I was recently listening to Jon Padgett’s interview on The Lovecraft eZine. Jon mentioned Thomas Ligotti’s ‘victory walk’ upon finishing a story. And it got me thinking, I should celebrate finishing my stories more. Sometimes upon finishing a story I, too, will go for a walk but it’s less a celebration and more about clearing headspace and taking a breather. A mental respite, if you will. Too often, I’ll just move onto the next story which may be good for productivity, but, come on, we’re human beings not production factories, we’ve got to celebrate our victories and finishing a story is one hell of a victory.

Here are some ways you might want to celebrate the completion of a story:

• A glass of wine/bourbon/craft beer/insert your poison here (disclaimer: not encouraging the consumption of actual poison)
• Movie night/trip to the cinema
• Going out for food/eating your favourite home cooked meal
• Playing video games (you finished a story, you deserve Resident Evil 7 in your life)

Personally, I reckon I’ll alternate between most of these including Ligotti’s victory walk—I love getting out in nature, especially with a good audiobook, and that’s what this is all about, creating a celebration that you love.

Now I’m not going to celebrate finishing every single draft (that sounds a little close to procrastination, at least with short stories), but I reckon celebrating the first and final draft is a good rule of thumb. But, hell, that’s just me—you should do whatever you’re comfortable with.

So, over to you, how do you celebrate a finished story? Let me know in the comments or via twitter @wilsonthewriter.