Why “Write the Next Book” is the Best Advice You’ll Ever Get
Writers hear it all the time: “Just write the next book.” But if you’ve never finished writing a book, or you’ve only started projects without seeing them through, this might just be the most valuable advice you’ll ever receive.
Why Finishing Matters
Starting a book is exciting. You have fresh ideas, new characters, and all the possibilities in the world ahead of you. But how many times have you hit the middle of a manuscript, only to feel your enthusiasm sag like a couch with a broken spring?
That’s the hard part about writing—it’s not all inspiration and excitement all the time. The middle can feel like a grind, and the ending can seem like an impossible mountain to climb.
I could tell you my strategy for conquering the middle of a novel. I could break down pacing techniques or share tips to keep your momentum. But here’s the thing: you won’t truly believe those strategies until you’ve gotten through the Second Act yourself and felt the weight of that saggy middle on your back.
And you won’t feel confident about crafting a great ending until you’ve written your way to the end a few times, even if the ending doesn't land like Simone Biles going for Olympic gold -again.
The Power of Completion and Repetition
Finishing a manuscript teaches you lessons no book, course, or lecture ever could.
Completion is a lesson in itself. It teaches you discipline, focus, and the joy of actually completing something you started.
Repetition is an even bigger lesson. The more times you finish a manuscript, the better you start to understand pacing, plot structure, and how to carry characters through an arc.
My first drafts are often vomit on the page. Seriously. I've written a whole chapter consisting of INSERT FIGHT SCENE HERE. That's it. That's the chapter. Because I need to make my way to the Dark Moment to see how the hero is going to get out of the predicament that fight scene just put him in.
In my first drafts not all of the side characters are named. I've literally written BFF or MOTHER because I didn't have a name.
Forget names, my characters are rarely wearing distinguishable clothes in my first drafts. And rooms barely have four walls because my brain can't describe things in a first draft. I'm just trying to get to the end, because I know once I get there, I can fix the mess I left in my wake on the next pass.
And don't get me started on cliches and bad dialogue or overly used adverbs. They live rent free in my first drafts. Temporarily.
I believe bad writing can be fixed. An awkward first draft can be edited, revised, and polished. But a blank page—or an unfinished middle or unrealized ending—can’t be fixed.
So yes, write the next book. Write it because every book you complete makes you a better writer.
Where to Start? Write the Next One—Faster and Smarter
If you’re struggling to get to the end, you’re not alone. A lot of writers face the same challenges. That’s why I created Page Turner Pacing—a course designed to help you master story structure and pacing so you can finish your manuscript with confidence. Not a course taker? It's also an ebook, audiobook and workbook!
The Page Turner Pacing method teaches you how to build a habit of finishing. It helps you conquer the saggy middle, get to the ending, and start writing books readers can’t put down. But along the way, it shows you both HOW and WHY certain scenes, beats, and guide posts should be touched upon.
Ready to start finishing more often in 2025? Check out my Kickstarter campaign to learn more about Page Turner Pacing and how it can transform your writing journey.