutely nothing to do with our book.

Turn off the notifications. Close the unnecessary tabs. Put the phone somewhere you can’t reach it without making a deliberate decision to stop writing.

Then give yourself a measurable goal. Maybe that’s 500 words a day. Maybe it’s 1,000. The exact number isn’t nearly as important as developing the habit of making steady progress. Five hundred words may not feel like much today. Keep doing it, and those words eventually become chapters. Those chapters eventually become a book.

Read Like a Writer

If you want to become a better writer, spend more time reading. Especially within your genre.

Pay attention to the books that keep you turning pages. How does the author begin a chapter? How is information organized? What makes the dialogue sound natural? Why did a particular story or illustration stick with you?

Reading gives you an education in writing without feeling like homework. Entertainment has its place, but if you have limited free time and an unfinished manuscript waiting for you, opening a good book may serve your writing far better than another evening in front of the television.

Find People Who Understand the Craft

Writing may happen alone, but becoming a better writer shouldn’t.

Find other people who take the craft seriously. Join a writers’ group. Attend a conference. Find a critique partner or connect with authors who are a little farther down the road than you are. Your family may tell you everything you write is wonderful. Bless them. Sometimes you need someone who will tell you the truth. Another writer can recognize a confusing section, weak opening, unnecessary chapter, or missed opportunity in ways someone unfamiliar with the craft might not.

Good feedback isn’t always comfortable, but it can make your manuscript stronger.

Remember Who You’re Writing For

Somewhere in the middle of writing a book, it’s surprisingly easy to become so focused on what we want to say that we forget about the person we’re saying it to.

That’s why I recommend creating a one-sheet and book proposal, even if you’re planning to self-publish. These aren’t useful only when you’re pitching to an agent or publisher. Creating them forces you to step away from the manuscript and answer some important questions.

Who is this book for? Why would they want to read it? What problem am I helping them solve? What will they gain by reaching the final page?

In other words, what’s in it for the reader? When you know the answer, it becomes much easier to decide what belongs in your manuscript—and what doesn’t.

Stop Waiting for the Perfect Writing Day

There will always be reasons not to write. You won’t always feel creative. Your schedule won’t suddenly become empty. Every writing session won’t produce brilliant prose. Write anyway.

Sometimes what we call writer’s block is simply uncertainty about what comes next. A little organization, research, outside feedback, or focused time may be all you need to start moving again.

And a few practical tools can certainly help. Keep your Journal for Writers nearby to capture inspiration when it shows up. Use the free Manuscript Planning Tool to organize those thoughts and give your book direction. Then create an environment where you can sit down consistently and do the work.

You don’t have to finish the entire manuscript today. Write the next paragraph. Finish the next scene. Work through the next chapter. Then come back tomorrow and do it again.

Eventually, all those small writing sessions become something pretty incredible: A finished manuscript. Now go write.