3 TIPS ON HOW TO STICK WITH YOUR WIP

by Angela Dawne

I groaned as I opened up my WIP. I’d been writing the story for about two weeks, and I was already tiring of it. 

I briefly read over a bit of it, and felt my discouragement growing. Why had I thought this was such a great idea in the first place?

I have a trouble with consistency and sticking to a WIP. The longest I’ve ever worked on a single project is four-and-a-half months. All my other WIPs were done in one to two months. Frankly, it was because I didn’t have the endurance to either continue or start editing.

So, how have I managed to complete four projects?

And what has kept me motivated as I’ve worked on my past two?

I’m so glad you asked.

1. Alphas

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Alphas are amazing. If this term is Greek to you, hang tight because I’m going to explain it.

Basically, alphas read your WIP as you’re writing it. They get to see the raw rough draft. 

Alphas (or at least mine) help with the following: grammar, punctuation, plot holes, character development, flow, theme, and anything else that happens to catch their eyes.

They make the editing process a lot easier. Usually, a rough draft needs to go through some rewrites and edits before it’s ready for Betas (more on Betas later). Being able to do a quick first edit using your Alphas’ suggestions is really encouraging. 

It’s fast and simple. 

Another perk to having Alphas is that it motivates the writer. It’s hard to quit when you know that there are ten people waiting to read and critique your writing. Knowing people are taking time out of their day to help you will make you think twice about quitting a project.

2. Plotting

I used to be a pantser. Now I’m not so sure.

The difference between a pantser and an outliner is that a pantser usually writes with only a vague idea of what’s going to happen in their WIP, while an outliner has a detailed plan of how they’re going to go about unfolding the plot.

I used to write by the seat of my pants, taking each chapter and plot twist as they came. But recently, I’ve discovered something called “Chapter Outlining”. This may just be specific to me, but I’d be surprised if no one else has figured this out.

Basically, what I do is I spend close to a week brainstorming for my new idea. When it’s fresh in my mind, my excitement is at its peak, and I’m able to last longer in this stage than in the actual outlining stage.

Once I’ve got a basic plotline in my head, I go to a blank document and start typing. I estimate how many chapters will be in my WIP, and I determine under which section of the big outline they fall (eg. hook, inciting event, climax, etc.).

Then, I write a little summary of what each chapter needs, making sure to include conflict.

When I lose inspiration or motivation, I go check out my chapter outline. This reminds me of what needs to happen in my current chapter. Give it a bit of thought, and the gears will start turning.

3. Community

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I can not stress how much having a supportive community has helped me. Having people who believe in me as a writer and who are eager for me to succeed is one of the things that motivates me to keep writing. 

Accountability is key.

Like I mentioned before, it’s hard to quit when so many people are supporting you. My advice is to find some friends or family members who are willing to read your writing. They’ll likely send you some much-needed encouragement, and encouragement goes a long way.

With these three tips in mind, I hope you’re able to stick to a WIP long enough to finish it.