User blog comment:BeautifulSnowfur/How To Finish A Story/@comment-5342796-20160106120759

I don't think you're wrong at all, Snow! I think this is some great advice. Writers tend to be an obsessive, perfectionist bunch, and sometimes we get so wrapped up writing the next great novel that we forget to just... write.

Planning out a story is great, but nothing quite compares to that thrill when you write a scene exactly like you thought it in your head and felt it in your heart. Nothing compares to rereading your own work and knowing, this is it. If I edit this book a thousand times, I will never get rid of this scene, because this is exactly how I want this scene to be.

And I feel like sometimes that pure sincerity, putting down your dreams on paper, means you have to be in a fresh state of mind. Sometimes restarting is beneficial. And you're totally right: we have flashbacks and time-jumps at our disposal. Getting bored with one character? Switch to another POV! (This won't work if you're doing like a first person only thing, obviously, but it's just a suggestion.) Expand the plot; focus on another strand for a little while. You can bring the thousand strings of your characters' world together at the end and weave them into something beautiful, but start with one thread.

We all love stories. A well-executed plot twist, a meaningful scene between characters (whether it be loving or hateful, the strength of emotions when properly conveyed is absolutely gripping), a build-up of clues till the big reveal... Any kind of story. Don't forget how much you love all of that, then add in the patience and grit and thought it takes to be a writer... and you're almost maybe there. People might say it's easy to write a book, but it's not at all easy to write a good one.

Thank you for this blog, Snow!