Niamh Hunter asked Frank P. Ryan:

Frank have you ever had difficulty finishing a book? I've been trying to write a book for almost four years now and I can't seem to find the energy to finish it.

Frank P. Ryan Hi Niamh,

I can't ever recall having difficulty finishing a book. Starting one, yes. It suggests you have having some doubts about the story, or its inspiration. Might be an idea to start a new one and then, after a little while working on something new, you may feel a fresh inspiration to return to the book again. This is a very common reaction among writers. Iain M Banks said he wrote or attempted some four books before Wasp Factory was accepted. Then he went back and rewrote one of the previous four and rejigged one that became Consider Phlebas, which was the first of his "Culture" novels. We exchanged books at the stage when he was still writing Look to Windward. I bought Phlebas as a first edition and read it a few years ago and it is still quite ropey compared to his later books, so you can see even today that he was on a learning curve. Most of us went through the same, and perhaps you are too. Don't give up. But park it for a while and take on something new . . .

I hope this helps.

All the best,

Frank

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