monoman

I ended up writing a novella rather than a novel – 100+ pages (can’t remember how many words.) I wrote it as a present for someone’s birthday, and it was this immovable deadline that got me through. It also helped to know that I was writing it for someone – she fulfilled the role of muse, and helped focus my writing style, plotting etc. (I also knew that at least one person would read and appreciate it once it was finished – an important motivating factor!) I got the manuscript printed at Lulu.com (http://www.lulu.com/content/233134) and can highly recommend their service. A one-book print run cost $11 plus postage, and the finished product is extremely good quality.
So in summary, anyone who’s struggling to finish:

• Write for someone you care about
• Set an immovable deadline
• Choose a topic that will continue to inspire you until completion
• Don’t write an epic; a novella is of manageable length for both authors and readers (who has time to read a 1000+ page tome these days anyway??)
  Good luck!