For those who've completed novels, or finishing a novel...

Nateskate · Sep 19, 2007

I've read where artists can go into depression after finishing a work, or having a show.

Writing is such an emotional thing. Has anyone, successful or at least pleased with their novel, experienced a sadness when it was over?

I imagine this has happened to many famous authors as well.

I'm not sure what will happen, because I'm in the midst of editing a massive series. In a sense it's kind of like nurturing a child, and then suddenly they've moved out and have their own life. "The empty novel syndrome"

JoNightshade · Sep 19, 2007

Mm, not really. Mainly because I usually start on something else right away and then THAT consumes all of my attention. I think I would get depressed if I didn't have any new ideas, but so far that hasn't happened.

Azraelsbane · Sep 19, 2007

I've completed two novels, but I never feel like I'm done. I don't think I'll ever get empty novel syndrome. Although, I'm currently in the midst of a massive depression, but I'd call it "Never going to be happy with the frickin novel" syndrome.

Even if I get published, I'll likely be banging my head against a wall years later, wishing I'd made it better. But one step at a time. I've gotta make it good enough to query. Problem is, I want it perfect before I query. Now I will go laugh till I cry.

sneakers145 · Sep 19, 2007

Not yet, but then I have too much in my brain to write about. Ask me again if I ever get published...

maestrowork · Sep 19, 2007

Not sadness, but frazzled, flustered: Now I've got to submit it! GAH!

MidnightMuse · Sep 19, 2007

I've completed many a novel and have yet to feel bummed out afterwards. Usually because there's another one banging at the back of my head, demanding attention.

However - I have been known to feel depressed when starting the next novel with a goal of around 100k, hitting chapter 2 and checking the word count just for poops and grins, and suddenly realizing how far I have to go.

Then I get drunk and it all goes away

jdparadise · Sep 19, 2007

Nateskate said:
In a sense it's kind of like nurturing a child, and then suddenly they've moved out and have their own life. "The empty novel syndrome"

That's exactly it. I've finished a couple of books. After each one there's an "okay, what do I do -now-" moment (or week or month) that, in the world of a more dedicated professional, would be filled with query letters and market research, but which I fill with short stories or watching episodes of The Wire on my iPod.

steveg144 · Sep 19, 2007

No post-partum depression here. I had to put so many other projects on ice while I buffed my novel that when it was finally as good as it was going to get, I charged right ahead and attacked the backlog queue. I was glad to be done with it, truth be told.

blacbird · Sep 19, 2007

The depression comes not from finishing the novel, but from contemplation of the utter futility of submitting queries with a long and perfect track record of non-acceptance.

caw

StoryG27 · Sep 19, 2007

MidnightMuse said:
I've completed many a novel and have yet to feel bummed out afterwards. Usually because there's another one banging at the back of my head, demanding attention.

Same here.

TheKnightWhoSaidNi · Sep 19, 2007

I'm not so depressed, but exhausted. I threw everything I had into completing the third, so going back and beginning the perfekshun process on the first is proving difficult. I want to, I love the story with all my heart, I WILL query agents about it, but the motivation is what's hard to find, especially now that school started and I have a lead role in the musical (amongst coursework, of course). It must be done - even if it would get published as it is (it wouldn't, trust me), I'm not happy with it. I must please myself before pleasing anybody else.
So in other words, I'm finding the rewriting process far more daunting than writing it the first time ever was. Post partum anxiety, not depression.

Nateskate · Sep 19, 2007

Azraelsbane said:
I've completed two novels, but I never feel like I'm done. I don't think I'll ever get empty novel syndrome. Although, I'm currently in the midst of a massive depression, but I'd call it "Never going to be happy with the frickin novel" syndrome. Even if I get published, I'll likely be banging my head against a wall years later, wishing I'd made it better. But one step at a time. I've gotta make it good enough to query. Problem is, I want it perfect before I query. Now I will go laugh till I cry.

LOL! Except for the major depression. You have my sympathies and I know what you're talking about there too.

I've gone through the "Never going to be happy with the novel..." thing. It's just that I had this Tolkien-sized project, and realized the whole thing had to be re-written to change pace, add more action, take out clunky parts and info dumps. (Well, it needed major surgery)

Nateskate · Sep 19, 2007

TheKnightWhoSaidNi said:
I'm not so depressed, but exhausted. I threw everything I had into completing the third, so going back and beginning the perfekshun process on the first is proving difficult. I want to, I love the story with all my heart, I WILL query agents about it, but the motivation is what's hard to find, especially now that school started and I have a lead role in the musical (amongst coursework, of course). It must be done - even if it would get published as it is (it wouldn't, trust me), I'm not happy with it. I must please myself before pleasing anybody else.
So in other words, I'm finding the rewriting process far more daunting than writing it the first time ever was. Post partum anxiety, not depression.

I relate on many levels, except for the lead role in the musical. The editing was always far harder than the writing. The words seemed to flow, but in edits I saw they just didn't flow in the right places.

Jack_Roberts · Sep 19, 2007

blacbird said:
The depression comes not from finishing the novel, but from contemplation of the utter futility of submitting queries with a long and perfect track record of non-acceptance.

caw

I can relate.

