They say the hardest part of finishing a story is getting to The End.
This isn’t necessarily wrong, but there’s a lot of “The End”s to get through in the creation of a story. In some ways it feels like it never ends.
First you have to finish the draft. Then you have to finish the revision process, then work on publication and all that entails–covers, descriptions and marketing, and the marketing never really ends, does it?
Book after book, all it gives you is more to keep an eye on, more upkeep to do.
It can a bit exhausting, not going to lie. And a little depressing at times, when you look at everything you need to do.
And I think that’s why writers tend to…not finish. Why we’re always picking up new projects when old ones aren’t done, or trying to squeeze one more thing in that we just don’t have time for. There’s something in the act of creation that, even if it’s not going well, is freeing. A story, when it’s still in its nebulous phase, can be anything, is full of potential. Reality hasn’t caught up to it yet.
It’s a balancing act, I think, the creation and the rest of it. And if you get out of balance, it’s hard to see any real progress.
So, I guess my point is to make sure you call still see the forest for the trees, and that you’re having some fun somewhere, writing or otherwise. Or what’s the point?