Have you ever wondered what it feels like to finish your first book? It’s a truly hard-fought feeling. To finish writing your first-ever book is a huge accomplishment. It’s something many people aspire too but few attain.
And while the feeling of finishing your first book can’t exactly be replicated, I’m grateful to have experienced the feeling of completing a first draft several times over. While you may think it gets old, I never get tired of the feeling.
In fact, my writing mentor, who has finished over 200 books, still loves the feeling of having completed the writing process. The satisfaction of successfully completing what one sets out to do is worth the long nights and endless hours. What exactly does it feel like?
Well, we’ve taught over 8,000 authors how to write, publish, and market their books over the last 10 years. That’s a lot of first books to complete.
While exactly what it feels like to finish your first book is unique to you (it’s your experience, after all), we’re going to share some of the behind-the-scenes of what it entails and what to expect. Ready?
What it feels like to finish your first book:
- How does it feel to finish writing a book?
- Why does finishing a book feel so good?
- What is that feeling when you finish a book?
How does it feel to finish writing a book?
The feeling of finishing your first book is surreal. After weeks, months, and perhaps even months of planning and drafting, you type that last sentence. You’re done. You wrote your characters to the ending. You finished your nonfiction and shared valuable lessons with your audience. You did it.
What it feels like to finish is unique from writer to writer, but for me, it often feels like time stops. The clack of the keyboard silences and I look around my office space or the crowded coffee shop, half-expecting fireworks.
Instead, it’s a gentle release of pressure and the tingling of excitement butterflies in my stomach. Now it’s on to self-editing, beta readers, choosing a publishing path, and everything else. The excitement for what’s ahead is at the same time thrilling and possibly overwhelming.
At the same time, there can be a bit of confusing feelings as well. Let’s take a look at some of the complications of what it feels like to finish your first book so you know what to expect.
Writer’s remorse
A Forbes article says that more than 80% of Americans say they want to write a book. One study of 2,000 aspiring writers showed that over 50% have a good idea but only 8% actually finished writing.
Why feel remorse when you’ve finally reached 8% of the American population? For many writers, the very act of writing is a daily ritual. To suddenly give that up can feel disheartening, even disorienting.
Tip: Instead of giving in to writer’s remorse, take some time to celebrate your accomplishment, then get on to hiring a book editor and self-publishing on Amazon.
Missing characters, worlds, and topics
The proverb, “Proximity is the mother of friendship” can apply to writing, to a certain extent. Specifically for fiction, where writers spend copious amounts of time digging into their characters’ motivations and arcs, missing these characters can feel like a real void.
Writers fall in love with their characters, just as readers do, and it can feel like a loss to no longer be able to enter the story world. For nonfiction writers, who love delving into a specific topic, not focusing on the specific topic as much can feel like a relief, but also a bit sad.
Tip: Remember you still have time to pursue these characters and topics through edits and promotion. You’re not done yet!
Fear of being seen
For both fiction and nonfiction writers, there can be a bit of trepidation about finishing a book. The jubilant feeling of finishing your first book often overshadows any immediate fear of what’s next.
Sometimes, there is a real fear of being seen by beta readers and your future readership. This comes with the territory of writing, and like performance, the more you do it the easier it becomes.
Tip: No matter what you wrote, remember you can always make edits later on. But also remember that honest writing impacts readers. That’s one of the greatest joys of writing!
Why does finishing a book feel so good?
Completing a task often feels good, and there are many factors that go into why. Let’s take a look at just a few reasons why it feels so good to finish your first book.
Gain replenished energy
One of the reasons finishing a book feels so good is because it actually results in replenished energy. Without getting too technical, the National Library of Medicine conducted research resulting in “Evidence for post-task mental energy replenishment.”
When you finish your draft, or your task of writing a book, it’s scientifically proven that you receive a mental energy replenishment. No wonder finishing feels so good!
Develop mental toughness
Writing a 50-100k thousand word book is no small endeavor. It takes days and weeks of repeated effort that over time, results in mental toughness. Developing a mindset that can achieve difficult outcomes with persistence and stamina helps set you up for future success.
As you move on to uploading your book for publication, you’ve already set yourself up to push through any difficulties that may arise.
This is a tremendous achievement. Not only do you feel good about finishing your first book (something very few people do), but now you’re prepped and ready to overcome the next goal you set out to achieve.
Contribute to the world
We often say that everyone has a book inside of them. The first book I wrote I felt so compelled to write that I drafted for hours and hours at a time.
Later, I wrote a couple of nonfiction books as a way to contribute to the world around me. During this process, I wrote a fiction story to resonate with a different readership and empower them through the strength of my heroine.
All of these books left me feeling satisfied with finishing. Why? I’d done my best to write from my heart and offer something to the world.
While we can contribute to the world in a variety of ways, doing so through a book hits just a little differently. That’s why what it feels like to finish is so different from person to person.
You may feel a sense of:
- Achievement
- Satisfaction
- Release
- Eagerness
- Hope
(If you want help learning how to finish your book so you can achieve these same results, simply book a consult here.)
Create the foundation of your business
There is one aspect we haven’t yet touched on regarding what it feels like to finish your first book.
Books can often become the launching pad of your business. In fact, we have a large collection of self-publishing success stories, including some of our students, who used their books to stand and grow their business. Your book can act as your calling card or business card: It shares who you are through a credible means.
When you finish your first book, you join a small percentage of the population who have actually finished what they set out to do, as well as create the building blocks for a business. This is no small feat!
What is that feeling when you finish a book?
We’ve discussed what it feels like to finish your first book, but what it feels like to finish reading a book is commonly referred to as a book hangover.
In her article on Writer’s Digest, Leandra Beabout writes that, “Book hangovers are no fun, but they’re proof that books of all kinds can make a deep impact. They’re also a sign of emotional intelligence and a chance to flex the empathetic part of your brain.”
As writers, what we want to feel when we finish our first book is this same type of emotional hangover: a mix of excitement for having completed something extremely difficult to do, and also a bit of a letdown that the story or topic is over.
If you as the writer feel this when you finish writing your book, just imagine what your future readers will feel when they finish reading your debut.
Now you know what it feels like to finish your first book…
If you want to experience what it feels like to finish your first book for yourself, use our free resource below to generate an outline for your book. This will help take away the dreaded blank page so you can get straight to work writing.
Remember, very few people who set out to write a book actually finish, but you can be in the minority who do. Commit to outlining your book, writing your book, and finishing your book.
Then you will get to experience the excitement and replenished energy that comes with accomplishing such a tremendous task. Whether you want to build a business, share your story, or contribute to the world around you, it starts with an outline.
Simply fill out the form below and get started. You can be the next writer to join the ranks of successful self-published authors!
Book Outline Generator
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