Finish My Book or Start A New One?

[Akuma]

I'm only 17, almost 18 (cigarettes and smut yay), and I can't say I've ever actually finished a novel. It's always 'write a huge chunk until I think of something better, something that will totally rule and there's no way I can drop it'.

Although it does make good practice, I would like to finish something. I think my tendency to grab at the next shiny thing comes with familiarity with my MC and all the characters in general.
When I start something new, it's driven with a passion for the character, to see where he will go and who he will become.

But after a while, it seems as if I become too familiar with the character. Although I might enjoy new aspects of a character, isn't consistency important?

I would like to take a break from the story, but when I do I find myself thinking about it. And when I sit down to write, I can't think of anything or conjure any inspiration.

I worry that I lack what it takes to be a writer. If I can run out of dedication so easily, despite my love for it, can I really do it? Trudging on doesn't seem right--this is mine and I should have fun.

Is this a case of 'familiarity breeds contempt', or am I just not seeing something here?

Hell, maybe writing is like relationships and I'm just terrified of intimacy. ;)

[IrishScribbler]

Perhaps you're meant to write short fiction?

[virtue_summer]

Have you tried short stories? I was having this problem in college and that's what I did and it let me feel good about still completing projects until I felt able to go back and focus on another novel.

[Sean D. Schaffer]

I don't think it's 'familiarity breeds contempt', so much as it is that you're experimenting with your characters. Maybe you should try to consider this work you're doing as practice. Everyone needs practice in writing. I say write what you love.

Also, what you could do is try for a short short story before you work on a novel. I wrote a lot of those when I was about your age, and they helped jumpstart my imagination when I eventually decided I wanted to write novels.

Whatever you do, I think if you have a love for your characters and the situations you put them in, as well as a love for the written word and for the Craft of Writing, then you have what it takes to be a writer. It just takes time, practice, perseverance, and patience. I'd say keep going. Everyone has doubts; you just have to set the doubts aside and prove them wrong.


I hope this helps. Good luck to you.

:)

[The Lady]

Maybe you're hitting the wall and you do need to trudge through it till you get to the other side.
Maybe just finish one thing, even if it is a trudge to see what you learn from that.
Or do as I saw Orson Scott Card advise, take whatever new idea is pounding at you, and insist it has to get incorporated into the existing work. I've tried it and I've been amazed how well it works out.

Anyway, best of luck with it.

[icerose]

Well you have a few options.

1. You can outline a novel and write it. (or just write it but an outline can force you to keep going)

2. You can write short stories.

3. You can give up writing.

Not all writing is fun. Sometimes it's downright painful. There are hard times and good times and bad times and great times during the writing process. They call it the mid book slump for a reason.

No one can write for you, no one can force you into it.

So either you do it, or you don't do it.

Good luck on your decision.

Sara

[Akuma]

3. You can give up writing.





No.



Don't mean to shoot you down, but that simply is not and never will be an option for me.

[icerose]

No.



Don't mean to shoot you down, but that simply is not and never will be an option for me.

Good. Now that you know that, your choices are considerably narrowed.

[swvaughn]

Consistency is important, but your MC has to change in some way through the course of the story. That's what will keep you from getting bored with him. Yes, he should remain in character, but only so when the time comes for him to act out of character, it's just jaw-dropping awesome.

Play with him. Stick him in a tree and throw rocks at him. Throw some curveballs his way, and see how he reacts. And if all else fails, give yourself permission to write absolute drivel until something cool happens, and then go back and edit the hell out of the drivel part.

But stick with it. It feels SO good to complete a novel. :D

[swvaughn]

BTW, I love your name. I have a character named Akuma. He's not boring. I bet you aren't either.

[icerose]

Also remember that at least half of writing is re-writing. I know Uncle Jim gives you permission to write a bad first draft.

[Marlys]

Same thing happened when I was your age...in my case, it turned out I really wasn't ready to write a novel. The great thing about being young, though, is that you get over it. ;)

I never gave up writing, but I didn't finish a novel until I was 39. Other things got in the way: school, work, family. There just comes a time (and it could come earlier for you than it did for me--or later) when you realize that if you want to get a book published, you have to write it. That sounds simplistic, but the drive has to be there, and it sounds like it isn't yet for you.

In the meantime, keep writing: short stories, essays, poems, practice pieces. And read, constantly. Then, when the novel you have to write grabs you, you'll already have many of the skills in place you need to produce it.

Best of luck!

[icerose]

I must have been lucky because I was able to finish one at that age. At any rate, know yourself, your limits, your dreams, your expectations and yada yada and apply what works best for yourself.

[Chasing the Horizon]

I use to have the same problem as you, Akuma, although I never got more than 15,000 words in before I got bored and went on to something else. I finished a few short stories and a lot of poetry, but that was it.

Then last year I had this idea for these three characters (no details beyond that at the beginning, just names and basic traits). It was originally supposed to be a Pirates Of The Caribbean fanfic novella (+/- 40,000 words).

Well, I started developing the characters more thoroughly and then I started drafting the outline and it just took off. I dropped all the fanfic elements, and expanded it into a novel, which became a trilogy.

I have been working with these same characters since August of 2006 and have written over 200,000 words about them (counting outlines and notes). I am more interested by them now than I was in the beginning. They never stop surprising and amazing me.

When you have the right characters and the right idea, then you won't want to quit. Unfortunately, there's no way to magically come up with perfect characters that will never bore you. It just kinda happens by accident. But I'm not much older than you (19), so you might not have to wait long. :)

[Gabriel]

I used to have the same problem, I would have more ideas as I wrote something and be forced to write ten stories all at once. No, I stopped, wrote down ideas in note book then put them away. If you have trouble, start on short stories and work your way up. Or write in chapters, that should keep you going if done right.

[James D. Macdonald]

Pick a book.

Finish it. Slog through any way you can.

