The key to accomplishing the difficult task of completing the work you begin can be summed up in one word—consistency.  As Paul Graham states in his essay How to Do Great Work:  “…the reason that we’re surprised is we underestimate the cumulative effect of work.  Writing a page a day doesn’t seem like much. But if you do it every day, you’ll write a book a year.”

I call it strengthening your finishing muscle.  You need to find a way to strengthen that muscle. In my decades long career I’ve completed horror novels like Child’s Play and The Power, TV sitcoms like The Cosby Show and Even Stevens, short stories like Superguy, an Academy Award nominated short film, Cadillac Dreams, and even a horrific play, The Running of The Wolves.  But the truth is, I don’t finish everything I start—no one does.  But I do finish most things because my finishing muscle has been strengthened from years of repeated heavy lifting. 

At first, it was hard.  I’d look at the idea of finishing a novel and it would seem overwhelming. 

I’d sit down to my typewriter ready to begin (yes, I used a typewriter back then) and notice the house needed cleaning, or the laundry was piling up. I’d jump up and leave my typewriter and start doing things I hate to do because secretly, the idea of writing an entire novel seemed impossible.

But here’s the secret.  And here’s what got me going.

I realized you don’t need to finish a novel. You need to finish a page a day… or half a page a day. Or even just a few sentences a day.  The key is to show up every day.

So no matter what you may to trying to accomplish in your life, if you suffer from unfinishitis as I did, don’t worry about it. Everyone does at some point. Don’t try to finish something, just show up.

Show up every day and do a tiny bit of lifting, and over time, your finishing muscle will be hard, and firm, and bulging, and you will complete most of what you begin. 

Start by showing up.

This blog provides a springboard for writers/creators/storytellers. Remember, consistency is the key!

By incorporating these tips and tricks into your routine, you can have a rewarding hobby or career as a creator.

Until next time :)

-E

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