# How many writers actually finish a novel?



## squidtender (Oct 3, 2012)

Every one of us has said we want to write a book and be a published author. But how many of us that's actually sat down and started in on our great novel, has actually finished it? And I don't mean getting it published, I mean writing those elusive last words, "The End". What's the percentage of writers who actually finish their first novel?


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## Kryptex (Oct 3, 2012)

0% for yours truly


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## Terry D (Oct 3, 2012)

I started two before starting the one I finished.  So, right now I'm one-for-three, but I'll be wrapping up my current 1st draft by October 15th, so I'll go to two-for-four.


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## Namba (Oct 3, 2012)

So far, none, because they all sucked. I have two I'm working on, though, so maybe I'll one day get them finished. I don't even give a rat's hindquarters whether or not they get published, I just want to get something accomplished.


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## Sam (Oct 3, 2012)

Finished the first I ever wrote. Actually, finished every one I ever wrote.


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## JosephB (Oct 3, 2012)

I "finished" mine a few weeks ago. Lot's of editing and rewriting to do though. I've worked on it off and on over the past few years -- the problem is, my style has developed over that time and the first part of the novel is kind of sparse, and not in a good way. The good part is, I like what's there, so it's really a matter of of expanding the narrative somewhat and evening things out.


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## garza (Oct 3, 2012)

I finished _Lucille's Faded Love_ just before I left university. Now, 51 years later, I'm working on my second novel, _A Missionary's Tale_. It's about a missionary from the U.S. who comes to Belize, discovers white rum and Creole women, and opens a bar called 'Preacher's'. It's coming along nicely, though it has required many hours of field research.


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## Potty (Oct 3, 2012)

garza said:


> discovers white rum and Creole women, it has required many hours of field research.



Good call! I might have to write a book about brothels using this excuse!


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## Cran (Oct 3, 2012)

As far as fiction is concerned, I've got a 25 - 30 year old completed manuscript sitting in a Post-Pak, 
waiting for me to finish editing it.


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## Jon M (Oct 3, 2012)

33%


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## MJ Preston (Oct 4, 2012)

garza said:


> I finished _Lucille's Faded Love_ just before I left university. Now, 51 years later, I'm working on my second novel, _A Missionary's Tale_. It's about a missionary from the U.S. who comes to Belize, discovers white rum and Creole women, and opens a bar called 'Preacher's'. It's coming along nicely, though it has required many hours of field research.



Sounds kind of autobiographical to moi. 

And yes, I finished my novel, but not for you but me and that is what will see me through the second.


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## Tiamat (Oct 4, 2012)

I've started five novels in the last ten years or so.  I've finished three of them.

My friend's mother has started two and finished zero.

And I have a friend near Columbus that started one and never finished.

I'm just guessing that, overall, it's a very low percentage.  I'd be interested to see the comparison of that number with the percentage of completed novels that get published.


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## Crash_Tomas (Oct 4, 2012)

I've finished three. one when I was 17, the other at 19. I'm 23 now and have only written short stories, novellas etc.

mostly because I attended college for a few years and that sort of took precedent. not surprisingly. =)


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## Comrade Yuri (Oct 5, 2012)

I finished a 400 page draft a while back, and upon rereading it, discovered that it wasn't very good. Too unfocused. So, I took a long break, and wrote some other stuff. Also, I read a lot. 

I think that I had to get that first work out of the way for the morale boost.  I don't know if it makes any sense, but I gotta have something to look back on and say "I did it once, and I can do it again!"

I guess it's a personality thing, but I need some early successes to maintain motivation. If I fail, then I must have at least learned something in the process. If I learn something, then that can generate some hope and motivation.


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## Skodt (Oct 5, 2012)

I have finished all that I started. Two novel sized books. Two screne plays. Several short stories and flash fiction pieces.


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## Loulou (Oct 5, 2012)

I'm working on my third, having completed one in 2008 and another in 2010. The first took six months, the second took five and I think this one will be only four. I'm a finisher.


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## garza (Oct 5, 2012)

MJ - _A Missionary's Tale_ is not autobiographical but I thought of the idea when I heard about a young missionary who came here many years ago, lost his faith after a couple of years, and opened a restaurant. He was a better businessman than a preacher. He turned his small business into a big business and built a luxury tourist hotel down south. 

