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How to Finally Finish Writing Your Book

[in 3 months or less!]

without feeling stuck, distracted, or like you need to leave your family and run away to a small off-grid cabin in Maine!

If you’re an aspiring novelist, poet, short story or memoir writer… you know how difficult it is to just sit yourself down and get that first draft done! 

You’ve thought about it for months and fallen in love with your outlines. But when it comes time to finally put "butt-in-chair" and write the darn thing, your mind starts racing… 

Maybe I should grab another coffee first…”

“I need to answer my mom's email right now…”

“OH! I should put in a load of laundry while I have time!” 

Enough is enough, my friend: let’s get focused and write the book that has been trapped inside of you for a lifetime. 

ARE YOU READY TO WRITE

(and actually finish)

YOUR BOOK?

Even if you’ve already completed smaller pieces, been published in a literary magazine or in an online journal (lucky you!)... or if you’ve had friends shower your work with sincere compliments – finally finishing your first book is a completely different (and exhilarating) experience that gives you a sense of accomplishment as a writer.

  • If you're ready for that "Real Writer" seal of approval...

    You are ALREADY a “real” writer now... But once you have your first book out in the world, your “hobby” is suddenly seen as legit to non-writers. When people introduce you, they start to say “She’s the author of [insert your work in progress title here!]” 

    And you get to sit back and watch their face light up with admiration.

  • If you want to feel the excitement of seeing your book out in the wild...

    You walk into your local bookstore and there on the “New Releases” table is your book. (Be a good author and sign a few for the bookstore owner, would you?) Or, you’re doing some research on your next book at the library and right there in front of you someone is checking it out.
  • If you're ready to feel the pride that comes from living the true “writers life...”

    Imagine finally being able to live up to the promise you made to yourself when you were just a little kid who couldn’t get enough of a good book. Imagine waking up each day, knowing that your primary task for that day is to be as creative and open-minded as possible… because YOU ARE A WRITER.
  • If you're longing for the pleasure of artistic growth and mastery of your craft...

    You take pride in and have real affection for your writing and no longer worry about turning out “crappy first drafts” because you know you have the skills needed to turn those drafts into complete works of art. Your growth as an artist and craftsperson re-affirms your connection with other writers.

If you nodded YES to any of the above, then the First Book Finish program is custom designed for you!

I get it: even though the reasons to complete your book are obvious, the path to actually doing it successfully is anything but.

It's time to finish your book, my friend!

Okay...but how do I do that?

Perhaps in your most courageous moments you’ve made the commitment to yourself that this month you’ll definitely finish up that first draft.

You’ve bought a new notebook (plus a spare!) and stocked up on a set of those easy-glide pens.

If you’re super committed, you’ve even said you’ll get up early and write every day before the kids woke up and your house went into overdrive, or you had to leave for work.

But even with the best intentions, most writers end up abandoning their half-written manuscripts in a drawer or box in the closet, while watching others push through to the finish line, find agents, publish and be celebrated for their brilliant work. 

Here’s why most writers abandon their half-finished books:

Without the right tools and loving accountability, most writers get completely lost.

They let self-doubt creep in and they tell themselves that they’ll write again next week. But then life gets in the way and next week never comes.

They feel all alone with the demands of writing their book, and overwhelmed at the enormity of their specific project.

They get super-anxious when they lack clarity over exactly what they need to do next to finish their manuscripts.

Fear STOPS them in their tracks.

 

The Top 5 Reasons Why Most Writers Don't Finish Their Books,

and How to Guarantee You Can Finish Yours:

Reason #1

They have naive and Romantic notions about how books are made.

Reason #2

They let writer's block or writer's resistance become a personal failing.

Reason #3

They don’t treat finishing their book like a project.

Reason #4

They don’t actively manage themselves and their environment to set themselves up for success.

Reason #5

They let themselves off the hook too easily without seeking loving accountability.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...

