I'm done! The draft is complete! Now what?

I got a lot of writing done this week. I made myself do it. I forced myself to do it. I was a harsh task master. And I didn't enjoy my time. There has to be a better way.

I'm going to complete my draft this week. MY COMMITMENT IS SET.

Are you struggling too?

Sigh.

Stick with it! Don't edit as you go. No one is watching you. Just get words down on the page. Write 5 minutes at a time. Write 30 minutes at a time. Just...write...something. Before you know it, you'll have written the first draft of your novel. Exciting!

The stats are against us! Making money on debut novel is like winning the lottery. So...do it because you enjoy it!

Find someone that cares and tell them you are writing the first draft of a novel. Ask them to keep you honest. Share with them how it's going. I find that when someone knows that you are trying to do something, it adds a little bit of positive pressure to help you keep the momentum.

Seeing your story through your character(s) eyes and writing from their unique perspective can really draw your reader into the emotions and experience of the story.

You don’t have to write the best novel on your first try. You just have to write a whole one.

Don't worry if the section you are currently writing seems slow or fast or too energetic or too sleepy...it all has value.