Finishing What You Start
Yesterday I was considering putting Alex aside. I mean, since I came up with the idea before summer, I've only written about 50 pages. Surely that is not a good sign, right? I'm clearly not as wild about this book as I'd hoped, which is part of the reason I joined BIAW, to get me fired up for it again.
I've put books aside before. I started a book set on a cruise ship, set it aside for plot/hero problems. I set aside a hostage negotiator story (why I'm so interested in Standoff and The Nine) because of plot problems. Those are just books in recent memory. There are a lot more I started, lost the love for, and put aside.
What about you? Do you have partials by the wayside, or do you always finish what you start?
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10 comments:
I usually finish what I start, but I'm not sure that's necessarily a good idea. If you're not enjoying the book, it can really stop your creativity.
Good luck with BIAW.
I put Damien aside and wrote another book for my publisher...I wasn't sure I had it in me to write Damien's story. I think I do now.
J
I've put several of my projects aside. To some I return later - to some not. And a great post about Grey's Anatomy. Indeed, that was a wonderful episode. Finally, some growth in Alex, and Izzy's heartbreak, and Meredith's sweet/sexy dilemma...
Oh, definitely. There are some contemporary partials which will NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. :)
I have many that I put aside. Unfortunately. I haven't done that lately.
Never. Until this summer. I've started three books since Nationals, only one or two chapters into each. The third is the one I'm going with, although I'd like to get the others to "at least" proposal stage. Maybe. We'll see. It bothers me not to have something finished, but I guess this is the way of writers, right? Write a proposal, submit, wait to see if it gets picked up, move on to something else.
Strange, strange profession we're in.
Interesting that so many of you don't put stuff aside. I do so less now than I used to, kind of, "If I'm a REAL writer, I can figure out how to fix it."
Good luck finding a story to stick with, Elisabeth!
I don't put stuff aside. I reworked that first book for 5 years learning as much craft as I could with that one story. It doesn't work for everyone but it worked for me :)
I put ideas aside. In fact I am desperate to get to those babies!!!
I have many partials! But I am getting better at finishing things. I had a similar situation to yours, and did have to put the book aside... as much as some aspects of it were calling to me, it hadn't fermented enough in my head and wasn't ready to be written.
Hope you find your way through : )
Fermented - that's probably the problem, Bosey. I would write, and get revisions, and write, and get revisions, and then I was burned out! The characters haven't had a chance to come to life.
Toni, writing on the same book for 5 years would make me crazy. I worked on one for 2 1/2 years, but it was 600 pages ;)
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