Unfortunately his personal life was boring. He met a girl he liked, got married, raised a family, and while relatively young sold his hotel to investors and retired healthy and wealthy. No scandal, no story. I've had to create a new character and new situations. The only part of the original story that remains is 'missionary quits preaching, starts business'.


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## dale (Oct 5, 2012)

i've only started one novel. i've put it down for a while because it was becoming a chore and wasn't feeling the "heat"
of it anymore. but now that i'm almost done with a shorter project, i'm actually itching to get back to it now. i WILL
finish it. i have no doubt of that.


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## tepelus (Oct 6, 2012)

Years ago I wrote a novel and finished it to the end. I started the sequels but never finished those. Now I'm rewriting the first novel because it sucked so bad but I'm in love with the story and characters. So far it is taking me a long time to rewrite it, but I'm learning to write with this one and doing better research on the historical aspect of it (it's historical fantasy). Not that I didn't do research back then when I wrote it the first time, it was just hard to find information on 15th century Hungary and Romania back in the mid-late 90's, and the internet was rather sparse with information. There is more, lots more information now, but not enough for my liking, so I just accept that my novel will never be totally accurate where the historical is concerned and use the fantasy part of the genre to my advantage. I'm hoping to finish this new "first" draft by the end of the year, but I'm not going to bet my life on it. For three months during the summer I wrote nothing. This past week or so I finished up a chapter I had been hung up on since June, started and finished a chapter the last two days and started another last night. The writing is flowing pretty well for me now, but can I keep it up? Eh, seems to come in spurts for me. We shall see.


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## garza (Oct 6, 2012)

Keep at it, and you'll get there. The satisfaction of finishing such a project is worth all the time and effort. If you publish it and make a million dollars that's extra.

Does the News-Messenger still have a print edition, or did Gannett close it down?


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## tepelus (Oct 6, 2012)

Yes, they still have a print version, but now if you want to read their articles online (some are available, but not all) you have to subscribe to their online paper, and many are none to happy about that. I only look at the NM online, but since they changed to having to pay I don't get on there much anymore. The paper version is rather anemic. Did you used to live in the area?

Thank you for the encouragement! I don't get any at home so it's nice to hear it from others.


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## Jeko (Oct 6, 2012)

Never finished any of my novels. Although, since I've put most of them out of my mind and don't intend ever finishing them, you could say that they're finished. The characters all get to one point and then stop moving. The universe is paralysed, and that's how it ends.


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## Wessik (Oct 7, 2012)

I don't know, but by god, I'll be damned if I don't finish mine.


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## Jagunco (Oct 7, 2012)

Finished no novels and so far one short story. The novel is over 80% finished but as usual I hit a brick wall and decided to put it on the back burner, write a few short stories to get a name for myself so to speak and then go back and finish the bugger.

I managed to finish one short story so far and got another two on the go. One just about writes itself the other is a perpetual brick wall. I'm enjoying the short stories so much though that I'm planning on making several related ones and writing a series of them, got the first one finished and the second one is flowing quite nicely.

I'm definitely going to publish the one I got done now so the only question is do I wait until I got another couple of stories done or do I just go for it now, and if I get them into a magazine tell them there's more on the way


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## thecostumedanceparty (Oct 7, 2012)

I can never finish.  Start many, but don't finish a single one.


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## DuKane (Oct 7, 2012)

Finished one, three-quarters though first draft of sequel. Two more on the back burner.


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## GonneLights (Oct 8, 2012)

I don't write novels. Hate novels. Find them boring. Too long. Weighty. Dyslexic. Can't read them. I only read Novellas, or parts of Novels. I write short stories, vignettes, sketches. I'll only ever be published in magazines and posthumously. Much better. That's a gig.


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## Grape Juice Vampire (Oct 8, 2012)

I've only ever started one, but i will finish it. It's taken me about a year to get to the point where i am now, but to be fair, i didn't seriously start working on it till earlier this year and then got slowed down because of medical issues.


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## Winston (Oct 8, 2012)

Over two years of writing and editing, my 350 word manuscript was finished.

Submitted it to dozens of literary agents.  No bites.  Considered putting it up on Amazon @ 99 cents.  It's worth more than that, to me.

