How Do You Know When To Stop?

Lhowling · Nov 30, 2014

This has to do with a book project I'm currently working on. I have been working on this since September. There are over 50,000 words total completed; however, the concept has been changed so many times that I don't know where it's going anymore. It's taken on a mind on its own, and upon doing so has grown to massive heights. It is a Kraken of a tale - What stemmed from a simple story has now grown into a multi-layered project that is too much to take on right now.

I have three or four other book ideas that I'm happy with and can outline with very few headaches. This current project has been a hassle since the beginning, and I'm thinking that it may need to be put to bed. I want to work on it, but it needs more time to marinate before it will be ready; I might rework as a series of novellas, but I still need to do more worldbuilding. Plus, the other ideas I've thought about are ones I feel confident with.

I have the feeling that many other writers have had to put a project on hold, either for the reasons I speak of or something else. When did you realize you had to take a story out the back and put it out of its misery? Or when you had to keep it in the basement, chained up and hidden away from the rest of the world? :evil

Maryn · Nov 30, 2014

Many of us trunk novels which have become unwieldy for exactly the reasons you've identified: they need time to marinate so the important flavors can emerge and the bad ones evaporate off.

Since you have other project ideas which are far more manageable, and since this big one is all but demanding you leave it be for a while, I recommend shifting your focus away from it until it lends itself to clearer thinking. In fact, I suggest you lock it away and not read any part of it. When you get ideas or think of things to check, changes to make, etc. jot them down, but don't look at it for a few months.

Maryn, who does that

cmhbob · Nov 30, 2014

What Maryn said. Twice.

kkbe · Nov 30, 2014

Reading through your post again, I think you already know the answer to your question:

It is a Kraken of a tale . . . too much to take on right now . . . a hassle since the beginning . . . it may need to be put to bed . . . put it out of its misery? . . . keep it in the basement, chained up and hidden away from the rest of the world. . .

Oh, and:

Yep.

Sonsofthepharaohs · Nov 30, 2014

My novel did exactly the same thing - started off as a simple love story, and somehow grew into a hydra-headed plot monster of a crime story (to get an idea of how monstrous, just look at the wordcount in my sig). Many times I felt like it was unwieldy and I'd bitten off more than I could chew (still do, on some level) but I think pig headedness won in the end, and it's now very near completion.

Then again, I did let the original version sit for over a year once I decided to rewrite it, and that version had already been several years in the making...

Kalli, who is finally getting to the end of a ten year project

Bufty · Dec 1, 2014

I see world-building mentioned and I wonder... yes, chew it over and let it marinate till it's ready. Good luck.

Ken · Dec 1, 2014

You will hate me for this, but here goes ...

Sometimes a story made into a novel would be better as a story. The solution is to trash the novel and return to the story and edit that. Novels are different than stories. They can grow out of stories, but complications like ones you mention often arise with no real resolution. Of course it's entirely possible this is not the case with yours. Just something to consider. Your enemy, Ken :-(

Lhowling · Dec 1, 2014

You guys are right... just looking at what I wrote in my original post, I knew right then and there that's a goner... for now. It's still fun to think about and write, when I know what I'm doing with it.

@Kallithrix That is one mammoth read! That said, I know authors who reworked their novels for years trying to get it right. I wouldn't be surprised if that's what happened to my project, but I'm keeping an open mind and heart about it. I wish I was more pigheaded, to some extent, and can follow through. I hate starting something without giving myself a chance to complete it.

kds4316 · Dec 1, 2014

I've had a 80,000-word, completed novel on hold for about 5-6 years, because it just doesn't quite work. Still letting it marinate, until I figure out how to really make it sing. In the meantime, I've taken some of the characters and used them in another novel (set ten years down the road), which has helped develop them, and may help when (and if) I return to the original novel.

I may wind up tearing the original up and using scenes and characters as backstory for another. There's good material there, it just doesn't work the way it's currently constructed.

Lhowling · Dec 2, 2014

Ken said:
You will hate me for this, but here goes ...

Sometimes a story made into a novel would be better as a story. The solution is to trash the novel and return to the story and edit that. Novels are different than stories. They can grow out of stories, but complications like ones you mention often arise with no real resolution. Of course it's entirely possible this is not the case with yours. Just something to consider. Your enemy, Ken :-(

Nope don't hate you one bit! I humbly believe in letting stories find their own way of growing. My story has grown too big for a novel format. I'm thinking of releasing as a series of short stories or novellas. I also came to a brutal realization yesterday, as one of the crucial elements of my story is not that crucial and it makes sense to take it in another direction.

Hard truths, people. But oh so necessary!

WriteMinded · Dec 2, 2014

Sounds like my first attempt at a novel. It was going on and on and on. I ditched it incompletely. No, not a misspelling. I took one of the plots — not the one I started with — and used that part to write a book. I have another book, halfway through a first draft, that is another part of the original book. That, too is shelved for now, while I work on a completely different novel.

Anyway, what I'm saying is: It's easy for some of us to get carried away. I have to remind myself over, and over, and over, that I have to stick with what is needed to go forward.

It may be a good idea to outline. But maybe not.

Jamesaritchie · Dec 2, 2014

I never have, and never will, trunk an uncompleted novel. I think all this does is teach you how to stop when the writing gets tough, and when you could learn the most about writing. You write a long, multi-layered novel the same way you write a short story. You sit down and pound away at it each day until you finish it. No matter what else is going on, you still sit down each day and write. Whether you're writing 2,000 word short stories, or a very long novel, it's the same thing. You still find time to sit down each day and write.