Most writers get concerned about creating the perfect narrative arc, or getting the setting concrete enough, ensuring movement in their character development, or perfecting each story or poem.

And of course all of these things matter, but they’re not where we get stuck.

Writers get stuck when they don’t acknowledge that 80% of completing a book is in our mental effort to manage ourselves.

In my own experience as a writer and as a writing mentor, writers know deep down that the only thing really in our way is ourselves and our own patterns.

Coming to terms with that reality and then identifying the personal solutions we need is what actually makes it possible for us to engage with the more technical aspects of writing -- imagery, setting, character development, narrative arc, backstory -- so that we can finish our first drafts.

Getting the backstory right only matters if you can settle yourself into finishing the REST of the story too. :-)

And literally MILLIONS of writers have gone before you and solved most if not all of the technical craft issues you’ll face in your manuscript so you have a world of knowledge to draw on from a craft perspective.

If you’ve ever grasped for the right words or the next scene -- congratulations on being a normal writer! There’s inherent uncertainty in the creative process that breeds anxiety in all artists. We have to pay attention to how this manifests for us personally -- our own peculiar quirks -- and come up with plans to manage it. That’s the task, and no creative person really gets to avoid it. 

Fortunately, we now have brain science and the science of creativity (yep, there are real scientists studying this stuff, bless them!) to show us how we can effectively respond when caught up in our writer’s fears and struggles.

The thing is though, no one is born knowing all of this and it's not taught in most writing programs, including in graduate programs like the MFA.

You need what all writers need when they really want to finish: inspiration, practical support and accountability from people who really believe in you and care that you finally finish your book. 

Introducing

First Book Finish

The science-backed tools and loving accountability you need to take you from “stuck” with a partial manuscript to a finished first draft of your book in 3 months or less.

Previous First Book Finishers Have Said...

First Book Finish Student: Kirsti Salmi [Novel]

"It changed my life and it changed my writing life because it gave me the tools that I needed to create a sustainable, pleasurable writing practice, one that kept me energized and focused. I can't speak the praises of the course highly enough because it gave me what I needed to finish the project and also lessons that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life and for my career."

 

Join the First Book Finish Program and finally finish your book in 2020!

DISMISS MESSAGE

"SHE HOLDS A DEEP CARE FOR AND COMMITMENT TO WRITERS AND THE CRAFT"

"At that stage in my writing, what I needed was what Rhonda suggested. If you’re wondering about taking the program, my advice is to take it!  Rhonda provides the tools and support necessary to manifest your project. She holds a deep care for and commitment to writers and the craft, which includes making space for a life that includes writing."

Robin K. Macdonald [Memoir FINISHED]

I’ve taken everything I’ve learned from my MFA in Creative Writing, my years mentoring writers, and my veteran experience in finishing and publishing books as a working single mother... and channeled it all into a 12-week book completion program.

This is the program that not only teaches you the mental and technical tools you’ll need to finish your book, but also provides the coaching and loving accountability you’ll need to help you get there. 

First Book Finish isn’t so much an online course as it is a course-supported 12-week small-group coaching programme.

This is the stuff they don’t teach you in writing workshops -- not even in MFA programs!

The end result: a finished first draft of your book, plus the detailed plan on how you’ll revise and publish it -- and the long-lasting increased confidence that comes from mastering your writing mind.

 FIRST BOOK FINISH is the ONLY program of its kind that…

  1. Shows you how to fight the very specific and personal fears that are getting in the way of you completing your first draft.
  2. Helps you identify the support you need to finish your books and provides the loving accountability to help you get there.
  3. Teaches you the sneaky ways that fear and self-doubt manifest themselves in your life and provides proven, science-backed tools to develop long-lasting responses that will sustain you in your writing life for years to come.
  4. Supports you to problem-solve and plan around your specific Real Life realities to make your writing sessions happen, providing the guidance and support you need to craft a regular writing ritual that really works for you.
  5. Teaches you the classic guiding principles for structuring a book so that the sections of your book will slide into place AND supports you to make a clear plan for revision and publication.