It was a lesson.  On how good I can be.  And what I need to do to be marketable.  And the difference between the two.

I'm "writing better" now, and I think my next manuscript will be published.  However, there is a beauty in my first MS, my first love.  It will always be special.  Even if I am the only one who can truly appreciate her.


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## Jagunco (Oct 8, 2012)

do you mean 35000


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## Winston (Oct 9, 2012)

Jagunco said:


> do you mean 35000



350 Page.  I got fifty pages into the sequel and shelved it in favor of "more marketable" material.  Gotta get known and sell.  Then I'll foist my idiosyncratic dense stuff on the public.  Master plan.  Muahahahhhhh...


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## Wessik (Oct 10, 2012)

Hang in there, Winston. Keep at it. You've finished a novel!


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## moderan (Dec 16, 2012)

I finished my thirteenth during Thanksgiving week. My fourteenth and fifteenth are nearing the end. I've decided to self-publish the lot of them in order to give myself something constructive to do. I'm disabled, unable to return to work, and I have way too much time on my hands these days.


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## alanmt (Dec 16, 2012)

Completely finished one. Had an agent, EOS gave it a second and third look, but then said no.  sad face.

I have two more  at about 60-70% (including the one I started in January which is getting my current attention), and one at 20%.


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## Sam (Dec 16, 2012)

moderan said:


> I finished my thirteenth during Thanksgiving week. My fourteenth and fifteenth are nearing the end. I've decided to self-publish the lot of them in order to give myself something constructive to do. I'm disabled, unable to return to work, and I have way too much time on my hands these days.



Nice going, Mod. I hope to have my thirteenth wrapped up before the new year, but I don't see it happening. Revision will be taking up much of my time. I'm thinking March/April. 

If you decide to self-publish, let me know where I can get my hands on one.


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## moderan (Dec 16, 2012)

Thank you...I certainly will. You and everyone else I can reach *general sound of laughter* I'll almost certainly self-publish, because of the circumstances depicted in part of my recent "How Was Your Week" post. I may release ALL of them simultaneously in order to confound the market as much as possible
And congratulations to you as well. I suspect you'll pass me as my more recent efforts have been short works.


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## the antithesis (Dec 17, 2012)

squidtender said:


> What's the percentage of writers who actually finish their first novel?



I would say 100%. If you don't finish, why call yourself a writer? I sure don't.


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## alexandriadeloraine (Dec 17, 2012)

I wrote three complete novels as a teenager, started probably a dozen more, and wrote dozens of short stories,
poems and essays. Every single word of all of them found themselves in my physical or virtual recycle bin. ^.^
What can I say, I'm a perfectionist and since I'm certain my work will one day be widely read, I didn't want any
of that old 'practice' stuff hanging around to embarrass me. XD

At this point I have... hm, let me check... the first novel of an epic trilogy is about 35% done, with the following
two novels heavily outlined, so you can count that as 1 or 3. Another 3 novels set in the same world as my epic
trilogy are started, but currently sit on the back shelf at between 10 - 20% complete, again with full outlines. A
dystopian science fiction novel has been started but rests at about 20% complete, and my YA romance / child
abuse novel _Tempered by Fire _is about 40% complete, and fully outlined.

In addition to those, I have finished numerous short stories, essays and poetry / poetic-prose. Also have assorted
notes for 2 - 3 more novels, but I may not carry on with those, it'll just depend. ^.^

All of the novels I've started will certainly be finished, and most of them within just a few years. My epic trilogy is
probably going to be finished after I complete some of my other stories, simply because it's my masterpiece and I
won't rush a good thing. 

- Alexandria de Loraine


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## Freakconformist (Dec 17, 2012)

I keep coming up with new stories. I finished a 10 page summary story the other day. That's progress for me.


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## Gamer_2k4 (Dec 17, 2012)

I finished the only one I ever attempted.  Now I'm in the process of editing it.


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## J Anfinson (Dec 19, 2012)

Still in that frustrating stage of writing several thousand words, deciding its crap, and deleting. I fully intend on finishing though. Ive self published seversl short stories though.


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## moderan (Dec 19, 2012)

Nanowrimo just called. They have a space open for you


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