Finishing the writing of a novel is orgasmic — the months or years of writing, building up to the victorious moment you write “The End.” The relief and pleasure at finishing such a grand project is immeasurable, especially if you go through a lot to get there.
After six years, fraught with raising children, an abusive marriage, financial difficulties, and more, I finished writing my first novel.
When I typed out “The End,” tears formed like little pearls in my eyes and I couldn’t believe I had finally made it to that point.
There was a time I stopped writing, lost in throes of having a newborn and three older children while my marriage was falling apart. It took a couple years but I started writing again while also juggling life as a working single parent. I started out slow with journaling, poems, and a few stories, but this novel always hovered at the back of my mind, asking me “when?” It was aching to be finished, but something was holding me back.
While growing up, I devoured fantasy novels, especially those featuring strong female characters. I was inspired by fantastical settings and heroic feats, long journeys and dark villains. Tolkien’s works were my favorite for a while and one of my goals was to write an epic story like Lord of the Rings.
Something I noticed in the fantasy novels I read was that near the end, there was a climax of sorts. A massive battle, a shocking reveal of secrets, or an epic showdown between the hero and villain. I had planned for such a climax in my own book, but for so long I worried if it would be “epic” enough. My mind filled with doubt and I found myself unable to finish more than a few sentences at a time.
I was so worried that my readers would be disappointed in whatever climax/culmination I wrote. I kept second-guessing my plot and the strength of my writing. Self-doubt and worry about what other people would think plagued my thoughts and kept me from finishing something I really loved.
One major thing I learned is to KEEP GOING ANYWAY. You might feel a little iffy about a plot point or a character, but don’t let it stop you from writing. Most things can be fixed during editing and probably aren’t as bad as you think. I ended up liking what I wrote so much and felt proud of myself for making it to the end. I still want to know if the climatic scene is okay, but I feel like I put my best out there.
Another thing I learned is that the advice “write what you want to read” actually does help! I was inspired by a few books and authors, but I haven’t read a book like mine yet. It was fun to think about what I’d really like to read in a fantasy book and it allowed me to let my imagination explore different possibilities. I love melding genres and styles, so there’s a bit of that in my book as well. Fantasy doesn’t always have to mean lots of magic or a medieval setting.
Play around with a genre or setting you enjoy reading and think about what you’d personally like to read more of.
I also learned that taking breaks is okay, and sometimes even necessary. Life can get busy or difficult, and we only have so much energy in the day. It’s okay to step back and focus on reading more or journaling. Even if you aren’t actually writing, I believe that reading and just living life helps. Having experiences to draw ideas from is enormously helpful and other books can reignite the fire of creation within!
It doesn’t matter how long it takes. It took me six years to finish writing one book and honestly, those six years went fast. I am a different person now and finishing it means even more to me, considering all I went through to get here. No matter what, you learn so much along the way. Sometimes the most amazing things come from our journeys; I plan to write many more, but I will always look back at my first with a special fondness. The first one showed me that I can do it, and sometimes that’s the most important thing.
