There’s a moment in every writing journey when forward momentum gives way to circling.
You rewrite chapter one.
You second-guess the voice.
You get stuck on a timeline.
You tweak the same three pages… again.
Suddenly, finishing your novel feels farther away than when you started.
If this sounds familiar, know this: you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not broken. Circling is part of the process. The trick is not to get stuck there.
Let’s talk about how to stop rewriting and start moving forward again and finally finish your first draft.
Why We Circle Instead of Finishing
Because We Want It to Be Good – Right Now
Writers care deeply. That’s the good news.
Unfortunately, vigilance often turns into perfectionism. We want the first chapter to shine. We want the voice to be just right. We want readers to love it before we’ve even finished the thing.
But the truth is, first drafts aren’t meant to be brilliant. They’re meant to exist. You can’t revise what you haven’t written. Finishing requires a shift in thinking. Let it be messy. Let it be clunky. That’s not failure, it’s forward movement.
Because Life Is a Lot
Most writers I work with aren’t just writers. They’re parents. Caregivers. People with jobs, families, health challenges, demanding pets, or all of the above.
When energy is limited, circling back to what’s familiar feels productive. Revisiting chapter one doesn’t ask you to risk as much as writing chapter twenty.
But the truth is, the messy middle won’t clean itself up until you write your way through it.
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
“Right Now, It’s Like This”
This is a mantra we come back to often in the Mindful Writing Community. When everything feels messy, uncertain, or overwhelming, we pause and say:
“Right now, it’s like this.”
It’s brilliant because it’s always true. Right now, it’s like this. Not forever. Not always. Just right now.
This moment doesn’t define your whole book. It’s just where you are today—and you get to begin again, as many times as you need.
“Give It a Kiss, Put It in the Drawer, Move On”
This is something I tell writers when they’re clinging too tightly to one section of their story.
If you’ve done the best you can with a scene (for now), give it a kiss, put it in the drawer, and move on.
Will it need revision later? Probably. But the only way to revise a complete story… is to have a complete story. Keep going.
What You Can Control (Even When Life Is Busy)
Time Blocks That Actually Work
You don’t need a three-hour writing window to make progress. You really don’t.
Even 20 minutes of focused writing is enough to re-enter the world of your story. A single sentence is enough to keep the thread alive.
It’s not about writing perfectly, it’s about showing up consistently.
Community Keeps You Accountable
When you’re writing alone, it’s easy to stall. Easy to question everything. Easy to stop.
That’s why being in community matters. A good writing group won’t just celebrate your wins, they’ll help you keep going when it’s hard. They’ll remind you that your voice matters, even when your inner critic gets loud.
You don’t have to write alone. In fact, most people finish faster when they don’t.
Clear, Compassionate Goals
Set goals that make sense for your life.
Not fantasy goals – real ones.
📌 30 minutes, three days a week.
📌 A thousand words by Friday.
📌 One chapter by the end of the month.
And when you hit those goals? Celebrate. Even if it’s a quiet little fist pump while you close your laptop. That counts.
Stop the Circle, Start Finishing
There’s a moment in every writing journey when forward momentum gives way to circling.
You rewrite chapter one.
You second-guess the voice.
You get stuck on a timeline.
You tweak the same three pages… again.
Suddenly, finishing your draft feels farther away than when you started.
If this sounds familiar, know this: you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not broken. Circling is part of the process. The trick is not to get stuck there.
Let’s talk about how to stop rewriting and finally finish your first draft.
Ready to Move Forward? Let’s Do It Together
If you’ve been circling your draft, it’s okay. Truly. You’re not behind—you’re just in it.
But if you’re ready to break the loop and finally finish your first draft, I’d love to support you.
✨ Finish Your First Draft is a coaching program designed for real-life writers—parents, professionals, creatives with busy schedules—who want to stop rewriting and start finishing.
There’s structure. There’s support. There’s space to write exactly the way you need to.
Because your story is worth finishing. And you don’t have to do it alone.
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