Then pick another, and finish it.

If you never finish a book, you'll never learn how to write endings.

You're allowing the Dread Mid-Book to stop you.

[Raphee]

Familiarity does breed contempt. It's a lesson i am learning. I hate some of my characters and absolutely love others. I hate my WIP and then think it needs some more work.
i think some folks will love it but so what ; the vast majority shall hate it. At times I hate it.
I have no idea if my writing is good or bad. I just wish I knew.
perhaps I will when i start doing submissions. That's the only way to find out. Right.

[NeuroFizz]

Sorry to be blunt, but you have developed a mighty bad writing habit. The solution is discipline. Finish a damn book.

[Jamesaritchie]

No.



Don't mean to shoot you down, but that simply is not and never will be an option for me.

Quitting is the option you've already chosen. You haven't written anything until you finish something. You can't even practice good beginnings until you've written an ending. The opening depends on the ending, and the ending depends on the opening.

I don't think familiarity breeds contempt has anything to do with it. You're choosing to quit. If you want to be a writer you have to choose to finish. It's as simple as this.

[Shadow_Ferret]

When I started out I wrote mostly short stories. The idea of writing anything longer was a dream to me. I marveled at anyone who could string that many words together.

Every attempt at a novel failed after about four chapters. I either ran out of steam or ran into a wall within the story. I never thought I'd actually finish a novel.

So I kept reading. Kept writing. Submitted short stories. Until one day it just came to me, an idea. Could this be the one? I started writing it, and kept on writing and writing and writing and before I knew it I had knocked out almost 200,000 words and completed my first novel. (Needs lots of work, but it's done!)

Now I'm finishing up edits on my second novel and will be shopping it around soon.

So don't panic, don't worry, don't stress. Just keep reading novels. And keep writing. One day you'll have that "Ah-ha!" moment and before you know it, you'll have a completed novel under your wings.

[CaroGirl]

I agree with those who have said that you haven't written anything until you've finished something. Getting bored is a poor excuse. Not finishing is the same as quitting.

Write short stories if you have to, but you must finish what you start or don't bother starting. Some find that outlining helps get them out of a slump.

Good luck.

[Akuma]

All right, thank you for your suggestions everyone. I'll do my best to work on my faults and not to let this stop me. I've decided not to let me stop me.


Now if you excuse me, I have some ass kicking to do.

[Jamesaritchie]

I have some ass kicking to do.

I think most sucessful writers have a perpetually sore ass from repeated self-kicking.

[Yuallica]

I had a similar problem when I was first writing novel length things; for me the block was at around 6000-7000 words in, and it was boredom with the plot, not characters. Don't know if it will help you, but the way I got through it was, write until you're nearly at the point where you start to lose interest, then think of something to make the next bit more interesting (if it doesn't fit you can always edit it out later) and write like crazy!

If that fails, just try and push through and keep writing, even if it ends up being a shorter novel than you were aiming for. The first one I finished shouldn't really be called more than a novella, but I finished it, and found it easier to carry on with other projects once I'd actually finished something.

Good luck on completing something, and keep trying!

[spike]

If you want to use a cliche to describe what you are doing, try THE GRASS IS ALWAYS GREENER. Those new ideas are so sexy when compared to the old one you're writing. But you have to finish what you start, even if you don't feel like it. By the end of my last mss, I wanted to have the MC take a gun and kill all of her friends. Not such a good idea in a book for 8-12 year olds!

This is why it is recommended that you put the finished mss away for at least a month or two, so you have some distance. I think it is so you stop hating your characters.

The way I deal with New Idea-itis is by making notes about the idea, then going back to work on my WIP. One day a week I allow myself to take out my new idea notebook and play with one of the stories.

It keeps me on track.

BTW, this weekend I'm attending a workshop called "Muddle in the Middle" sponsored by my writing group. So your not the only one who has trouble with this!

[SC Harrison]

Consistency is important, but your MC has to change in some way through the course of the story. That's what will keep you from getting bored with him. Yes, he should remain in character, but only so when the time comes for him to act out of character, it's just jaw-dropping awesome.



I agree.

As in real life, the environment will bring about change in the character, and the character will bring about change in the environment. This is similar to Locard's principle of exchange, although that deals mainly with trace evidence.

People change. Sometimes they change for the better, sometimes for the worse, but they rarely remain static. The neat thing about fiction is you can do anything you want with the character. The bad thing about fiction is...you can do anything you want with the character. ;)

[AndreaGS]

I was the exact same way when I was your age, writing maybe 10 or 15 chapters, and then moving onto a newer, better idea. It takes a lot of discipline to finish a novel, especially when the beginning and end may be so clear in your head, but the middle is a little fuzzy.

I'd try writing up an outline. I got seven chapters into my current work before doing this. Try some different methods of outlining - if one doesn't work for you, try a different one until you find one that sticks. For me, it was laying it all out in excel, chapter by chapter, seeing what plots and subplots were touched on in each chapter, whose pov each chapter was from, and making sure each chapter had a beginning, middle, and end. I printed this out, stuck it to my wall, and I highlight each chapter as I finish it.

Breaking it down that way made it so much easier for me, and it gave me something non-fuzzy to deal with for that dreaded middle-book.

Set yourself a daily/weekly/monthly word goal. Writing is all about putting words on a page, and if you can't do that, you'll never reach the end. Set aside "writing time".

I'm 24 now, and just a few chapters away from finishing my first novel! It seems an insurmountable task sometimes, but when you break it down into mini-goals, and meet those goals, you'll be surprised at how fast you reach your BIG goal!

Best of luck with your ass-kicking!

P.S. These messageboards have been invaluable for the information, support, and feedback I've received. Stick around!

[jess b]

Yeah. Writing isn't just fun. It's discipline.

