Your Novel Doesn't Have to Be Finished This Year

This Will Be The Year I Write My Novel 

This mantra has probably been repeated in the heads of thousands of writers so far this year as they think of their goals for this upcoming year. 

It's almost as popular as eating healthier or going to the gym more than once a month. 

Unfortunately - just like those overpriced gym memberships - most of these novels will only be used a handful of times before the end of the year comes around and a bunch of writers will be sitting around either cursing themselves for thinking they could write a novel in a year or are ready to add it to their resolutions for the next year.

This Will Be The Year I Write My Novel! 

While I should be dedicating this article to telling you exactly how you can and should be writing your novel this year, I'm instead going to use this as an opportunity to tell you that it's okay if you don't. 

You Can't Mark Creativity On A Calendar 

Creativity is one of those fickle things that the more you try to force it the less it's going to work. 

Sure you can sit down at your desk to write every day of the year from the hours of 8 am to 9 am but at the end of the year, you can still be left with a blank document or close enough to one. 

The best novel ideas aren't going to be the ones you have to sit down and force from your head, more often than not they are the ones that come to you when you're in the shower, as you go about your day, or as you're just about to fall asleep. (All writers should sleep with a notebook by their bedside) 

Life - Happens 

Life is going to be the number one thing getting in the way between you and writing and that can be said for almost everything. 

With family, work, personal events, and the many other things that can happen on the day-to-day that impact your life sometimes finding the time to write just doesn't happen and it's okay. 

Write when you can and never choose writing over important events such as birthdays or celebrations or just meaningful time spent with your friends and family. 

Sometimes You're Not Ready 

My most recent work in progress came to a screeching halt when I realized the scene that I wanted to write, that needed to be in the story to hold it together - wasn't going to be easy. Every time I sat down to write it I was put into a bad headspace that became harder and harder to recover from to the point where just thinking of working on it would make my mental health decline. 

As much as I know this will be a story I will tell one day - for now, it sits at the bottom of the pile to be worked on when a day comes that I am ready to work on it.

It's ok if your story falls into this category as well, it may be a story you want to tell, but it may also be one that you're just not ready to tell - yet. 

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As much as it may be disappointing to not finish your novel in the time frame you set this doesn't mean you should give up or that you never will finish it. 

Some of the best novels take years to write and no one judges the author for it. 

Best of luck with your writing plans this year. 

With love, 

B.K. xo xo

Want to write with me live? I'm now on Twitch! Come join me in some writing sprints every Wed-Thurs-Fri-Sat at 10:30 pm EST

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