Nateskate · Sep 19, 2007

jdparadise said:
That's exactly it. I've finished a couple of books. After each one there's an "okay, what do I do -now-" moment (or week or month) that, in the world of a more dedicated professional, would be filled with query letters and market research, but which I fill with short stories or watching episodes of The Wire on my iPod.

I think I'm seeing there are multiple kinds of writers. Some are pragmatic, and others are creating perhaps a very emotional piece, like an artist who is making something special he doesn't want to part with???

I'm actually not in that bittersweet phase. I'm more in the frustrated "There's so much more to do phase," because of how many books are involved in the series. I have somebody very important looking at my novels, and in hours I went from jumping for joy, to being almost totally overwhelmed with how many other books I now have to finish and re-writes- not because I don't like the writing, but I just feel that it's going to take forever sometimes. I think I'll feel relieved when it's all done, but then I saw that J.K.Rowlings went through that bittersweet phase- well maybe only to a point.

Tracy · Sep 19, 2007

Usually by the time I finish a novel I'm heartily sick of it, after having gone over it again and again and again. So the overwhelming emotion is relief. To continue your analagy, it's as if the children, now aged 30, FINALLY get their own place.

badducky · Sep 19, 2007

Arr, me hearties. 'Tis not depression, lads and lasses, 'tis drunkenness and debaucheries galore!

Trade thy royalty riches for rum and grog and the kisseries of fine wenches, and best be sure they be CHEAP wenches and even cheaper grog for the royalty is low indeed to be hangin' with the likes of us.

Yarr...

DeleyanLee · Sep 19, 2007

Nateskate said:
I'm not sure what will happen, because I'm in the midst of editing a massive series. In a sense it's kind of like nurturing a child, and then suddenly they've moved out and have their own life. "The empty novel syndrome"

I've finished--thirty or so novels, including solos and collabs. I can't say that I've ever had an empty feeling after finishing a novel. If anything, I'm ready to go onto the next one or just take a break for a while and refill the creative well. But, then, I had a private party when my last child toddled off to kingergarden (Look! More ME time!) and happily waved him off to college last year, the heavy work of my parenting job completed.

But, then again, I've never bought into the idea of a book being like a child. A child is a lifetime commitment. Writing books are more like torrid affairs--great while they last, some mixed memories afterwards, but there's another one waiting to happen as soon as I go looking for it.

Scrawler · Sep 19, 2007

I felt a little wistful when I mailed it off to the agent. But that only lasted about 4 full minutes. Then I couldn't wait to get home and go over my notes for the next one.

PeeDee · Sep 19, 2007

I'm never depressed about it because, like others, I have other projects. I'm elated, usually, because 1) I have more time to work on these other projects and 2) ending something makes me happy.

Now, beginnings. Those depress the crap out of me. I get slogged down and miserable until I find the right angle into the story. Ugh.

NeuroFizz · Sep 19, 2007

The day I get into a significant depression over writing is the day I walk away from it.

rachelstarr · Sep 19, 2007

I just finished one (my twelfth or so). I don't get depressed--although I feel a little isolated, because after such a BIG THING in my life I think someone should take me out to dinner or something, and no one else even really knows

.

Actually, I'm more likely to feel relief. I pushed my way through the end of Taerith, and by the time I wrote the last three words I didn't really want to look at it again. That was two weeks ago; I'm recovering.

Rachel

http://rachelstarrthomson.blogspot.com

Worlds Unseen: download free from littledozen.com/worlds.html
Taerith: read at http://taerith-romany.blogspot.com

Leigh Walker · Sep 19, 2007

I have completed two novels (neither published). After the first one I had a major post partum. I think it was because I had been thinking about writing for so long without actually doing it. when I finally did, I literally wrote the entire thing in less than a month, spending upwards of 8 hours a day. it was more of a purging really. I was so emmersed in it and when it was over, I knew that I wanted to write. I had the feeling "this is what I was born to do". but at the same time, I felt a deep depression, maybe because I actually finally met my goal of writing a book and it was a bit anticlimatic. of course the first novel sucked. The second one, was an entirely different process and when I finished, I felt great, ready to start revisions and start another project!

Esopha · Sep 19, 2007

Nateskate said:
I've read where artists can go into depression after finishing a work, or having a show.

Writing is such an emotional thing. Has anyone, successful or at least pleased with their novel, experienced a sadness when it was over?

After Nanowrimo, I basically went into a 72 hour depression. I called it Post Nano Syndrome. I think it was because I hadn't realized how much I liked to write, and that 30 day sprint to the finish line made me realize it. And then it was over, and everything else wasn't worth it.

This is not a healthy attitude to have.

When I finished editing LC for the first time, I didn't feel any different. I knew I had to do it again. I haven't finished another novel, yet. We'll have to see how that turns out.

I've definitely had sad feelings after the final performance of a show, but that's for entirely different reasons. Each show takes at least a week (that's 168 hours) of my life. Then it's over. Nothing's left. That's 168 hours that have flown out the window. Plus, you get stage jitters, and all the stress from memorizing lines and music and dances and blocking...

So, yes, I've experienced negative feelings after novels and performances, but for different reasons.

Shady Lane · Sep 19, 2007

I always get mid-second draft depression, when everything seems horrible and impossible.

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