So if you’re ready to finally finish your book while avoiding writers’ resistance...

Here's how I'll help you get there:

Module 1

Find Focus & Plan Your Writing Schedule

  • We start with a complete 360 degree overview of the 6 Phases of a Book so you can picture precisely where you are in the process and what comes next for every writer.
  • We’ll do a deep dive together into the true nature of drafts (how rough is rough, exactly?) and uncover how to handle research and any shiny new ideas that bubble up.
  • Your First Book Finish Roadmap will provide the guidance you need to track and celebrate your progress. We’ll find you more time to write (!) and develop new ways to avoid distractions so your writing sessions are truly productive.
Module 2

Psychology of the Writer's Mindset

This module draws on the work of social scientists studying creativity and exciting new developments in brain science that all writers can use to:

  • Achieve a productive Writer’s Mindset.
  • Choose optimal over perfect and finally beat your perfectionist tendencies.
  • Understand how self-doubt and self-sabotage are showing up in your life and the tools you can use to leave these behind.
  • Develop the skills needed to beat writer’s resistance every single time it shows up -- and how to ensure it doesn’t even bother to come around any more. Bye-bye writer’s block, bye-bye!
Module 3

Structural Clarity

This module is all about the nitty-gritty technical aspects of craft you'll need to finish your book. 

  • All the classic structural guidance for narrative, plus a few new contemporary approaches so that you can find the best structural “container” for telling your particular story.
  • How to create believable characters who develop naturally and easily.
  • The Goldilocks approach to ensuring backstory doesn’t take over your story.
  • How to craft a setting so realistic your reader feels wet when you describe the rain.
  • How subplots work and how to handle these threads in the first draft.
  • How to write scenes that work, including what the heck a “beat” is.
  • And for poets and short story writers, we’ll have some prompts and new ideas for how you can generate more individual poems and stories to finish your collection, and I’ll provide a proven process for curating a collection and pulling everything together into a compelling whole once the individual pieces are finished.
 
Module 4

Maintaining Inspiration & Momentum

At this point in the programme, you'll be soooo close to finished, my friend! Here's where we get into:

  • Some super-useful tools for getting unstuck (break glass in case of emergency!)
  • What great endings look like and how to write one for your book.
  • How you’ll know when your first draft is ready and you can move on to revision.
  • How to work with beta readers to get some initial feedback on your book.
  • The tools you’ll need to develop your very own personal revision plan.
  • What the different publishing options are and how to choose the best one for you and your book.

The First Book Finish Guarantee

The First Book Finish Guarantee is a 30-day 100% guarantee and removes all the risk of investing in this program.

Look, let me say this upfront:

First Book Finish is the most comprehensive program for writers who are excited and COMMITTED to finishing their book. And I am excited to offer you all the practical tools and loving accountability you need over the next 12 weeks.

Now here’s the First Book Finish Guarantee:

By the end of the first 30 days, if you don’t feel totally confident and motivated by your personal First Book Finish RoadMap AND all of the coaching support and loving accountability you’re receiving, simply reach out, show me you’ve put in the work in Module 1 and I’ll refund 100% of your investment. (Full Details on Terms and Conditions Right Here.)

Here’s what you’re getting when you join

the First Book Finish Program today:

 

  • First Book Finish Online Course - $997 Value

4 Modules, 28 Lessons, plus PDF guides and worksheets

Options for how you learn best with video, audio and written transcripts

All the tools you need to successfully complete the first full draft of your book!

Lifetime access to all materials and free updates every time the program is revised or anything new is added.

The option to repeat the program Live with each new group of students.

PLUS...

