Mysteries

Finishing a Project in Style

In Misery, novelist Paul Sheldon has a ritual when he finishes a book: he drinks champagne and uses one match to light one cigarette. (Not that I’m suggesting it’s healthy or anything. It’s just what he does.)

Interestingly, at a crucial moment in the story, this ritual will make something else possible during his time with Annie Wilkes, so it serves more than one purpose in the plot.

Sidenote: what a memorable character Annie Wilkes is! Kathy Bates brought her to life in such a fascinating performance too in the film, for which she won a well-deserved Academy Award, Golden Globe, and more. I think I read somewhere too that Stephen King called Annie one of his favorite characters, if not his very favorite. (Not trying to turn this into an Annie Wilkes Appreciation Post. But she’s unforgettable.)

The main point here is that the author sets up a finish-line ritual to keep him motivated. 

Having something you desire waiting for you at the end is obviously one way to encourage a person. So too is being able to imagine how completion affects the long-term situation. It’s also possible to feel satisfied simply by continuing to move forward one step at a time. 

But what about when you have a looming deadline, you’re not quite done with your project yet, and you need a little push…how do you inspire yourself?

34 thoughts on “Finishing a Project in Style”

  1. Great question, Cynthia. The looming deadline is enough inspiration for me. Ha! Another thing that helps is giving myself rewards for the little intervals on the way to The End. A dance break at the end of a scene. A few minutes on the porch at the end of a chapter. Something to boost my mood and break the tension.

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  3. I agree that the deadline is enough of a motivation to me. But I do reward myself after finishing the draft of a book–usually be going out to dinner and celebrating with, yes, a glass of Champagne! (But not cigarette. Maybe a decadent dessert, instead…)

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    1. Ooh, a decadent dessert! What’s your fave?

      We used to go out for ice cream when we brought home good report cards. Or after we played a good game. Or when it was hot. Or when we were bored. (My town was full of ice cream stands for some reason. Unlike where we live now, which has none.)

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  4. Honestly, deadlines put the fear of God in me, so I’ve always done everything I can to beat them. I’m always afraid I’ll panic and shut down if I cut it too close. I hate having a deadline looming over me, so fear of freezing up is what usually motivates me. And when I meet or beat a deadline, celebrate with a big sigh of relief. I don’t have a specific reward, but I’ll take the day off from projects. Sometimes I’ll even actually do something fun, like go to a favorite store or even a museum.

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  5. My go-to is a sweet treat at the end! Either food or beverage… But it’s the middle part that gets me stumped; maybe more tiny rewards? Word count is also a motivator, but sometimes I need greater motivation!

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  9. Deadlines themselves have always motivated me, but as i get older, not quite as much. Mostly I just want things of my plate! If I am struggling to meet a deadline, I promise myself a treat, like doing something I enjoy like getting and reading a new book (my favorite), going out with friends for lunch, taking a day to myself.
    Fortunately, most of my deadlines are now somewhat self imposed, so if I miss it well, set a new one!
    Good luck to all of you who really must meet them!

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  10. Always first, I dance around the house singing “I did it!!!” with I-can’t-believe-it pride. Then I treat myself to something. Sometimes a mani/pedi, sometimes decadent food. It’s such an amazing feeling to finish writing a book! Bravo to all who hit their deadlines.

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  11. I try to inspire myself by visualizing how happy I will be when I type The End! I used to motivate (rather than inspire) myself with Nestle chocolate morsels–like, 3 when I finished a chapter. My kids used to laugh when they were young and I was on a virtual chocolate chip diet while under deadlines for work or writing books for-hire. Every once in a while I still use the chocolate trick–and so does one of my grown daughters, ha! For inspiration, nothing beats a trip to an actual movie theater for me.(Or the ocean.)

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  12. I always have the mindset of “save the best for the last” to motivate myself. Like, recently hubby suggested to clear out all the closets and the shed since I’m on my summer breaks. At first, I was reluctant because yes, it’s my summer break. Then, I said to myself: “Well, we will have more room and tidier closets.” OK, I’ll do it!

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    1. Emily, cheers for you–hope it was a joyful success!

      You’re not going to believe this, but clearing out my closet was on the top of my summer plan too…then I ended up having a knee replacement earlier than expected and the closet had to wait, sadly.

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      1. Hope you are doing well and wish you speedy recovery. Well, our summer cleaning wasn’t too bad. I posted some stuff on my neighborhood Buy Nothing page, and I got to know this woman who took most of my stuff. Turns out, she’s a fellow teacher too! So, 90% of our stuff was given away, left a few that we may take it to the dump.

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