Jacquelyn Mitchard: “Finish Your Book”

If you don’t push through the hard part and complete it, then you will never have a story that will be published

Wake Up and Write is an advice column from Moms Don’t Have Time to Write. Today, we have Jacquelyn Mitchard— #1 New York Times bestselling author of the new novel, The Good Son— who shared writing advice on the podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books, hosted by Zibby Owens.

“This is going to sound stupid, okay? Finish your book.”

“I have so many writers whom I teach. I teach at seminars or in MFA programs. They invariably say to me, ‘I’ve started three or four novels. I’m about halfway through each of them.’ Oh, my goodness. If you don’t push through the hard part and complete it, then you will never have a story that will be published. You’ll never feel satisfied. You’ll never know whether you could’ve done it or not.

That would be the biggest thing that I would say. Make a commitment to your story. Finish what you start. Also, obviously, read more. I hear so many people say, who has time to read, right? So many people say that. If you have to stay up late and if you have to never watch TV again — it’s your priesthood. You have to read. You just have to read, period.”

Listen to the episode:

https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jacquelyn-mitchard-the-good-son

Buy the book:

https://bookshop.org/books/the-good-son-9780778311799/9780778311799