  • 12 Weeks of Group Coaching - $1,997 Value 

Loving accountability, practical guidance and accessible live coaching to encourage, support and inspire you as you gain momentum and track your progress all the way to finally typing “THE END” on the last page of your manuscript. Includes weekly accountability check-ins, weekly motivational boosts and LIVE office hours via Zoom where you can ask all of your questions.

PLUS...

  • Community connection via an Exclusive Private Members-Only Facebook Group - $297 Value 

  • Page Count Boosters: 3 Live Virtual Writing Retreats - $891 Total Value [$297 each]

  • Consistent Writing Time: 3 Free Months in The Writer’s Flow Studio Membership program, with weekly writing sessions - $111 Value

  • Clarity on How to Revise: 2 Live Revision Bootcamp Workshops -  $594 Value [$297 each]

  • Curating the Collection Masterclass, for poets, essayists and short story writers! - $297 Value

  • How to Get Your Book Published: Live Masterclass - $297 Value

    Total Value: $5,481

When you add it all up, that’s a value of $5,481

But when you join today, you’ll get access to everything for just:

Pay Monthly

6 Monthly Payments of

$197

JOIN + PAY MONTHLY

OR

Pay Upfront Discount

1 Payment of

$997

PAY IN FULL + SAVE

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions people asked before signing up for First Book Finish:

There’s no specific minimum number of pages to qualify, but it will definitely help you really finish in the 12 week course period if you’ve already got a good start on your manuscript. It’s okay if your pages are still handwritten notes -- that’s why we call it a draft! As a rough guess, if you had about 25% of what you estimate the final number of pages in your book to eventually be, then you’d be in good shape to join the program. (We get into the math of this in Module 1, along with the First Book Finish Roadmap for your particular book.)

I hear you! It’s totally 100% normal to get stuck at a specific spot in your manuscript and then not be able to get over it. This is why I’ve designed the program the way I have -- with a deep dive on the proven, science-backed mindset tools upfront first, so that we can eliminate them once and for all. And not just for this book either; these are tools you can come back to any time you’re feeling stuck in your writing life for years to come. If you do the work, I know you’ll get results.

I don’t believe in the lie that “real writers” write every day. It just hasn’t been my experience and I’ve got the published books and a few literary awards to support my fairly strong opinion on this. (So: snap!) 

 However, with that said of course you’ll need to be writing regularly in order to finish your book over the 12 weeks. That’s why right at the start in Module 1, I will walk you through the First Book Finish Roadmap to help you break down your personal writing project, and we make a plan for how you’re going to find the time you need that is entirely based on your specific Real Life circumstances. Can you find time to write 1-3 times a week? That’s totally doable and inside First Book Finish, I show you how to make it happen.

When you join the program, you get immediate access to the Getting Started section of the course, and then when the whole group is ready to go we dive into Module 1. You will then have access to all of the Modules, but in our weekly sessions we talk about one Module at a time together, so that everyone is on the same page. (And I know first-hand how easy it is to skip over things and then regret it later when we get stuck.) 

All materials can be downloaded as they are released, and you have lifetime access to the course so anytime I make updates you get the new versions of everything too. 

The coaching component of the program is over the 12-week course period. The weekly Live Coaching sessions will happen Thursday afternoons at 3pm Eastern time. But you don’t have to worry about missing any, because you can submit questions in advance and then the sessions are recorded so you’ll be able to stream and/or download them (or even re-watch them again!) as you need them. 

The First Book Finish 30-Day Guarantee has your back. If you join today, you can access the Getting Started section of the course and then dive into Module 1: Finding Focus with your fellow writers as soon as it’s released in Week One. After 30 days, if you have done the work in Module 1 and aren’t motivated by your personal First Book Finish Roadmap and the loving accountability the program offers, then show me you did the work in Module 1 and I’ll give you all of your money back. You can find the full details on the First Book Finish 30-Day Guarantee here.

Yes, of course! But let’s be honest -- will you, though? (Sorry, but I’ve been at this a long time and I know how hard it is to keep ourselves motivated to stick with our writing routines, never mind motivating others as well.)