To be frank, I lacked the necessary discipline at 18, 19, 22.... My creative writing teachers in college would get on my ass about the fact that I quite obviously didn't write my short stories until the night before they were due, but I couldn't give my writing the urgency that, say, a paper or on exam (or a really good party) had for me. Don't know why.

Anyway, when I was 23, I had an idea for a novel that I really liked--even though it wasn't in the genre that I fantasized about being published in (ah, hubris). But one day, when I was unemployed and thoroughly sick of myself, I made the following bargain:

I will write 4 pages (by hand, single-spaced, no margins) per day for 100 days, or I am not allowed to entertain the thought of "being a writer someday" ever again. Period.

I did it, and at the end of the 100 days I was so close to the end of my novel that I pushed through and finished it.

Although grad school got in the way of my writing for the next couple of years, I think that that process really honed my ability to force myself to write even when the story seemed stale, and my writing incompetent. Trying something like that might help you. Or, you could take comfort in the thought that, just because you can't finish a novel now, that doesn't mean you'll never be able to. Frankly, I'm glad I spent my college years doing all the idiotic things I did, even if it meant I had no novel to show for it at the end.

[CheshireCat]

When I started out, very young, I jumped from one idea to another, grabbing at the shiny new ones, impatient when my typing fingers couldn't keep up with my zooming thoughts.

Didn't know any other writers then. No Internet then. (Yes, I hid in caves from dinosaurs.) But I wanted to be a writer, so I kept pushing onward. Eventually, THE idea came, the one that kept me interested and involved, the one whose ending I wanted to know.

And I finished one. And published one. And began a career.

These days, the bright and shiny new ideas still come when I'm partway through the WIP, but I've learned to shove 'em in the pot bubbling away on the back burner. Because now I know I'll get to them, sooner or later. And that they'll probably be the better for that cooking time.

[Still Seaking]

I have a dilemma that I would like to get some feedback on. I started a novel in either late 2002 or early 2003. It was never finished but placed on hold. I am thinking of working on it again but (here is my dilemma) in some ways it is similar to “Twilight.” Groan if you must.

The story has some type of supernatural things going on, I’m not sure if anyone is a vampire, I didn’t get that far but it is possible. I have never been into science fiction so the words that poured out of my veins in the beginning were somewhat foreign to me but I knew enough to know it was good. The first chapter was released for feedback on another writing board and other than editorial needs it received very positive feedback.

Now, after Stephanie Meyer’s success with “Twilight” I’m really kicking myself for not at the very least finishing this book which I have never given up on, I just placed it on the back burner.

Regardless of your like or dislike for the “Twilight” series, I have been inspired by it. But I don’t want to come across as copying her idea or trying to be the next “Twilight,” after all my book was started at least two years before “Twilight.” So, in your opinion, what should I do? Should I start working on it again or should I wait until the hype associated with “Twilight” settles down, however long that may be.

I have a very strong creative vibe running right now that I am attempting to reign in and I have a few projects I am thinking of starting but I would like to finish the original book I just don’t know if business wise if that would be a good thing or not plus I would have to read and probably rewrite some of it and I’m not sure how that would affect the creative energy I have flowing. It’s been so long since I have felt anyting like this I don’t want to loose it. Given the fact that I do like the “Twilight” series and the similarities between the two if I should even attempt to work on it until I have separated myself more and it’s no longer something I deal with on a daily bases (my daughter has asked me to read the series to her –she’s a very strong reader but still likes the mother/daughter time spent when reading together) and we have just started “New Moon.”.

Please give me some feedback as to whether or not you think I should start working on this book again or if I should keep it on the backburner for now and start working on one of the other stories I have in my head.

Thanks,

SS

[Jerry B. Flory]

Yes.

[2Wheels]

Go ahead and finish it. From your post it sounds as though you don't actually know where the story's leading anyway. If it was already written and paralleled Twiglet in a substantial number of elements, then maybe no, but it doesn't sound like you ever made it that far.

[FOTSGreg]

Yeah, finish it. Find out where the story's going.

Oh, and for future reference, Twilight is not science fiction, it's vampire romance, a vastly different genre.

:-)

[Still Seaking]

Okay, thanks for the feedback. I’ve printed out what I have and am going to start reading it to see if I can get back into it now. Anybody else with feedback?

FOTSGreg, thanks, I know it isn’t science fiction and I didn’t meant to imply that it was but the story I have could go that way, possibly, I think. Again, that’s not my normal read and it is very different from what I normally write, or wrote. Thanks for bringing it to my attention that I made it sound like I thought Twilight was so I could clarify myself. :-)

SS

[NeuroFizz]

Consider this--even if you had that story finished and even if you had an agent for it right now, it still would be around two years before it would be published. Who is to know what the state of the Twighlight series will be in two years, what all of the spin-offs will do to the vampire romance market, and what the next hot thing will be.

To echo Uncle Jim's frequently repreated phrase (which is golden, but paraphrased here), just write an excellent story and it will find a publishing home.

[RobJ]

You started writing a novel a few years ago but stopped. You have a lot of other projects you feel like starting. Why go back to something that might look like you're trying to jump on the Twilight bandwagon? If you do, you'll probably join many other authors trying to do the same.

Cheers,
Rob

[tehuti88]

Without reading the other replies--I would say to work on the project that inspires you or motivates you the most. If it's the book you're afraid is too similar to "Twilight," then work on that. Don't bother worrying if it's too similar to that book because by the time it's done that might not be an issue anymore--and it could always end up completely different. There are too many factors to know for sure.

If you think you could do the story justice by working on it now when you feel so inspired, then do that, because that passion can show up in the writing and improve it. Don't even worry about the whole business angle for now. Ditto with your other works--if THEY seem more promising to you, work on those. Go where the passion is.

Good luck, whatever you do. :)

[echnos]

Vampire stories have been around for well more than a century, new vampire stories will continue to be published for...who knows how long. Vampires are popular for a reason, and that likely won't die away just because one person wrote one series that made scads of money despite everything.

