Gettin’ ‘er Done, and Celebrating Along the Way

Published March 31, 2026

by Margena Adams Holmes

Back in 2022, I decided I was going to write every day, to see if I could do it. I gave myself a year, and by golly, I did it! In my blog I wrote about writing fundamentals, productivity, and mindset. Four years later, I’m still writing (mostly!) every day. That experiment really helped me to develop good habits, plus I love to do it! Writing consistently and not procrastinating is a good way to get your books finished, and along the way, there are many little accomplishments to celebrate.

Starting the Book

Starting the book is the first accomplishment. You’ve decided to get that book written finally, and you’re gonna do it! Set a word count goal—nothing too crazy—usually 500 words is a good start. Once you hit that goal, celebrate! Take a walk, read a book, have some chocolate, whatever makes you happy. You did it!

That First Draft

Okay, you’ve gotten in the habit of writing those 500 words a day. Did you start writing more once you mastered that goal? I’m willing to bet you did, and now, your first draft is done! You’ve written The End. That calls for a slightly bigger celebration! Pour the drink of your choice and toast that book and all the hours you’ve put in to it. Writing is time-consuming and can be pretty lonely, so maybe have a nice dinner with your spouse or friends. You deserve it!

Revisions

Oh, boy, this is where the fun begins! Not really, though many writers enjoy this part more than the actual writing of the book. Making those revisions can be frustrating. Why do I have so many of the word “that” in my book? Ugh. For me, this is the more time-consuming bit. I use the Find option to seek out all those repetitive and passive words like was, were, that, then, etc. but once you get through those revisions, your work will be so much better! Another little celebration is in order! You didn’t give up, even though I’m sure you wanted to, plenty of times.

Do You Want to Celebrate?

I haven’t celebrated every milestone. When I was writing every day, and just continuing with the story, I didn’t celebrate “The End” of each book. I celebrated once I’d gotten as far as I could, which was four completed manuscripts. I didn’t celebrate at the end of each book because I felt like the story wasn’t finished.

A Road Block

Why did I stop at that point in Book Five? The story wasn’t flowing anymore. I felt like I was forcing it. I knew where I needed to go, but it wasn’t happening right then. So, I took a break—I started watching my newborn granddaughter at that point, so it was a nice break, and I started edits and revisions on the first book. Switching up from writing to editing really helped with slowing down and thinking where I wanted to story to go and how to get there. I got back to Book Five—about a year later! In the meantime, though, I found an editor to work on the book, but there was another roadblock—he found out about a month later that he had an illness that would prevent him from working on it in a timely manner. I had told him there was no rush when he took the job, but it was going to be months before he was healthy enough to work on it. So, I had to find another editor, which I did through one of the many writers groups I’m in. I had to adjust my timeline of releasing the books—I had wanted to rapid release them, but there was no way that was going to work. I got the first book released about eight months later than planned, but I celebrated that release! I bought a bottle of Writer’s Tears whiskey, though I’m not a whiskey drinker. I’d shed enough tears on that first book, I wanted them back!

The Final Product

Once those revisions are done, you’ve sent it to the editor, made those revisions, you’ve got everything you need to publish your book (cover, blurb, manuscript formatted)—now it’s time to publish. You get everything uploaded, it passes review, and you order your review copy (I always recommend this). If everything looks good, hit Publish and order your author copies. Nothing feels better than holding that brand-spankin’ new book that YOU wrote in your hands.

Getting into the habit of writing every day will give your productivity a boost, and don’t forget to celebrate all the accomplishments, even if there are roadblocks along the way. You will get through them!

Margena Adams Holmes has been writing ever since she can remember, writing her first poem in 1st grade. At her day job, when she’s not kicking young kids out of R-rated movies, she’s sweeping up spilled popcorn from the hallways and aisles (she’s not your mother, though, so please take your trash out). Her days off consist of writing New Adult fiction, space opera, and more movie theater shenanigans. Reading is a close second to writing, and she normally has her nose buried in a book. Follow the author on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok.