How to Finish Your Book!

Learn the steps needed to complete a dream & why finishing a book is really about restarting your life

When I competed in marathons, I would always be astonished when a runner would not only stop — but quit — the race, often at the 21- or 22-mile mark. I would run past them, look into their eyes and yell encouragingly, “Don’t stop! You got this! You’re so close!”

On occasion, they would keep going. More often than not, however, I could see the decision in their eyes: I’m tapping out.

Yes, I know they were tired. Yes, I know they were in pain. Yes, I know their body and mind were playing tricks on them. I’ve been there. But to quit when they were so close … my heart broke for them.

I wanted to take them in my arms and say, “Take a break! That’s okay. But keep walking, keep going … the finish line is right there!”

A few years back, while running a rugged race in Michigan — one that, at the midway point, made you go up 300-plus stairs and then run through sand — I watched a woman, some two miles from the finish line and making good time, stop and take a seat on the ground.

“Are you hurt?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “I’m done.”

I slowed and said, “No, you’re not.” I took her hand, and we finished the race together.

That’s what I try to do as a writer, teacher and mentor: Get you to the finish line. Slow your mind from playing tricks on you. It may not always be the result you wanted to achieve, but finishing means you completed a goal, a dream, and it’s only then you can go back and actually see how far you’ve come. You can rest, refocus, retrain, and improve what you’re doing so the next go-round you’re in even better shape. Writing a book is like running a marathon. You can start anything. Finishing is the hard part.

How do you do it? What does it take to finish your work in progress? Let’s get started!