How to Keep Momentum Through Long Drafts and Revisions

Every writer hits that moment: the excitement of starting has faded, the finish line feels miles away, and the document you once loved now feels like a mountain you’re not sure you can climb.

Whether you’re 30,000 words into your first draft or deep into a third revision, it’s normal to lose steam. Writing a book is long-haul work. It requires endurance, patience, and an unreasonable level of faith.

If you’re wondering how to keep momentum through long drafts or revisions, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing it wrong. Here’s how to stay connected to your story and keep moving forward without burning out.

Reconnect With Your “Why”

When you’re knee-deep in pages, it’s easy to forget why you started. The plot holes are distracting. The structure is messy. You’ve read chapter twelve so many times you hate it.

This is the moment to step back and ask:
Why did I want to write this book in the first place?
What was the emotional spark? The question you wanted to explore? The image or character or feeling you couldn’t let go of?

Revisiting your “why” doesn’t magically solve pacing issues, but it does remind you what’s worth fighting for. And that clarity can carry you through the hard days.

Set Micro-Goals (and Actually Celebrate Them)

When the goal is “finish the novel,” it’s easy to feel like you’re getting nowhere. But momentum is built on small wins.

Instead of trying to fix the whole draft, try this:

Revise one scene a dayWrite 300 new wordsUntangle one knot in your outlineRead through one chapter with a pen in hand

Then, and this is key, celebrate it.
Cross it off your list. Tell your writing buddy. Mark it on a calendar. Momentum builds not just through progress, but through acknowledging progress.

Every small step is a vote for the writer you’re becoming.

Don’t Confuse Resistance with a Broken Book

Just because your story feels hard to write doesn’t mean it’s broken.

In long drafts, you’ll hit places where things slow down. That’s normal. It doesn’t mean your idea is flawed or your structure is off. It just means you’re tired, or your brain is doing behind-the-scenes work to solve a problem you haven’t consciously cracked yet.

Give it space.
Sometimes momentum looks like walking away for an hour. Or taking a day to write about your character in a journal instead of editing chapter fourteen – again.

Not all progress happens on the page. But it all counts.

Repetition Creates Rhythm

One of the best ways to keep momentum is to write (or revise) at regular intervals. Not because you’re trying to be perfect, but because repetition makes reentry easier.

The more frequently you engage with your manuscript, the less emotional friction there is. You remember where you left off. The characters stay warm in your mind. You spend less time reacclimating and more time writing.

That doesn’t mean you need to work every day. But try to return to the project regularly, on your terms. Momentum isn’t about speed, it’s about rhythm.

Find a Way to Enjoy the Process Again

Somewhere along the way, the fun of writing often gets lost under deadlines, feedback, comparison, or perfectionism.

If you’ve lost your spark, ask:
What would make this part of the process more enjoyable right now?

Could you:

Print out your manuscript and revise by hand?Try writing one scene from a different character’s point of view?Read a book in your genre that reminds you why you love stories like this?Schedule a co-writing session with a friend or group?

Joy is fuel. And long drafts require a lot of it. Don’t be afraid to make the process feel good again.

The Finish Line Is Closer Than It Feels

If you’ve come this far, you already know how to do hard things.

That stuck feeling? It’s often a sign that you’re closer than you think. Most writers want to quit just before a breakthrough, just before the final thread clicks into place or the draft is finally “whole enough” to see clearly.

Keep going.

The only way out is through. And the writer who keeps showing up, imperfectly, inconsistently, but with heart, is the one who finishes.

If you’re looking for a little extra support to keep that momentum going, my free webinar — How to Turn Your Half-Finished Novel into a Completed Manuscript — offers clear, practical tools and encouragement to carry you through. Come join us for a few tips that can keep you moving forward. 

You don’t need to be fast. You just need to keep moving.