I only read half of Twilight before giving it away. But I do know it is about a girl who is not a strong person (which was the absolute turnoff for me)...heck just having a strong female character who doesn't need sparkly vampires to take care of herself would be welcome. Smack smack that was mean, I know, but Bella truly, truly filled me with far more horror than any vampire ever would.

I suppose some may think there is a vampire bandwagon now because of her...but that would discount, in my mind, all the really good vampire fiction authors out there right now who have been writing before Twilight came along. Who knows why Meyers hit a cord like she did--Edward I suppose--but believe me, there are alot of us out there who love vampire stories who ran screaming from this series, who long for new good vampire fiction.

There is nothing wrong with being inspired by others' works. Of course not. Just make the story your own, and enjoy yourself. Besides--the Twilight series is done. It'll fade. But the hunger for new blood--bwa ha ha ha--never will.

Good luck!

[Gillhoughly]

The story has some type of supernatural things going on, I’m not sure if anyone is a vampire, I didn’t get that far but it is possible.

If you aren't sure, then get yourself there before going any farther. You don't have to outline, but writers need to know at least in a general way the basic premise of a story, and it should be established in that first chapter.

I, the editor, need to see that or I'm likely to not buy your book. I'm on my way home after a long day of slogging through slush and reading your book while on a subway full of potential muggers. HOOK me so I forget all about them and miss my stop home.

But I don’t want to come across as copying her idea or trying to be the next “Twilight,” after all my book was started at least two years before “Twilight.” Unless another publisher released it first, it doesn't count.

Though a century old guy finding anything interesting about a teen chick (beyond avoiding statutory rape) is a very silly idea to me. He may look like a teen, but he ISN'T a teen. What the hell do they talk about when the heavy breathing bits are done? I'm not nearly that old and have no idea what to talk about with a teen and thankfully have absolutely NO interest in dating one. (Yuk! Eww!)

Now if Edward LOOKED his age that would make things really disgusting! A dirty old vampire getting cozy with an under-aged chick makes for a nasty mental picture--triple eww!

So, in your opinion, what should I do? Should I start working on it again or should I wait until the hype associated with “Twilight” settles down, however long that may be. Our opinions should not matter. This is YOUR project. Your asking a bunch of strangers to tell you what to do. We'll offer plenty of opinions, but only you know the real answer.

If you've never finished anything before, then finish it, 'cause you need that milestone. Make it different from Twilight. The hype won't die down.

You DO need to read more, because those books aren't that good.

Try Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires (http://www.rachelcaine.com/Morganville.html) series. It's about a college town designed and run by vampires and the writing is 20 times better.

Um, better make that 100 times better.

I have a very strong creative vibe running right now that I am attempting to reign in.Why? Just go with it. What you write doesn't matter, it's the practice that matters. I've reams of stuff in my files that I had to write or burst. Do it.

I just don’t know if business wise if that would be a good thing or notYou don't need to worry about that now. By the time you do, you'll be working on something else. That's just how it works.

One year I was determined to buy a PT Cruiser. I did my research. It was the perfect car for me. It had everything I wanted. When I drove home that day I was going to be in a PT Cruiser!

I drove home in another car altogether. Fell in love with the thing. It turned out to be even MORE perfect for me.

So it went with my writing. I was going to do the next big Tolkien-style fantasy trilogy. Seriously. I was. The words burned in me to get out, so I wrote them.

Not one word of it has ever been published, but the work did me a world of good and I eventually wrote and sold something wholly different.

Please give me some feedback as to whether or not you think

What we think doesn't and shouldn't matter. Don't look for outside validation for your choices. You already know what you want to do, so DO it.

Don't worry about this stuff or you'll only give yourself convenient excuses to not work.

Just write!
.

[Karen Duvall]

I think you really need to go with your gut. Work on the Twilight knock-off only if you're excited about the story, and not because you think the book might ride the coat tails of Myers' success. It wasn't a story about a teenage girl and a vampire that hooked so many readers, it was how that story was told. I realize many would disagree, but Myers has a unique voice that resonates for readers, and that's what sold her books. Not the hackneyed premise.

It doesn't sound like you write very often, so why not experiment with your other ideas to see where they lead you. It's possible you'll come up with something even better than Twilight. That would be worth the trouble of writing something new, don't you think? Good luck!

[James D. Macdonald]

Finish or start something new?

Finish. How else will you learn to write endings and revise entire works?

Then start something new.

[Yeshanu]

Finish. How else will you learn to write endings and revise entire works?

Then start something new.


I was going to say...

If this is your first book (and I very strongly get the feeling that it is, but correct me if I'm wrong), it probably isn't something that is going to be published anyhow. You'll learn much more from finishing it than you will from starting something new.

[Greenwolf103]

I have a similar problem. I started writing a story some time back and stopped because it was too similar to real world events going on (in politics). Time passed, I wrote other stories, other books, other projects. Now that the whole hoopla about the political debate has passed (I hope!), I'm ready to tackle the story again and FINISH IT.

Because, until I finish it, it's going to keep hanging over my head as UNFINISHED.

An unfinished story amid all of the other FINISHED ones.

If you want to finish it, go for it. Writing a story until you finish it is a very important part of being a writer. See your story through until the end. What counts is that your desire to work on the story is there. This will help you see it through. Good luck!

[HeronW]

Everything is fodder and has possibilities. Twilight is a knock off of many other good-guy vamp/monster loves mortal girl going back to 'Eros and Psyche' redone as 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' fairy tale & Cocteau's film 'Beauty and the Beast'--awesome flick!

Do it good, do it with love.

[Gynn]

If it feels like a chore, don't do it.

[scarletpeaches]

Even chores have to be performed if they're to be completed.

I don't think any novel is fun 100% of the time while you're writing it.

Published authors are the ones who push through the wall and get it finished anyway.

[kristie911]

Go with your gut. If you're being pulled back to this story, then finish it. But if your heart isn't in it, then move on to something else.

[Red.Ink.Rain]

The book I recently finished was actually inspired by Ted Dekker's Black. I wasn't trying to plaigerize, but it just happened. However, after the first and second drafters and the fourth round of revisions, it became my own book - not necessarily a knock-off of another's writing.

All that to say, write what you want to write and it will become your own. Your characters will develop their own voices and your plot will develop its own twists. Don't worry about that. Just write what's in your soul. :)

*nods sagely*

[NeuroFizz]

If it feels like a chore, don't do it.
This comment is NOT directed at Gynn--it's a general comment. For many new and developing writers, this strategy (or personal philosophy if that's what it is for some people) is a recipe for a hard disc full of half-finished writing projects.

[TnD]

I think that Neuro's comment rings true. For fledgling writers trying to find their voice, stick with it and finish the story. For those that have written more than one story (completely, including revisions and submissions), then it's a completely different ball-game.

Still : Finish the novel. Revise it. Then give it out for people to read and get their opinions on it. Vampires have been around forever. You're not treading on any new ground here. But, you'll know what it feels like to finish something you've dedicated so much time to. Believe me, when I finally finished my first novel, I almost cried because I spent so much time developing and falling in love with my characters.

But, it's part of writing. Finish the old and start anew. Hey, who knows, you may have something going in your novel! I'd suggest reading through what you've written and go from there. Don't feed off of the Twilight series as being the basis for your story. You can write your own story. If some items are similar, that's going to happen. I mean, how many stories can you write about any subject that aren't going to have characteristics of other stories?

[ChaosTitan]

Thirding NeuroFizz.

Writing isn't always about "inspiration" and "loving your story." Sometimes it's work, and that's when you have to push through to finish. So push through, because there's this wonderful sense of achievement from writing THE END on a piece you can't get by starting your thirteenth unfinished draft. So finish, even if it's crap. That's what revising is for.

[Bluestone]

I'm echoing the majority - finish it. You loved it at one point, it sounds as if the premise is interesting and fun and the time isn't wasted. You are honing your skill, getting the creative juices flowing, and finishing something you've started. So maybe it becomes a Trunk Novel. You will still be a better writer at the end and you'll never know what might have been if you don't give it a go.

Good luck!

[AuthorGuy]

Thirding NeuroFizz.

Writing isn't always about "inspiration" and "loving your story." Sometimes it's work, and that's when you have to push through to finish. So push through, because there's this wonderful sense of achievement from writing THE END on a piece you can't get by starting your thirteenth unfinished draft. So finish, even if it's crap. That's what revising is for.
That's what happened to me with St. Martin's Moon. I'd been suffering with it for a while, but finally I just sat down and plowed my way through the last few chapters just to get them done. Shortly after that I had a sudden epiphany, realized what the story was really about, and revised a great many parts to support the conclusion. Unfortunately I can't write the query letter, but still, the book is done.

[Gynn]

This comment is NOT directed at Gynn--it's a general comment. For many new and developing writers, this strategy (or personal philosophy if that's what it is for some people) is a recipe for a hard disc full of half-finished writing projects.

I can't believe you directed that at me!!
:tongue

Maybe I'm lucky; I haven't reached a point so far where I've lost interest in my project, even during the snipping process(es). Of course, my life isn't exactly exciting to begin with, so writing seems like the best of fun!

[ChaosTitan]

Unfortunately I can't write the query letter, but still, the book is done.

Query letters are difficult, because you're switching gears from telling a story to SELLING a story. Hard, hard, hard.

But you've finished the book, so you're one step ahead of a lot people. :)

[Still Seaking]

Thanks for all of your opinions. I have printed out the latest version and am now reading it and will try to get back into it. I will finish it and will try to do so now and if I feel something in me that has to come out, I will write it and put it aside until I finish if it will allow. I’m going with my guts on this and all of my writing from now on. Personally as a writer I can’t control what I write (well fiction at least), it controls me. But I will trudge through it until it’s done and will only work on other products to get then out and down so I can go back to them, unless of course they demand to be finished. But this book will be finished. Thanks again.

Uncle Jim I am honored to have you voice your opinion on my first thread in this forum. I have admired, listened to and looked up to you for years. Gillhoughly, great advice from all points, at times it felt like a swift kick but a much needed one. To everyone else, you’ve really helped me out and given me some courage to continue.

For the record, I know it is my decision but I was going back and forth which is why I brought it to the board. I am going to combine everybody’s advice and it will be finished but not at the sake of something that is demanding to come out now. And to quote Gillhoughly (sorry I can’t figure out how to quote just a part of what was said) I will “Just Write!”

[The_Red_Wing]

Here's the thing. I've written complete short stories. I've written first drafts of novels. But I've never completed a novel yet, meaning rewrites and all that. Now my dilemma with my current novel: I wrote the first draft, put it aside for several months while I worked on short stories, then came back to it. Now that I'm re-writing it, I find all my passion and enthusiasm for it gone. Sure, there's good parts, parts where I see the flickers of that passion, but I'm having a really hard time getting into it. Now I'm wondering if it's a better use of my time writing something else that I'm passionate about and maybe not have that long of a layover this time.

I've read on here somewhere that some people believe that if it's not working during the rewrites, they just stop and decide it's better worth their time working on something else. I don't know; I don't want to give myself permission to "give up". At the same time, I don't want to waste time on something I'm not passionate about (I don't want to say "something I don't care about" because I don't think I'm there yet).

[Broadswordbabe]

I think most people have times when they fall out of love with what they're working on. It took me several years to get to the point of pushing through that to, firstly, finish a draft, then rewrite it. And rewrite it again, as many times as necessary.
But you have to push through those times or you'll never end up with a piece that is ready to submit. It's easy to be distracted by a shiny new idea, but they all get tarnished in the process of writing and have to be polished up in rewrites before they're nice and shiny enough again to catch an editor's or agen'ts eye.

