A question that I hear a lot from writers is, “How do I know when my story or my novel or my screenplay is finished?” That’s why I was interested to read an article called, “Is It Finished?” in the current issue of Artists and Illustrators magazine.
The article is written by painting tutor Sian Dudley, and it’s about knowing when a painting is done. She writes, “With no obvious rules to follow, it’s no wonder that students find it so difficult to know when to stop.”
And I bet you thought this is only a writer’s affliction.
I think what Dudley recommends for artists applies equally to writers. Here are her methods, along with some ideas from me :
Step back!
Just as you get a better impression of a painting as whole by stepping back, it helps to step back from your manuscript. Give it the distance of time rather from the distance of time. Put it away for a couple of weeks, minimum.
During that time get busy working on something else so you’re not obsessing over the project. If you clear your mind and then go back to the project it’s likely you’ll notice what still needs to be done.
Be honest, be patient
Dudley writes, “It is easy to fall into the trap of seeing what we think we have painted, rather than what we have painted, simply because we are so focused on what we are trying to achieve.” Substitute the word “written” for “painted” and the statement is equally true.
She suggest looking at your painting without the temptation of paints and brushes being at hand. Similarly, print out your manuscript away and take it away from the computer; in fact, out of your home or office to a location you don’t associate with writing at all. Physical distance also helps you be more objective.
Change your view
Maybe you identify strongly with your protagonist. Now pick one of the other major characters and read through the manuscript seeing only the things this person sees. Have you done justice to this character’s perspective? Have you made him or her behave a certain way because you needed the plot to move in that direction rather than being guided by what this person logically would do? If so, you’re not finished.
Assess your progress
Think back to the hopes you had for this story when you started. What effect did you want it to have on the reader or viewer? Did you want your protagonist to change? Did you want your reader or viewer to be surprised by some of the twists of the story, without the events being implausible?
I recommend writing these things down at the start and going back to them when you’re not sure what else needs to be done. Naturally a finished or nearly-finished project seldom lives up to the high hopes we had for it as the beginning but perhaps we can get it one step nearer.
That’s not to say the story or the characters should necessarily be the same as you imagined at the start. One of the joys of writing is discovering things you didn’t know about this world you are creating, and following those discoveries to see where they go. That takes me to the next point:
Forget references
For artists, references are photos or sketches made out on location, to refer to when they paint that scene in their studios.
For writers I’d say forget research once you have absorbed it, at least until you’ve written a first draft. Usually you’re not trying to tell a story accurate in every detail; you’re trying to tell a story that’s true in spirit. By all means go back over it when you’ve done a first draft and correct errors but don’t feel constrained by knowing too much about how things really were. If we want total reality, we can look out our window. When we pick up a book or go to the movies, we’re looking for enhanced reality.
Avoid overworking
By overworking, she means painting some sections over and over to try to make them better. Often it makes things worse. Sometimes it’s the opposite: one bit of the painting does gets better when seen in isolation but no longer fit into the overall image as well.
The same can happen if you keep rewriting one scene. Step back and see where the problem really is. Odds are it may be that you haven’t set up this scene properly or are having characters serve your plot rather than behaving according to their own values.
Ask opinions
Dudley says you should ask someone who is brutally honest what they think of your work. I’d go for honest, forget the brutally. Listen, evaluate, and act on what makes sense to you. A lot of people will tell you how they’d write it if it was their story not how to do a better version of your story. Don’t argue, just listen, nod and say “That’s interesting, let me think about that.”
(There’s lot more useful information on writing and rewriting in Your Writing Coach and you can get it from Amazon now, or from your other favorite book seller.)