You'll learn a heck of a lot more by taking control of this novel, making it go where you want, when you want, even if you have to back up and start at an earlier spot, than you will by stopping. All novels are under our control, and relinquishing this control gets you nowhere fast. Neither does putting a novel aside, unless it's for a very, very short time, just to clear your mind.

Ken · Dec 2, 2014

Lhowling said:
Nope don't hate you one bit! I humbly believe in letting stories find their own way of growing. My story has grown too big for a novel format. I'm thinking of releasing as a series of short stories or novellas. I also came to a brutal realization yesterday, as one of the crucial elements of my story is not that crucial and it makes sense to take it in another direction.

Hard truths, people. But oh so necessary!

Your call. You will know best of course. Feedback is fine, but ultimately the author has to decide. Sure you'll make the right decision. (I might try one story first from what you have. See how that goes. Figure on a length and and settle on what you are going to include. Nothing is permanent. So if you can always try another tactic, including something entirely new. But yeah. Don't give up on this quite yet. If you feel you've got something do something with it. Or set it aside for a time as suggested. G'luck.

Susan Coffin · Dec 2, 2014

Jamesaritchie said:
You write a long, multi-layered novel the same way you write a short story. You sit down and pound away at it each day until you finish it. No matter what else is going on, you still sit down each day and write. Whether you're writing 2,000 word short stories, or a very long novel, it's the same thing. You still find time to sit down each day and write.

You'll learn a heck of a lot more by taking control of this novel, making it go where you want, when you want, even if you have to back up and start at an earlier spot, than you will by stopping. All novels are under our control, and relinquishing this control gets you nowhere fast. Neither does putting a novel aside, unless it's for a very, very short time, just to clear your mind.

Some words for thought for me. Thank you.

WriteMinded · Dec 3, 2014

Jamesaritchie said:
I never have, and never will, trunk an uncompleted novel. I think all this does is teach you how to stop when the writing gets tough, and when you could learn the most about writing. You write a long, multi-layered novel the same way you write a short story. You sit down and pound away at it each day until you finish it. No matter what else is going on, you still sit down each day and write. Whether you're writing 2,000 word short stories, or a very long novel, it's the same thing. You still find time to sit down each day and write.

You'll learn a heck of a lot more by taking control of this novel, making it go where you want, when you want, even if you have to back up and start at an earlier spot, than you will by stopping. All novels are under our control, and relinquishing this control gets you nowhere fast. Neither does putting a novel aside, unless it's for a very, very short time, just to clear your mind.

Your posts always make me

But, ahem. That novel — my first — was nearing 200k words and I hadn't reached the half-way point. It is now four different novels, maybe more. I've taken control, you see.

Susan Coffin · Dec 3, 2014

WriteMinded said:
Your posts always make me

But, ahem. That novel — my first — was nearing 200k words and I hadn't reached the half-way point. It is now four different novels, maybe more. I've taken control, you see.

I've just recently returned to the forums after a long hiatus, and I am so glad to be back, because I keep finding some gold nuggets. That's amazing how you've been able to take one novel and find four different stories in it. That truly is taking control.

WriteMinded · Dec 4, 2014

Susan Littlefield said:
I've just recently returned to the forums after a long hiatus, and I am so glad to be back, because I keep finding some gold nuggets. That's amazing how you've been able to take one novel and find four different stories in it. That truly is taking control.

Should tell you how bad the original novel was. But I've learned better since then.

Welcome back.

Lhowling · Dec 5, 2014

Jamesaritchie said:
I never have, and never will, trunk an uncompleted novel. I think all this does is teach you how to stop when the writing gets tough, and when you could learn the most about writing. You write a long, multi-layered novel the same way you write a short story. You sit down and pound away at it each day until you finish it. No matter what else is going on, you still sit down each day and write. Whether you're writing 2,000 word short stories, or a very long novel, it's the same thing. You still find time to sit down each day and write.

You'll learn a heck of a lot more by taking control of this novel, making it go where you want, when you want, even if you have to back up and start at an earlier spot, than you will by stopping. All novels are under our control, and relinquishing this control gets you nowhere fast. Neither does putting a novel aside, unless it's for a very, very short time, just to clear your mind.

Yes to all of it!

I realize now that the initial post was very grave, with the whole "taking it out back and shooting it" remarks. I write dark fiction and horror so that's where my mind goes :evil

But, I'm all about stories coming back from the dead.

I 110% agree that to just bury a story and move on takes away from the learning process. I used to do that in the past; but back then I didn't take my writing seriously enough to really work hard at it.

This novel was a shitshow. The idea was crap from the beginning. I've given the story so many facelifts that I couldn't quite recognize it anymore. I had to let go of it for a moment so it can grow into its own. The story now is COMPLETELY different from what it used to be, and I love the story now versus when I first started it, which is another reason I'm taking a break. I haven't actually written any new material for it since last week, and quite honestly the story is stronger than it's been, and the potential is there in a way it hadn't been before.

For me, that's when stopping matters. When you can take a step back and let the story tell itself, develop a soul of its own so it becomes easier to write down to its bones... if that makes any sense...

Lhowling · Dec 5, 2014

Oh yes! And welcome back @susan!

How Do You Know When To Stop?

Lhowling

Mischief Witch

Maryn

At Sea

cmhbob

Did...did I do that?

kkbe

Huh.

Sonsofthepharaohs

Still writing the ancient Egyptian tetralogy

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Ken

Lhowling

Mischief Witch

kds4316

Lhowling

Mischief Witch

WriteMinded

Derailed

Jamesaritchie

Ken

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

WriteMinded

Derailed

Susan Coffin

Tell it like it Is

WriteMinded

Derailed

Lhowling

Mischief Witch

Lhowling

Mischief Witch