I’ve started hundreds of stories. I’m not kidding. I started writing when I was ten and since then I’ve started—and not finished—several hundred stories. I’ve heard that some aspiring writers struggle to come up with ideas they like. That’s never been my problem. I’ve got folders within folders of documents with ideas, pieces of stories, and characters…but in almost fifteen years of writing, guess how many stories I’ve finished?

I have to admit, I’m embarrassed to answer that. Because the problem with always starting new stories is that nothing ever gets finished.

I’ve recently switched to treating my writing like a job. Because this is the career I’ve always wanted, and right now I finally have the means to make it a priority. So here are some of the things that have helped me to quit the serial story-starter habit and commit to working on just one thing until it’s finished.

First, you have to drop the idea that you can only write when you’re inspired, and only what you’re inspired to work on. This might work if writing is only your hobby. But ask any published author and they will tell you that you have to treat your writing like what it is—a job. No excuses, no distractions. Park your butt in the chair and start writing.

At first, this can be very daunting. I don’t know how many hours I’ve spent staring at a flashing cursor wondering how to begin. At some point, I realized that it doesn’t matter how I start, where I start, as long as I start writing. That blank page can be a scary thing, so if you’re choking on trying to write an actual story just start by writing anything. Rant about writer’s block or anxiety. Start writing a grocery list. Whatever you have to do to get started. Once you’ve got some momentum built up, switch over to the story or project that you’re supposed to be working on.

When you make the choice to commit to just one story don’t make the mistake of starting another new idea. Pick something you’ve already put some work into. Preferably something you know fairly well, so you can jump into working on it without having to figure a bunch of stuff out first. For me, this has been about the hardest part. I’ve been writing for long enough now that I can usually be productive once I decide what to work on. But my problem lately has been choosing that one story that I’m going to devote the next few months or even years to finishing.

I don’t have the magic answer to this one. In my case, it finally came down to choosing the story I know best, that I’ve put the most work into over the years. I think it’s always important to pick something you are excited about, a story you love. My problem is I love too many things for that to be the rule. Which is why I’m going with a story that has been my refuge during some difficult times in my life. Something that I’ve already poured my heart into, that just needs the dedication to turn that passion into something more structured and complete.

The last thing that I think is important in building the commitment to finishing something is accountability. I’m a little too good at justifying my reasons for not finishing things, so having multiple sources of accountability is important to me. In a way, I’m putting myself in a corner with so many things I have to answer to that I can’t make excuses anymore. That means I have several writer friends that I talk to on a regular basis. I made the choice to switch to a website platform that I have to pay for to keep me accountable to how much I’m posting. I tell people I’m writing full-time now. And my partner comes home from work every day and asks me how much I’ve written.

Honestly, change is hard. Breaking this habit is a lot like breaking any other addictive habit. At first, it takes a lot of dedication and hard work. Over time, the more I stick to my goals and my routine, the easier it gets. Eventually, this will become the habit.

At some point, we all have to decide if it’s worth it to stay where we are, to keep falling into old patterns. Or if we’ve finally had enough of feeling stuck in the same place. For me, the risk of not trying has become far scarier than the risk of trying something new. I’m choosing to take responsibility for my bad habits and to be fully committed to making the changes necessary to reach my goals.

What bad writing habits or life habits are you trying to kick? What things have helped you to commit to changing those habits? Let me know in the comments!