The Unfinished Manuscript

What motivates you to keep working on an unfinished manuscript? Do you have an unfinished manuscript that you come back to every now and then? Well, I’m here to tell you that you should keep working on it if that’s what you needed to hear.

I have been working on a collection of poems since 2014, and I don’t plan to abandon it for the three reasons below.

1. The Poetic/Writer Self is Always There

I have lost my poetic self so many times. I have also relied on poetry during the toughest moments in my life. Then I go weeks without reading a poem until poetry makes its way into my life again. I find this poetic self surprising because I never know when to expect it. Many times I have thought that I would never write another poem just to end up writing one out of nowhere. Even writing that isn’t meant to be poetry turns out poetical. 

The writer self is always there, too. This will always be one of my favorite forms of expression. The poetic and or writer self is a given. Little by little, your writings will turn into a collection.

2. Don’t Let Perfection Keep You From Writing 

I’ve talked about this in previous posts, but it’s worth repeating because just like perfection can keep me from posting a blog post, perfection keeps me from writing poems, from finishing a manuscript, from writing stories, from being honest, and from being myself. 

I had a Russian friend in high school who would crumple her drawings to my disbelief. Her drawings were always so much better than mine. I envied her talent. They looked like masterpieces to me. As I kept reading and writing poetry, I understood why she crumbled her drawings. She knew she could do better just like writers know when they haven’t written their best introduction, line, or last sentence.

3. The World of Writers Is Made Up of All Types of Writers

Blogging has changed the way that I define successful writing and writers. I used to think that to be considered a writer you had to be published at famous publishing companies, write a New York Times best seller, and or be known by name. Blogging changed how I define writer. Writers show up to the page with consistency and keep working on their craft whether or not they’ve published a book, whether or not they’re famous, and whether or not they plan to publish their writing traditionally.

Just because someone posts a poem, story, or personal essay on a blog versus publish it traditionally does not lessen it’s quality. There are so many creative, talented, and passionate writers to learn from in the blogging world. 

Feel comfort that in this world of writers no matter your status, writers share the same problems, insecurities, goals, writing habits, and dreams. So don’t be afraid to take up your space in the world of writers.

The Unfinished Poetry Manuscript

What are your thoughts on unfinished manuscripts?