I haven’t made much writing content yet, so let’s go over what I have learned with my on and off writing since the age of 12.
I have written five or six novels, of which about four will never likely see the light of day, how did I know when I was “done”?
When was my boundary of “too long”, “too short”, 7 rounds of editing, etc? The line seems to move every time I sit down to write. That’s why blog posts have been a great in between when I am feeling conflicted in my writing.
When am I “done” for the day?
When I feel like I am.
Something I have watched on and off for a while was Brandon Sanderson’s writer’s workshop was that he writes when he feels like writing, but to improve you should write about two hours a day. I take this to heart and find it very valuable to remember.
You cannot “force yourself” to write, but you can have a drive to sit down and do it.
My line of “done” is either at the two hour timer, or when I feel like I am satisfied with my work. I have had days where I spend hours writing a lot, and other days, those two hours felt like days.
How do I know when I am “done” with my book?
This is writer, book, and preference dependent. I am a writer who grows very attached to my characters and my stories. I still reference my very first characters in video games and other username-based webpages. Therefore, I have a hard time knowing the end of a story.
The process of “done” is felt by the writer. Are we referencing a multiple book series and we are on book one? Maybe how long the book is good enough for you to find a cliffhanger or some sort of plot twist to leave off on.
Are we concluding a standalone or series? Did your characters get their happily ever after? Your line will feel like it’s moving with new ideas and new stories to tell. You might have that constant “But wait, there’s more” that you would get in an old Billy May’s ad.
I think something very important to consider is to say:
“Has my message been delivered to the extent I wanted it to be?”
Whether your message was to bring attention to an important topic, shine light on a world issue, or to simply “enjoy the ride”, you need to sit down and ask if you felt like you did enough for it.
When am I “done” editing?
This is more complicated to say depending on your publishing route, and if you are thinking of going with a publisher, you should consult your agent at this point. A lot of publishing companies will have their own editing services and have authors go through their service before publishing, so there is going to be a standard depending on who you have your eyes on.
If you are self-publishing, this is also a time to ask if you are getting an editor or if you are editing yourself?
I don’t think it’s a bad idea to have someone “clean” edit your work before sending it off. This means to hire an editor to proofread and edit your work to fix grammatical and spelling errors that you have missed.
If you feel confident in your editing skills, you’re “done” when you feel like your book is readable and understandable.This can be very hard to determine without a second set of eyes, so beta readers and writing groups are very beneficial here. Keep sending out your edited work until others feel comfortable with your read.
Get your writing done!
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