Writing..and throwing it all away

ethan.newbie · Jun 29, 2009

I started my first novel - wrote about 11,000 words or so, and reached a point where it started to feel boring. Would anyone read this?! I wasn't so sure anymore, and a much better plot came to mind. So I threw away everything I wrote, and started planning my new work.

It was a bit discouraging -- how many of you have had the same issue and threw away what you had because you dint like your own story anymore?

it's back to the drawing board for me.

scarletpeaches · Jun 29, 2009

I've binned more than 11k before (try 100k) but that was after I'd already proved to myself I could get to the end of another project.

Are you throwing things away before you're giving yourself a chance to finish?

stormie · Jun 29, 2009

Never threw any of my stuff away or deleted it. I just keep it as a WIP. You never know when you can use a bit of it in your current WIP or you might figure out how to continue the story. Even years later. Yes, it's happened to me where I just say the heck with it and start something else. But never delete it. Make sure though, that you do try to finish something or you'll never get that first acceptance or rejection that proves you completed a work.

BenPanced · Jun 29, 2009

I've never thrown anything out, still having unfinished manuscripts from 1991 or so. Keep the work and revisit it at some point in time; you might be able to salvage something. But if you are frustrated with it, I do recommend moving on to another project.

KTC · Jun 29, 2009

I've deleted entire manuscripts several times in the past. I'm now trying to stop myself from doing so. Good luck on your next project.

NeuroFizz · Jun 29, 2009

Key phrase in the OP--"...when it started to feel boring..."

Writing, particularly with novel-length stories, is like reverse sex. In sex, we have to put in the work to gain the orgasm. In writing, new ideas and the thrill of creating new characters gives us the orgasm first. But if a "writer" doesn't want to put in the work after that orgasm, all he'll be doing is decorating the walls, not producing children. And those who jump to a new orgasm each time they are faced with the work part of writing will soon not be able to see the wallpaper.

CaroGirl · Jun 29, 2009

I'm a pretty firm believer in writers finishing what they start. Even if it turns into a hopeless muddle and gets trunked, at least you finished it, wrote, practised, and learned something along the way. Practising your writing is rarely a waste of time. That said, I didn't finish my first novel because it was beyond anything useful. I did finish my second (and every subsequent novel), even though I trunked it too. You can quit on this one but you'd better not quit on the next one or you'll turn into the wanna-be author who never finished a darn thing.

barbilarry · Jun 29, 2009

I'm still a relative newbe. I have walked in your shoes to a certain point. I had a really bad crit and almost threw my WIP out. I retrieved it from the trash though because it was like throwing one of my children in the dumpster. I created that work for a period of two yrs. I just couldn't do it so I took the advice of the wise ones here and put it in a drawer. I am working on another one now. Alot of the people here say to save it for weeks or months and then go back and see what you can salvage. I usually take advice given because it is on the mark. Good luck.

Jane

ylrebmik · Jun 29, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
Key phrase in the OP--"...when it started to feel boring..."

Writing, particularly with novel-length stories, is like reverse sex. In sex, we have to put in the work to gain the orgasm. In writing, new ideas and the thrill of creating new characters gives us the orgasm first. But if a "writer" doesn't want to put in the work after that orgasm, all he'll be doing is decorating the walls, not producing children. And those who jump to a new orgasm each time they are faced with the work part of writing will soon not be able to see the wallpaper.

that's awesome.

haha.

I didn't outline very well at first and I had a few different ways the story could go... and I went one way... made it to 15000 and began to see the other way worked better and chucked it out. I'm back in, but only at 4000 words.

it's a bummer but just play with the story until it's right.

ethan.newbie · Jun 29, 2009

Everyone,

Thanks for the wise words, tough love and even managing to bring sex into the topic

appreciate it. I do not plan to throw it away as in 'completely trash it and never look back.' This is more of, "this really isn't working", I plan to leave it in and perhaps revisit sometime in the future.

The current plot I have is lot more exciting (in my mind, of course) and I've outlined key elements of the story. I think there's enough to keep it moving at a fast pace and I think I have a pretty cool climax planned (I know for sure that MGM will buy rights to my book and the movie will be directed by Christopher Nolan, and I'm going to be rolling money...)

I know one of the most important things in trying to be a writer is to write the darned first full length novel - and I intend to do just that with the current plot. I also plan to chart my progress in a blog to see where my journey takes me.

Thanks!