[alleycat]

Well, as you're no doubt aware, no one can really say but you.

Here's an idea. Talk it through, either with yourself or others. Try to pinpoint why you've lost your passion for the story. Was it because it wasn't really a "big enough" story from the start, or because you're just sick of working on the same story when so many other interesting stories beckon, or because there is something naggingly wrong with the story but you're not sure what, or . . . (there could be a dozen reasons).

Sometimes you can find renewed passion or inspiration by reading a good book along similar lines to the one you're working on (not to try to copy anything, but just to remind yourself how good a story can be), or by reading a helpful book on writing (if you're not of the type that thinks any kind of instruction shouldn't be needed for "true art"). Sometimes one little spark will set off other sparks.

[Mark W.]

As Alleycat (and many other I am sure) said, only you can give the red light to stop working on something. If you have lost your passion for the novel, then either it 1)really isn't that great of a novel 2) there is something wrong with the plot/structure, or 3) the story has drifted far from your original inspiration.

You need to find out the reason for the drop off and decide to fix the novel or not. If you decide that it is not worth fixing, then go forward with your new project with no regrets.

[Terie]

Actually, most professional writing isn't about passion and enthusiasm. It's about work.

It comes down to what you want out of writing. Do just you want to write when the passion and enthusiasm strike you, or do you want your work to be published?

If all you want is that thrilling experience of writing when the writing is hot, then just do that. There's nothing wrong with it.

But if you want to be published, well, it's like any other job: sometimes, it's just work and nothing but work. You'll never be published if you only ever work on first drafts when an idea is hot and shiny and sparkling. To get published, you have to work through the rest of the process.

So what you need to do is ask yourself what you're writing for, and then make decisions on what to work on based on the answer.

There's no right or wrong answer, only what's right for you right now. You might decide that at this point in time, you just want to write for the pure joy and fun of writing. In which case, you should write what gives you joy and is of Teh Fun. Maybe later, you'll decide that you really do want to be published, and then it'll be time to hunker down and start reworking your existing material.

It's all good.

[cutecontinent]

It's easy to get discouraged.

But I recently read an interview with some huge Australian author (forget his name, sure someone else will comment).

Anyway he said every single novel he's written, he felt like it was crap and wanted to give up halfway through the first draft as he fell out of love with it. Also, my favorite authors, two unknown Russian brothers, often planned their novels out intricately, sometimes for months, before even writing at all. And their writing is fantastic. It must have felt tedious spending so much time on their novels, but not everyone blazes through.

So just because you've fallen out of love with a novel doesn't mean you can't finish it or it won't sell. Maybe there's an inherent story problem you're subconsciously picking up on. Dunno.

Post some stuff on SYW to see how well people like your writing.

[Jettica]

If it is down to improving your writing, flow, pace etc. then it will feel more like work. I've found in writing my novel that I've fallen in and out of love with it many times, even during the writing process. Now that I'm editing the correcting of grammar and mistake fixing is boring and very much like work. But the scenes I get to add in are exciting all over again.

Like everyone has said, it's down to you but I'd say push through for a bit. See how you feel when you've tidied up the first draft. Then let SYW or some beta readers have a look over it.

[Lmc71775]

Just like in Spiderman when the Green Goblin breaks the glass of the hospital where Aunt May is praying "And deliver us from..." and then she stops in horror as the Green Goblin swoops in and says "FINISH IT!"

[Linda Adams]

You won't stay passionate during a project, especially during the rewriters when you're trying to fix things. That's where it's going to get frustrating and disinheartening because you're going to see so many mistakes and problems--and you're also looking at the immediate part of the book. If necessary, take a fun day or a week off for some clarity.

And at the same time, really think about the merits of the book. There was something that made you want to write it. After an agent gave me personal comments, which were unfortunately right, I had to go back into a revision (in this case, a revision workshop) to fix it. I thought about going to a new project, and I also thought about starting it over. I'm glad I didn't do either, despite how bad the revision truly got. I had two signficant problems that I have always had. I thought that I could fix one, and that the other was generally unsolvable (subplots. Since books don't always have them, I was going to do without). Then I really spent a lot of time working on the first one, and by doing that, it revealed that the first one was causing the second one--they're now both fixed. There's nothing more satisfying when you solve a major problem. And the reality is that if I'd decided to start on another project, those two problems would have ended up in that story and caused the same frustration.

Creating the project is all fine and dandy, but revision is where your work becomes better, something publishable.

[NeuroFizz]

Writing is not all tiptoes through alpine meadows of tulips and it's not all faerie dust and sparkly eyes. And it's not all passionate and inspirational. Some of it is down right hard work (as others have mentioned). Successful writers realize they have to work through the hard parts, which stir no passion. They also realize that to wait for that passion and inspiration to get working on those hard parts will likely stall the project into never-neverland.

You (the OP) should be congratulated. You have cleared the hurdle that catches most beginning and developing writers--you have completed the first draft. Many writers lose passion and motivation part way through that first draft and give up there. Now you have the opportunity to tweak that story, to trim it and decorate it and make it shine. That's not easy, and it may seem daunting when looked at in its entirety. Give the story a complete read-through (some people do it out loud), but do not stop to make any changes. Just develop some notation for editorial changes and make those notations in the margins or circle problematic parts. With the full-story evaluation, issues will jump out, and that makes it easier to let your mind work through solutions. There is passion in finding solutions to those problems, but it takes work to find the solutions. Few things in writing are as satisfying as finding a creative solultion to a problem in a story.

Giving up at this point could well push you in the direction of one of the most destructive habits writers can develop--giving up when the project hits the hard parts. Writing novel-length stories is a very different animal than writing shorts, and it takes a very different degree of self-discipline. Don't let yourself go down this road.