And I’ve designed this program to incorporate the latest in social science and brain research to help you understand what stands between you and the completion of your book, so that you can benefit from a set of practical and proven science-backed tools, as well as have the loving accountability of a coach and a group of fellow writers as you write to finish. I know there’s no other program like it available.

Yes! For writers working on a collection -- of poems, stories or essays -- I have some special resources to help prompt you with new ideas for finishing individual pieces, as well as a guide to help you curate your collection once the individual pieces are finished, so that everything comes together as a compelling whole.

 The program will work for anyone needing mindset and technical craft support as they’re working to finish a full first draft of their book. 

 That said, it isn’t ideal for playwrights or for people writing business or self-help non-fiction -- these aren’t genres I’ve published in myself and I want to hold myself in integrity for only offering support where I’ve seen results myself.

Here’s what you’re getting when you join

the First Book Finish Program today:

 

  • First Book Finish Online Course - $997 Value

4 Modules, 28 Lessons, plus PDF guides and worksheets

Options for how you learn best with video, audio and written transcripts

All the tools you need to successfully complete the first full draft of your book!

Lifetime access to all materials and free updates every time the program is revised or anything new is added.

The option to repeat the program Live with each new group of students.

PLUS...

  • 12 Weeks of Group Coaching - $1,997 Value 

Loving accountability, practical guidance and accessible live coaching to encourage, support and inspire you as you gain momentum and track your progress all the way to finally typing “THE END” on the last page of your manuscript. Includes weekly accountability check-ins, weekly motivational boosts and LIVE office hours via Zoom where you can ask all of your questions.

PLUS...

  • Community connection via an Exclusive Private Members-Only Facebook Group - $297 Value 

  • Page Count Boosters: 3 Live Virtual Writing Retreats - $891 Total Value [$297 each]

  • Consistent Writing Time: 3 Free Months in The Writer’s Flow Studio Membership program, with weekly writing sessions - $111 Value

  • Clarity on How to Revise: 2 Live Revision Bootcamp Workshops -  $594 Value [$297 each]

  • Curating the Collection Masterclass, for poets, essayists and short story writers! - $297 Value

  • How to Get Your Book Published: Live Masterclass - $297 Value

    Total Value: $5,481

When you add it all up, that’s a value of $5,481

But when you join today, you’ll get access to everything for just:

 

Pay Monthly

6 Monthly Payments of

$197

JOIN + PAY MONTHLY

OR

Pay Upfront & Save

1 Payment of

$997

PAY IN FULL + SAVE $185

More Praise From Previous First Book Finish Students...

"I LOVED ALL OF IT"

"If you have a desire to write but lack the motivation, time, discipline, or self-belief to do so, then I highly recommend taking the First Book Finish program.  I loved all of it...the on-line content, the peer group, the accountability of weekly updates, and mostly the personal commitment of Rhonda to journey with each of us and her mentoring, encouragement and wise advice."

Helen Farrar [Memoir FINISHED]

"NOW I FEEL EXCITED AND ACCOMPLISHED"

"Before I took the First Book Finish course, I felt unorganized and without focus. I had lots of poems but no sense of which worked together to form a book. Now, I feel excited and accomplished. My biggest win from the program is seeing my scattered collection of poems turn into a book that has structure, clear themes and a point-of-view."

