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Ten Ways to Finish (Really, Finish) a Writing Project: Part Five
Sprint to the Finish Line: Manifest Your Goals through the Power of Your Imagination
Holly Lyn Walrath
May 02, 2025
Welcome back to my series on practical ways to finish your book using the power of psychology. Each one of this ten-part series presents a different method you can try to finally just GET IT DONE and WRITE THE FRIGGIN BOOK. If you haven’t read the other articles in this series, you can check them out below:
Manifest Your Goals through the Power of Your Imagination
One of the writer’s most powerful tools is the imagination. Writers are people who can take something that’s just in their mind and translate it to the page and into a compelling story. We think about using the imagination to create—but rarely as part of the book planning process. Outlining, research, and even marketing are often thought of as part of the “logic” brain. But you can also harness your imagination to meet your writing goals.
When I started running, I struggled because I have hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). This means that my joints and body struggle to find their place in space. I often don’t have good sensory input on where my legs are while running. It’s hard to describe, but essentially, I’m at a higher risk of injury because my joints are so lax.
To combat this, I started doing mental exercises to “practice” my run. I would watch videos of runners and imagine the right heel placement and standing up straight. While running, I would visualize my goal and imagine my body succeeding. I was surprised by how much this helped my run.
Research shows that creating a “mental stimulation” or imagining yourself doing something you want to achieve has the same impact as actually practicing that thing. So for example, if you want to run a 10k, you should spend time imagining how you are going to achieve that goal. There are two types of mental stimulation. The first is called “goal rehearsal”, which is the act of imagining yourself achieving a goal. The second is called “process stimulation”, which is the act of imagining yourself completing the steps to a goal. So I might imagine myself running first two miles, then three, then seven miles at one go, and so on.
Manifestation is “the ability to cosmically attract success in life through positive self-talk, visualization, and symbolic actions (e.g., acting as if something is true)” (Dixon et al., 2023, para 1). While I don’t necessarily believe that visualizing a goal is “magic,” I do think it works because you’re priming your brain to be prepared to succeed.
Let’s apply it to writing. The goal is to finish your project. What “finished” looks like may vary for you. Let’s say finished means a draft you can send out to agents or publishers. Now think through the process of getting to that goal. You’ll probably want to revisit the first blog post in this series, where I outline the steps to getting a book published.
The same research says that mental stimulation works for three reasons. One, it basically forces you to come up with a plan. You can only fantasize about reaching a goal for so long before your brain starts thinking of ways to achieve that goal. Secondly, manifesting can help you feel better about yourself. Think about it: Your brain is seeing and imagining you succeed. Enough of that positive thinking, and you’ll eventually believe yourself. Third, manifesting can actually help improve motivation. By imagining yourself taking the steps to finish your goal, you will actually feel more motivated.
Manifesting is something I use in writing every day. When I’m working on a fiction project, I’ve found it really helps me to imagine myself as my character. I put myself in the scene and walk through the events of that scene. This exercise has helped me massively when it comes to figuring out what comes next in a plot. One reason is that I’m a discovery writer (lovingly referred to as a pantser). I need the boost of mystery to fuel my writing process and imagination. This also helps me when I don’t know what happens next. I let my brain churn on it, imagining the plot of the book over and over again until I figure out the next event or character action.
Try this journal exercise: Spend some time manifesting your goal. Write your goal down on a sticky note and put it somewhere you see it every day. Now write 10 steps toward that goal. Imagine yourself going through those steps. How can you create a plan to achieve those steps?
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Upcoming Workshops from Your Host with the Most Writing Prompts, Holly Lyn Walrath
 National Flash Fiction Month: 30 Short Stories in 30 Days This generative workshop is chock full of 30 writing prompts for short story writers. Whether you write micro fiction, flash fiction, or short stories, these 30 prompts are meant to inspire and support you in this unique writing challenge. You've heard of NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month), where poets write 30 poems in 30 days, and you've probably heard of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where writers try to write a novel in a month. Now, you can do the same with short stories. Whether you're writing to a specific theme, assembling stories for a collection, or want to try writing a series of connected stories, this workshop will explore new contemporary structures like The Tryptich or The Wikipedia Entry. Open to writers of all genres--from realism to memoir to speculative fiction. Please note: This class has sold out every time I have offered it. I suggest you register early!  Writing Poetry from the Shadows Since Edgar Allen Poe wrote “Nevermore!” Poetry has played with the elements of horror. Horror poetry is a recognized form, and each year, the Horror Writer’s Association awards the Bram Stoker Award for best dark poetry book. From monsters to ghosts to fairy tales, darkness can be a powerful metaphor to explore trauma, gender, sexuality, and grief. In this workshop, we’ll dive into the shadows and write dark, personal poems using speculative tropes. Tickets on sale soon, check back! |  Writing the Speculative Novel Learn how to write (and finish) a speculative novel from outlining to revising to submissions.  DATE: 4 Weeks Starting September 9th, 2025 Publishing survives on the work of editors. If you’ve ever considered becoming a freelance editor, this workshop will give you the tools needed to get your business started. Learn about the different types of editing, how to structure your editing business, and what resources exist for freelance editors. A nitty-gritty, in-depth guide to becoming a guide for writers.  Confessional Poetry Where does the line between poet and poem blur? The poetry of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Robert Lowell, Randall Jarrell, and Elizabeth Bishop in the 60s, 70s, and 80s became iconic for its controversial use of the “confessional voice.” This genre has arguably shaped contemporary poetry today. In this workshop, we’ll explore what it means to write a confessional poem, but also, how poets can harness personal experience to reach an ideal reader. This workshop juxtaposes classical confessional poetry with contemporary poets who have harnessed the power of trauma to make the private public. Break down barriers, write with authenticity, and embrace the catharsis of confession. |
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 Self-Paced Course: 30 Poems In 30 Days  Self-Paced Course: Journaling for Poets |  Self-Paced Course: Queer Poetics  Self-Paced Course: Writing Resistance Through Erasure, Found Text & Visual Poetry |
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