Unfinished Business

For years, I felt this deep angst when I thought about my unfinished manuscripts. They were hard-copy examples of my failure, proof that I could dream... but not do. Whenever people asked about my writing, I would smile and nod and say something like, "Oh, it's definitely a process." Only my works in progress weren't actually progressing.

Then I heard an author talk about how many false starts she had before finishing her first published manuscript. She accepted this as part of the process. (I wish I could remember this woman's name because I seriously owe her a cookie bouquet.) Her words freed me. I stopped looking at my unfinished WIPs as trash; instead, I saw them as paint on my pallet, tools I needed to complete my future work of art. Each project had taught me tons about the craft of writing.

I have since learned how to finish manuscripts, adding even more paint to my pallet. I'm hoping my whole life will be a process of collecting colors in order to create more vibrant creations. And, man oh man, does that relieve some anxiety. While I don't think it's wise to justify a chronic inability to complete a writing project, I do think it's healthy to give yourself room to explore and breath in this writing thing. And that may mean a few unfinished manuscripts lingering on your laptop or in your desk drawer.