Melinda Roy [Poetry Collection FINISHED]
@melinda_writes

First Book Finish is PERFECT for you if…

  1. You’ve got notebooks, journals and/or files filled with ideas and scenes for your book, but no idea how to put it all together.  
  2. You’ve got that Word file or Google doc filled with pages of writing for your book, but you just dread going back in there and honestly, now you’re just avoiding it completely.
  3. You want to finish your book so badly but find yourself avoiding your writing sessions out of fear that you just won’t know if you’re going in the right direction or not.
  4. You love the idea of the Muse but also really want to know what science has to say that might help you out when the Muse isn’t cooperating.
  5. You are 100% GOING TO FINISH this book, come hell or high water, and you’d like to have an experienced guide to support you along the way. When it comes to your writing life right now, you could really use a little bit of loving accountability.
  6. You’ve already been writing regularly on your book but really want to ratchet up your page count to gain massive momentum over the next 12 weeks.
  7. You find yourself getting stuck as you’ve been working on your book, thinking things like “what’s the point?” or “who’s going to read this anyway?” and you know you need to reset your writers’ mindset in order to make it to the finish line.
  8. When you let yourself imagine holding your finished book in your hands, the idea of it excites you SO MUCH you can barely stand it.
  9. You’ve been dreaming about finishing your very own book ever since you were a little kid reading books under the bedcovers with a flashlight, you’ve gotten started but now could just use a little push.
  10. You’re ready to understand how books really work, what a complete draft actually looks like and you’re prepared to plan and track your writing progress on a weekly basis.

 

If you said “yes” to at least 4 of the above, I can’t wait to meet you inside First Book Finish.

Here’s what you’re getting when you join

the First Book Finish Program today:

 

  • First Book Finish Online Course - $997 Value

4 Modules, 28 Lessons, plus PDF guides and worksheets

Options for how you learn best with video, audio and written transcripts

All the tools you need to successfully complete the first full draft of your book!

Lifetime access to all materials and free updates every time the program is revised or anything new is added.

The option to repeat the program Live with each new group of students.

PLUS...

  • 12 Weeks of Group Coaching - $1,997 Value 

Loving accountability, practical guidance and accessible live coaching to encourage, support and inspire you as you gain momentum and track your progress all the way to finally typing “THE END” on the last page of your manuscript. Includes weekly accountability check-ins, weekly motivational boosts and LIVE office hours via Zoom where you can ask all of your questions.

PLUS...

  • Community connection via an Exclusive Private Members-Only Facebook Group - $297 Value 

  • Page Count Boosters: 3 Live Virtual Writing Retreats - $891 Total Value [$297 each]

  • Consistent Writing Time: 3 Free Months in The Writer’s Flow Studio Membership program, with weekly writing sessions - $111 Value

  • Clarity on How to Revise: 2 Live Revision Bootcamp Workshops -  $594 Value [$297 each]

  • Curating the Collection Masterclass, for poets, essayists and short story writers! - $297 Value

  • How to Get Your Book Published: Live Masterclass - $297 Value

    Total Value: $5,481

When you add it all up, that’s a value of $5,481

But when you join today, you’ll get access to everything for just:

Pay Monthly

6 Monthly Payments of

$197

JOIN + PAY MONTHLY

OR

Pay Upfront & Save

1 Payment of

$997

PAY IN FULL + SAVE $185

A personal invitation...

Hi there, Writer!

Wondering who's behind the First Book Finish Program? Glad you asked!

I’m Rhonda Douglas, a published and award-winning poet and fiction writer. I have my Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and have been a writing mentor for almost a decade -- offering live workshops, one-on-one editorial support and creativity coaching. Supporting other writers brings me pure joy.

My published books are in poetry and short fiction. I’m currently writing a novel and a mixed-genre memoir. I’ve served on juries for literary prizes and grants, and I was the Poetry Editor for Arc Poetry, Canada’s National Poetry Magazine. Publishers Weekly said my short stories “bubble with originality and daring,” among other lovely things.

Originally from rural Newfoundland, I now live in Ottawa with my cocker spaniel, Mr. Darcy. I’m a coffee addict and highly cupcake-motivated. I overuse semi-colons, em-dashes and ellipses just because I can... 

I’d be honoured and so pleased to work with you over the next 12 weeks in my First Book Finish program. Come join me and let's make 2020 the year you finally finish your book!

JOIN NOW
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