The Golden Pencil: The Freelance Writer’s Resource

The End A Writing Project Often Isn’t

by Anne Wayman on March 6th, 2007

Writing projects come in all sorts of stripes. When people think of freelance writers they usually are thinking either magazine articles or novels. Articles have an end point – the right number of words and acceptance by the publisher.

Books, either fiction or non, and other long writing projects, often seem hard to end. Sometimes it’s my fault as the ghostwriter. The truth is the final details are often boring… important, but just not fun and easy to postpone. I’ve learned to set aside a half a day to just bare down and get it done.

But sometimes it’s the client. I’m not sure what happens, but it’s almost as if they have a fear of completing the book. Maybe it’s because the final manuscript takes on a new reality and they realize that as their book moves to publication, it carries their dream and hopes. Or maybe it’s because, just as we wind down, they think of a whole new chapter – although experience tells me that’s often a dodge, or should be used as a basis for the next book.

When it’s the client who is dragging their feet, I usually just say something profound, like “What’s going on? You’re dragging your feet.” Then I either shut up and listen, or ask them to specify how we will know when the book is finished. Asking for details on making that final decision tends to put the whole thing back into focus so we can all move forward. And sometimes it takes just saying “I’m finished. Send the final payment.”

Write well and often,

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POSTED IN: Business of Freelance Writing, Ghostwriting, Goat Dancing