How to Finish Your Novel: 6 Strategies That Actually Work
The vast majority of authors (as high as 97%, by some estimates) who begin a book never complete it. If you’ve ever stared at a half-finished draft, you know the feeling. The initial blaze of inspiration flickers, the plot gets tangled, and the sheer scale of the project feels overwhelming. And rightfully so! Writing a single coherent chapter is difficult, let alone stringing dozens together into an over-arching grand design that's interesting to read.
It may seem like too high a mountain to climb, but with the right strategies and a dose of persistence, you too can reach the summit. In this article we'll walk you through six actionable steps you can take to finish your draft. Lets dive in.
🧭 Quick Summary
| Strategy | Key Idea |
|---|---|
| 1. Just Write | Writing is the goal. Put words on the page |
| 2. Don't Edit Yet | Tell the story first. Fix it later. |
| 3. Leave Breadcrumbs | End sessions with quick notes to guide your next one. |
| 4. Prioritize Discipline | Build habits that carry you through uninspired days. |
| 5. Make a Schedule | Block time and treat it like a non-negotiable meeting. |
| 6. Set Word Count Goals | Push for progress, not perfection. Momentum matters. |
1. Embrace the "Just Write" Mentality
This might sound obvious, but it’s the bedrock of all writing advice. Writing means putting words on the page. Researching, outlining, and world-building are often necessary parts of the process, but they're not writing the book itself. It’s always easier to do something else—watch TV, scroll through social media, or organize your spice cabinet for the third time.
But if you want to be a writer, you have to write. Plain and simple. This means prioritizing the act of creation, even when it’s difficult. It means showing up and facing the blank page when you'd rather be doing anything else. If you want to be a writer, you need to write.
2. Resist the Urge to Edit (For Now)
One of the most common traps for new writers is the endless cycle of rewriting the opening chapters. As you write, your story will evolve. You'll discover new plot twists, character motivations will deepen, and what seemed like a great idea in chapter two might become obsolete by chapter ten.
This is why you must edit later. In his book On Writing, Stephen King advises writers to "write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open," meaning the first draft is a private act of discovery. Let it be messy and imperfect. If you decide a supporting character needs to be split in two, make a note and move forward with the story as if they were always two separate people. Fix it in the rewrite.
Why? Because you can't see the story until you've written the whole story. You might end up cutting that entire plotline or character in a later draft. Wasting time perfecting sentences that won't make it to the final version is a recipe for frustration and unfinished manuscripts. Your first job is to tell yourself the story.
Warning: this advice will be difficult to follow. It can leave you with an incomplete feeling after Draft 1, because new writers hope their first draft will be perfect. And if you're left with a manuscript filled with footnotes, it can be disheartening because you know there's work still to do. But that's because there is! Accept that no first draft is perfect, and it will save you time overall. Don't edit previous chapters until you've told yourself the entire story.
We've written extensively on how to get feedback and types of editing you might need, so when you're ready, here's the article.
3. Leave Yourself a Breadcrumb Trail
Writer’s block often strikes hardest when you’re facing a blank page with no momentum. A powerful trick to avoid this is to end each writing session with a clear direction for the next one.
Instead of stopping at the end of a scene or chapter, write a few bullet points or short, messy sentences about what happens next. This creates a thread you can easily pick up when you return. It transforms the daunting question of "What do I write now?" into the simple task of "Let me just finish this thought." This small habit builds momentum and keeps the story flowing from one session to the next.
4. Discipline Over Motivation
Motivation is a wonderful, fleeting feeling. Discipline is what gets books written. A novel is a marathon, not a sprint, and you can’t rely on feeling inspired every day for weeks, months, or years. There will be stretches where you don't feel like writing.
This is where successful writers separate themselves. They don't wait for the muse to arrive; they build habits that summon their muse. Relying only on moments when you're free and feel like writing will result in painfully slow progress. By cultivating discipline, you are committing to the process, not just the initial excitement. The progress you make on "uninspired" days is what will carry you across the finish line.
5. Create a Writing Schedule
This advice goes hand-in-hand with discipline. To make your writing happen, you need to carve out dedicated time for it. Treat your writing sessions like important appointments, not to be missed.
Whether it’s an hour every morning before work, a few late nights a week, or a long block of time on Saturdays, find a slot that works for your life, then guard it. Many writers treat these sessions as time when they're not allowed to do anything else. No phones, no television. You don't necessarily have to write for the entire period, but if you don't allow yourself to do anything else, more often than not, once you are sitting in front of the keyboard, you'll start writing.
6. Set Achievable Word Count Goals
This final tip combines several of the points above into a concrete daily practice. For many writers, setting a target word count—whether it's 250, 500, or Stephen King's famous 2,000 words a day—is a powerful tool.
A target forces you to put words on the page instead of agonizing over the perfect sentence. Some days the words will flow effortlessly; other days, every sentence will feel like a struggle. A word count goal pushes you to produce something even on the bad days. And as writer Jodi Picoult said, "You can edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page." More often than not, you'll find that even on your worst days, you’ve produced something worth keeping. The goal isn't perfection; it's momentum.
Starting a novel is a monumental undertaking, but finishing it is what makes you an author. By implementing these strategies, you can trade wishful thinking for a reliable process that will guide you, word by word, all the way to The End. And if you are one of the 3% who start a book and finish your first draft, check out this article on what to do next. Good luck!
