While I’m working
on a book, I make myself little promises about what I’ll do to reward myself
when the book is done. One reward I think about is just announcing to someone that
the project is complete: When this book
is done, I’ll get to send an email to the editor, telling her that I’ve finished,
and I’ll say…
Another reward for
finishing that you see in your mind can also be spending more time with your
loved ones, or taking a special vacation. Sometimes I imagine doing readings of a
particular part of the book that I like, and I picture the audience’s reaction.
Another fantasy that keeps me going is to visualize the book on the shelf in a
bookstore, though not all books are marketed in stores these days.
Often I pretend
that the book will be nominated for a prize. Whether that’s realistic or true
is not the point—it’s an idea that keeps me going. I have a little awards
ceremony of the imagination where a favorite literary figure introduces the
award and then announces (drumroll, please!) that my book is the winner. That
fantasy, silly as it is, also allows me to hold myself to the highest standards
while I’m working on the project. I know I won’t have a chance for that prize
if I don’t do the best I possibly can on the book.
That’s another
challenge when working on a long project—you’ve got to keep the quality
consistent. If you feel as if the quality is lagging, take a break till you’re
ready to work at your highest level of creativity and attention.
If the book
involves an advance, I spend that money in my mind many times over. I think
about all the things I could do with the funds, from paying my taxes to going
on a shopping spree for my favorite music.
The important
thing when working on a book is to keep your nose to the grindstone, but your
eyes on the prize—which is finishing.
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