I did it!
It took me seven years of researching, writing, and expert procrastination, but I’ve finally finished writing that dratted book that’s been hanging over my head for all that time…
Sit down, have a glass of bubbly for me, while I tell how it got done:
One week ago…
Life coach Thea Westra challenged me to identify my most important life goals. I put on my thinking cap, and when the steam started coming out of my ears — on 06 April 2007 — I wrote this:
Around here, we call this state of petrification a case of “deer in the headlights” — a deer on the road will stand still, staring into the lights of on-coming traffic, rather than make a leap for safety. Do I want to be the literary equivalent of roadkill?Especially when the end is so very near…
The answer was clear.
So I wrote this:
I will finish writing this dratted book, and I will be ready to proofread the manuscript by this time next week!
That was last Friday.
Today is Friday, one week later…
Goal achieved! In fact, I finished last night at 8:37 p.m., believe it or not!
And here, from the few things I learned in this jam-packed, fun-filled, head-down, race-to-the-finish week of writing, are my tricks to help a blocked writer finish writing the book
There you have it:
I did it — you can do it! …whatever your goals may be!
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Mark 04.14.07 at 3:04 am
Congratulations, domestika! I can only imagine what a struggle it must have been to keep at it.
Lillie Ammann 04.14.07 at 3:44 am
Congratulations! Finishing a book is always an accomplishment, especially in such a short time.
domestika 04.14.07 at 8:49 am
@Mark, you said it! Amazing how many other fascinating things one can find to do instead… even laundry becomes a delightful alternative…
@Lillie, thanks so much for the cheer. It does feel like a true accomplishment, to have so quickly finished up a project that was a Work In Progress for seven years. Maybe just “not giving up” was the key…?
Pam 04.14.07 at 8:59 am
I am inspired and impressed! Major congrats, and happy celebrating!
BloggingWriter 04.14.07 at 9:42 am
You’re an inspiration, Jen. Well done; what an achievement. I am yet to complete my own dratted book, but now I feel it can be done.
domestika 04.16.07 at 11:39 am
Your cheers are heart-warming, Pam and Sharon, and I’m so glad you take heart in the sure knowledge that it can be done. Mind you, I’ve still got to create the index for the book (the curse of writing non-fiction!)… but software makes that soooo much easier than it was in the bad old days of publishing, thank heavens, it hardly seems like a chore at all.
Mihaela Lica 04.28.07 at 6:09 am
No let us know when we can see it at Amazon!
domestika 04.28.07 at 9:37 am
Hi Mihaela, actually I think I’m going to up the challenge and try self-publishing this one, as it’s got a very specific market and there’s nothing to lose on giving it a try!