How to Start Writing a Novel Knowing You Won't Finish It

Let's face it, folks. Girls kept apart, everyone ofWe don't ask you to go that far.
us once in his life started a book and gave upThen, remember that most readers and
after writing a few lines or a few chapters... Itpublishers don't read a book till the end. So what
probably happened between the age of 16 andyou need here is a completely boring start that
the age of 26 when you thought you had it inrequires no follow-up. When the reader gets
you. That was before you met your currentbored, he will have nothing left to read. He won't
girlfriend, started making babies and selling faxfeel guilty for giving in and will subsequently
machines for a multinational company.recommend your novel to other people. That's a
My objective here is to bring you relief and towin-win situation, understood?
give you tips to repeat the experience withoutLast but not least, there's always some feeling of
the all despairing brain-teaser "I'm a washout" sidetimeless magic about an unfinished piece of art.
effect.Shubert's 7th symphony was left unfinished,
First, you're not alone. The Austrian writer RobertStendhal's Lucien Leuwen as well and no one is
Musil died in 1942 of a brain attack before finishingreally sure about the Manneken Pis in Brussels.
his post-mortem masterpiece Der Mann ohneAnd these are works of art of formidable
Eigenschaften. I'm not saying here that dyingproportion. In our present case, instead of
during the writing process is the perfect solution,completing 20 works and leaving 1 undone, I
but at least it provides you with a very goodsuggest you do the total opposite: write a
excuse. And since we speak of Musil, the guy diedpowerful short-story of about 30 pages and leave
after writing 1542 pages, which is a real shame.your other 45 unfinished novels to prosperity.