[Pistol Whipped Bee]

I don't want to waste time on something I'm not passionate about (I don't want to say "something I don't care about" because I don't think I'm there yet).

Are you able to take yourself back to the day you started working on it? What were you thinking then? What were your plans? Why was it such a good idea? That's what I'd do if I were you - try to remember.

[Danthia]

Passion is one thing, but do you like and enjoy the story and do you think you want to finish it and see it on the shelf one day. Not a "I'd like to be published one day" but "I want THAT story to sell." If so, plug away at it and make it worthy of selling. If not, then put it aside and write something new.

Not everything we write is worth pursuing. Sometimes we grow bored with it, sometimes we realize it won't really work well, sometimes we hate the idea once it's down. Nothing wrong with that. Lots of folks will say plug away and do it to prove to yourself you can. If that's your goal (or your fear that you can't) then I say go for it, but if it's not, why do something you don't want to do? Working on a project you don't care about it a sure way to make sure the reader doesn't care either.

As others have said, professional writers don't write out of passion all the time. I wanted to beat some of my novels to death with bricks before they were done. I still loved the story, but I was so sick of fighitng with it. Some turned out great, others wound up on the back burner. Only you can tell which yours is.

You won't be wasting your time with it if you finish it. Since it's your first novel, you'll learn a LOT doing it. Even if you never do more than finish it, you're still ahead and will have better skills going into the next novel.

Bottom line... do you want to finish it?

[Phaeal]

I say go ahead and finish this novel to the best of your abilities. Even if it goes nowhere, you'll have learned another lesson in the perseverence and discipline without which none, in terms of a novelist's career.

[Charlie Horse]

I would urge you to follow through, even if it's just a couple of more rounds of edits before you say "voila". Much of lessons learned from completing a novel have nothing to do with writing technique and passion, but sheer discipline. What you take away from pushing through and finishing a project you're not passionate about is well worth the time you put into it. Whether or not this book is the one or if it's the lessons learned from the process that will make a future work better, follow it through to completion.

Of course, what the hell do I know.

[heza]

Passion is one thing, but do you like and enjoy the story and do you think you want to finish it and see it on the shelf one day. Not a "I'd like to be published one day" but "I want THAT story to sell." If so, plug away at it and make it worthy of selling. If not, then put it aside and write something new.



Agreed. Not liking a story anymore is different from just not liking the part of the process you're currently tackling. You have to decide which it is that you're really feeling and act accordingly.

[amrose]

I say finish. I've hit a major bump in my novel since a character I hadn't planned on comming into this story decided now was the time. I don't know him as well as the others so I'm a the end of my book and really struggling with this scene. It's discouraging because the rest of the book just flowed out and now it's like the character's turned to brittle cardboard.

I dread picking up work now because I know for a fact what I'm writing isn't what I want. My plan is grit my teeth and put it down even though I know it sucks (which I can't stand).

You have more of a second pass lag seems like. Maybe it's the mentality of correcting that's getting you down?

[Susan Littlefield]

I am a true believe that you must always finish what you write...even if it is years later. :D

[maestrowork]

"Quitting" is for losers. Don't be one.

Finish. The. Book.

[quicklime]

Here's the thing. I've written complete short stories. I've written first drafts of novels. But I've never completed a novel yet, meaning rewrites and all that. Now my dilemma with my current novel: I wrote the first draft, put it aside for several months while I worked on short stories, then came back to it. Now that I'm re-writing it, I find all my passion and enthusiasm for it gone. Sure, there's good parts, parts where I see the flickers of that passion, but I'm having a really hard time getting into it. Now I'm wondering if it's a better use of my time writing something else that I'm passionate about and maybe not have that long of a layover this time.

I've read on here somewhere that some people believe that if it's not working during the rewrites, they just stop and decide it's better worth their time working on something else. I don't know; I don't want to give myself permission to "give up". At the same time, I don't want to waste time on something I'm not passionate about (I don't want to say "something I don't care about" because I don't think I'm there yet).


I haven't looked, but I suspect a lot of folks are cheerleading, giving you the "go, go, you can do it!!!" speech.

Not a bad theory, but in the end you sort of need to make the decision for yourself. On one hand, surely you do not believe Stephen King skips to his chair every morning, whistling and grinning like an idiot, do you? Sometimes you simply got to suck it up. On the other hand, why are you drafting stuff, then deliberately taking a break to tinker with other projects, and then coming back? that sounds a bit like self-sabotage, especially since you mentioned yourself that it happens and you have yet to finish anything, so perhaps you should scrap this for the time being and just next story you sit to work on, shit or commit, instead of waffling.

Your choice, no right or wrong answer, although in your case it does sound like you might benefit from working start to finish on one project instead of bouncing back and forth aimlessly like a puppy on a sunny spring lawn. Focus, grasshoppah

[Graz]

It is better to finish a bad novel then to leave a good one half finished.

[dangerousbill]

I don't know; I don't want to give myself permission to "give up". At the same time, I don't want to waste time on something I'm not passionate about


Some folks get their jollies from the first draft, others from the rewriting process, a precious few from both. One way to get past this is to stop thinking of the revision as a 'passion' and think of it as work--the work needed to get the thing finished.

It's like building a house where you like doing the framing and electrical, but can't get enthusiastic about the drywall and painting. You have to do all the jobs to have a house you can live in. You don't just stop and frame up another house.

[crunchyblanket]

Keep trucking. It might be hard now but you'll be glad you did it.

[Phaeal]

On the other hand, why are you drafting stuff, then deliberately taking a break to tinker with other projects, and then coming back?

I usually take a four-six week break between novel drafts to do short stories, then back to the novel. Since the shorts get finished and subbed in this period, I wouldn't call it tinkering. Meanwhile, I'm getting some perspective for my major rewrite or polish.