NeuroFizz · Jun 29, 2009

I will say there is nothing wrong with trunking an unfinished piece on occasion. It's dangerous for someone who hasn't found the self-discipline to finish anything as yet, and downright critical if it happens each time writing gets a little tough or boring.

ethan.newbie · Jun 29, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
I will say there is nothing wrong with trunking an unfinished piece on occasion. It's dangerous for someone who hasn't found the self-discipline to finish anything as yet, and downright critical if it happens each time writing gets a little tough or boring.

Neuro, your point is well taken. I definitely intend to stick with this and see it to the end.

And is some other post, I'll write about how to use Microsoft powerpoint to plan the plot, it actually works nicely. Yeah, I'm a nerd.

Tallent · Jun 29, 2009

ethan.newbie said:
Everyone,
I know one of the most important things in trying to be a writer is to write the darned first full length novel - and I intend to do just that with the current plot. I also plan to chart my progress in a blog to see where my journey takes me.

Thanks!

Actually, you need to write about five books that the world never sees just to get the process. But don’t throw them away. Go back and read them when ever you need a good chuckle. Besides, one may have a good premise, another a good character, or one may have a fun scene that you can use in that break out sixth novel.

Shadow_Ferret · Jun 29, 2009

i've never thrown anything away and I have several novels that I got 3 or 4 chapters into and got stuck, unable to figure out a direction. I didn't toss them. They're sitting waiting until a direction presents itself, then I fully intend on finishing them.

Maiah · Jun 29, 2009

I usually keep my unfinished manuscripts as WIP until I feel that I need to start afresh, and the moment that happens, whatever left undone previously will find themselves in the bin.

Cranky · Jun 29, 2009

I don't throw anything away, I keep it all, no matter how crappy. I cannibalize whatever good things are in those pieces for other WIP's if I can. Something as small as a turn of phrase or a piece of imagery can be useful in other work.

Trunk it if you must, but don't throw it out!

mlazzer · Jun 29, 2009

The only work that I've thrown away is when my laptop melted. For the rest, I have a horrible folder labeled "old bollocks" and maybe one day I come back to it and find an idea or two...

The Lonely One · Jun 29, 2009

Unless you're really a fan of Buddhist sand art, I'd suggest putting it in the "crap" folder instead of the "recycling bin" folder. Trust me, you'll hardly know the difference.

Until you cool off and realize, "It wasn't ALL crap."

I once lost 20-30,000 words when a jump drive crapped out. After, I threw the thing against the wall and it landed in the kitty litter.

Miraculously my friend convinced me to remove it from the litter before the cat had any new...ventures...and he was able to recover the text files.

The story was crap, but I was about homicidal at the time over its loss (I had just finished it the day before).

KTC · Jun 29, 2009

Don't throw it all away,
our love, our love,
don't throw it all away,
our love.

KTC · Jun 29, 2009

I believe in the mandala. To an extent, that's one reason why I often delete a novel after completing it. The journey is the reward, glasshopper.

dpaterso · Jun 29, 2009

I've recycled scenes and sequences from abandoned stories and chapters, tweaking them in the process so they worked better. You never know when something that bores you today will prove useful.

-Derek

Cranky · Jun 29, 2009

KTC said:
I believe in the mandala. To an extent, that's one reason why I often delete a novel after completing it. The journey is the reward, glasshopper.

Yeah, but I think that's different than chucking something because you think it's irredeemable, isn't it?

scarletpeaches · Jun 29, 2009

KTC said:
I believe in the mandala. To an extent, that's one reason why I often delete a novel after completing it. The journey is the reward, glasshopper.

I prefer the kind of reward that pays the rent.

Libbie · Jun 29, 2009

NeuroFizz said:
Key phrase in the OP--"...when it started to feel boring..."

Writing, particularly with novel-length stories, is like reverse sex. In sex, we have to put in the work to gain the orgasm. In writing, new ideas and the thrill of creating new characters gives us the orgasm first. But if a "writer" doesn't want to put in the work after that orgasm, all he'll be doing is decorating the walls, not producing children. And those who jump to a new orgasm each time they are faced with the work part of writing will soon not be able to see the wallpaper.

This might actually be the best analogy ever.

BigWords · Jun 29, 2009

Everything (and I mean everything) is on external hard drives. Even the most broken, convoluted, idiotic crap is saved, just in case I have call to use a few words or a turn of phrase. I'll go through up to 20k of old work just to find a eight word sentence if I remember in which story it is located.

Sometimes I have been in the situation where the computer I have been working on has crashed while I was in the middle of writing something. Even if it was rubbishy purple prose that found its way on to the screen, I still feel a pang of loss at not being able to have a copy for future reference.

Writing..and throwing it all away

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