I would find it troublesome to break off in the middle of a novel draft to do something else -- loss of momentum and all that.

[movieman]

Are you able to take yourself back to the day you started working on it? What were you thinking then? What were your plans? Why was it such a good idea? That's what I'd do if I were you - try to remember.

That would be my suggestion: when I think my story is turning to poo, I usually find I've either drifted a long way from where I intended to go or I started without a clear enough antagonist to have something for the protagonist to fight against. If the conflict is clear then the rest is usually easy.

[Karen Junker]

I have written several novels to a first draft stage. When I am not feeling passionate about them, I work on something else. Doing that, I have learned how to write better and I can see how to go back and improve the earlier work. So I have gone back and worked on my earlier drafts with my new skill set.

It's a decision only you can make. You can decide to be disciplined, or you can decide to be an artiste. You are the only one who can decide. Whichever way you go, I wish you great success.

[IDGS]

I say go ahead and finish this novel to the best of your abilities. Even if it goes nowhere, you'll have learned another lesson in the perseverence and discipline without which none, in terms of a novelist's career.

I agree.

If nothing else, take it as a learning experience. Novelists have to grow and get better - if they didn't, everybody who had TEH MOST BRILLIANTZ IDEA FER A NOVEL would be a published author.

You've already gotten it down, and that's incredible. Why not push through the revisions, grind it out, and see what happens? The worst thing that can happen if you become a better writer for it - the best? Well, you tell me.

[FOTSGreg]

I've said it elsewhere, but I'll say it again - writing is an act of faith. It's faith in yourself, your craft, your story, your effort. It's faith in the idea that somewhere out there someone is going to like and appreciate what you have to say, the story you have to tell. It's faith in the idea that what you have to say matters to you at the very least.

Not finishing what you sit down to work on breaks that faith. Breaking faith with yourself is something you should never, ever do.

Every time you finish something you learn something - about yourself, about your craft, about your faith.

I don't necessarily mean faith in a spiritual sense in that you break with God or Allah or the universe or whatever, I mean faith in the sense of hope we each have within us that what we do matters, that there's a better day coming tomorrow or the next day or the next week or month or year. Our faith in ourselves and our writing and the hope for tomorrow is what keeps us going to work at some crappy job day after day, week after week, year in and year out. It's our hope that keeps us moving forward. It's our faith that what we do matters

What you do matters. What you finish matters.

Finish. The. Book.

Keep the faith by planting your butt in that chair and forging ahead.

It matters.

[The_Red_Wing]

Wow, I've gotten so much great advice here. I feel so lucky. I think a few people above pinpointed what the problem is: my novel took a turn that's not sitting well with me. Now I'm thinking that I should completely wipe out this one character and change the storyline...and thinking about that has gotten my juices flowing again. I also think it might help me to go back to the basics and try to understand what this story is about, make clear who the antagonist is, and what I'm trying to do.

What I'm also having trouble with is the logic of my world. It's holding me back a bit---it's kind of futuristic but I can't help thinking that the logic is so poor that the whole story can crumble just like that.

[James D. Macdonald]

Finish it.

[Procrastinista]

But after a while, it seems as if I become too familiar with the character. Although I might enjoy new aspects of a character, isn't consistency important?
;)

Well, your character can evolve, and should.

Given that you've never finished a novel, I would advise finishing this one. There's wonderful magic that can occur while revising. One of the sweetest things about revising is that you will surmount writing challenges that you never thought you could. Also, almost anything meaningful in life takes hard work, but pleasure comes not only in wonderful surprises along the way, but also in facing the challenge.

[IDGS]

Well, your character can evolve, and should.

Given that you've never finished a novel, I would advise finishing this one. There's wonderful magic that can occur while revising. One of the sweetest things about revising is that you will surmount writing challenges that you never thought you could. Also, almost anything meaningful in life takes hard work, but pleasure comes not only in wonderful surprises along the way, but also in facing the challenge.

To be honest, I think that's the only 'sweet' thing about revising.

The rest of it is a living hell.

But, finish the novel. Hands down.

[maestrowork]

You can't truly understand the joy of being a writer until you've done the work and typed "THE END."

[Layla Nahar]

Finish it. Avoid going back and fixing what you wrote already. You could make some notes (like 'from page 98, MC's cousin is female, ex-con') just to give your new direction focus and to help give you a little more clarity when you get to the revision. A really good way to get stuck in the mire of drafting and redrafting an unfinished work is to spend time fixing what you have already written instead of pushing yourself to write something new. Do your best to patch up the world building holes, but write on, even if some scene meshes badly with another in world-building terms. This is exactly the stuff that revisions are made for.

[AlwaysJuly]

I'm on Team Finish The Thing. Different things work for different people, but personally, I'd write this in the book wherever you are now:

REVISION NOTE: Delete X as character/Delete subplot Y/fix Z

and then carry on from there as if it's already done. Finish the book and then go back and do your revisions; by the time you get to the end, there may be more major changes to make in edits. You just need to have a full finished draft to work with.

[maestrowork]

Yup. I do revision notes all the time and move on... that helps me keep writing and from obsessing over revisions... I know I won't forget, and after I'm done with the draft, I may even have better perspective because I now know the whole story.

[CaroGirl]

Always finish what you start. Surely you didn't begin with intention of not completing it.

[nakatsuluver]

Try to finish it. But you don't want to force anything. How about putting it aside for a few weeks or months and write your other story? You never know but you might be able to incorparate the two stories somehow into one in the future.

Whenever you think about the first novel just write down on a piece of paper what you're thinking, whenever you feel like it you can go back and type later.

good luck!

[maestrowork]

Try to finish it.

As Yoda put it so succinctly: There is no try. Only do.

[James D. Macdonald]

Do you want to wake up one day, fifteen years from now, to discover that all you have is thirty half-novels in your desk drawer?