Falling out of love with your WIP?

Push through, or you'll never finish anything.

Writing a book is often fun and exciting, but every WIP also has its black moments. So you can't expect it to be plain sailing. If you stopped every time you hit a black moment you'd never finish a book. You have to learn to push through them.

I agree with scarletpeaches. I've started this WIP so many times, it's not funny. Even now, I do slack off but I also always come back to it.

If you're bored, skip that section of the book and try something else down the line. Maybe fleshing out the next "exciting" part will help you figure out how to bridge over what you're not liking at the moment.

Did you lay out a plan of the story, MaLanie - the rising action, climax, and conclusion? I know you had mentioned writing about your grandmother's time - if that's what you're stuck on, part of the problem may be that there's really not a traditional story there with enough intrigue and action. It's hard to write about real people because you can't (don't want to) make them something they're not. If this is the story with the problem, you may be able to work around it by using your grandmother as a model for some parts but then using a different character to create the tension and reader interest.

If you tell us a little more about your story, you might get some ideas on how to solve the problem. Puma

It's time for some tough love with your WIP. Keep working on it-- but it may be time to step back and really think about what you don't love anymore. Why is the writing boring or difficult? Usually I write boring scenes when what I'm writing *is* boring (and usually one of my characters mentions it... then I go back, delete the boring stuff and figure out what I need to do to keep the story moving.)

Sometimes, to cut out boring stuff, you have to shift from showing to telling (that is, assuming that boring scenes are actually crucial. Many times, they are just slice-of-life, which is rarely appropriate in plot.)

What did you enjoy before? What specifically was fun? What are you writing that's not fun? What specifically is the worst part of what you are currently writing? (My WIP counseling questions. =)

"Young man, I brought you in here because of your obvious basketball skills. No one can stop you on the playground. You can score on anyone." Coach walked around and sat on the corner of his desk. "What happened in practice today?"

Monte slumped in his chair and leaned a little to the right. "Nobody told me I'd have to do all this practice shit. I don't need no wind sprints. I don't need to block out on the boards." He shifted his weight to the other side of the chair. "And I don't need no damn plays. Just give me the rock and I'll score."

Coach forced a smile. "Basketball isn't just scoring, son, it's keeping the other team from scoring, too. So you have to learn defense, and the plays are designed to get the best possible shot. You have to learn how to pass as well as shoot. You could really make something of yourself in this game."

Monte leaned forward and rested his forearms on his thighs. He squinted up at the coach. "A damn pass is something I get before I shoot. And defense is just waiting to shoot. This shit you want me to do ain't fun. It ain't going to let me fly over all the other guys. And it won't get me laid." He stood. "I'm outta here. I can play pick-up game after pick-up game and never have to do all that other shit you think is basketball. Nobody gets famous by being a good passer." He tossed his practice jersey to the coach. "I dominate on the playgrounds. None of your shit is going to give me that feeling. Later."

***********
Discover a whole new kind of writing love, other than the instant-gratification of infatuation with new ideas--discover the love of accomplishment. Guess what you're going to have to do to find that love? ...unless you are happy just playing on the playgrounds...

Well...

A WIP actually doesn't mind when you give it a complete makeover, right? If your WIP is boring, you need to focus on why it's boring. Where does it give you agita when you read it? Those parts need to go, toute suite.
Getting a bunch of readers to look at your work, seeing your work through another's objective eyes, answering the dumb questions that must be asked, will help. But you know you're a real writer when your common sense is what gets you through the rough spell.
Also, a WIP doesn't mind you having another WIP on the side. Work on something else if the inspiration is hot - in a month or two you will go back to proofreading your WIP, be appropriately horrified and puzzled as to what you were thinking, and the joy of rewriting will bloom like spring flowers.
My opinion, what do I know?

mario_c said:

...in a month or two you will go back to proofreading your WIP...

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I disagree. If you move on to something else, in a month or two you will...

start another WIP.

And when the same thing happens and you hit the doldrums, you will...

start another WIP.

And when the same thing happens and you hit the doldrums...

You get the idea.

Whoever said that doing this was always going to be fun and easy?

There's always a big gush of energy when it's new, amazing, cool and the greatest thing you've ever come up with in your life. Big rush! But sooner or later that energy is going to be used up and dissatisfaction sets in. Then the real question of whether or not you're dedicated to what you're doing plays in, whether it's a novel or a relationship or a job or anything in life.

When things start getting hard, I look back at whatever lit the fire in the first place. Not to relight the raging fire that kicked everything off, but to build it to a steady blaze that warms and will last a long time. Sure, it'll need to be stirred and more ideas added in to keep it going, but that's what gets the job done.

Just the way things happen, as far as I can tell.

Yeah, I used to be really bad about this...write enthusiastically for oh, 20-50K words, then peter out, get bored with that story, and start another one, assuring myself that I'd get back to the first one eventually.

I have a lot of unfinished stories in my old notebooks.

Now I "force" myself to finish, even if that means I change up the ending I had in mind. I have to make *some* kind of real ending, never again let it drift away from me like that. And, surprisingly enough, when I started disciplining myself like that, I found myself able to maintain enthusiasm for pretty much the whole book.

Granted, there have been times that I've put aside a novel to write a short story or some poetry, or even to take a mental break if I need it, but now I do make myself finish what I start, and my writing has gotten better for it.

--Q

I push myself to finish what I start. Think of it this way: that poor WIP depends on you, and only you, to exist. If you don't finish, it will never get a chance to grow up, fly away, and reach others. I'd hate to disappoint my WIP (and myself) by flaking out on it.

It's like falling out of love with your partner. You pick up one too many dirty towels off the floor and discover that he bought YET ANOTHER freakin' golf club and...and then you remember how much you have invested in the relationship and the times when it is good...bliss!

Keep at it and the bliss comes back.

Don't quit.

Jim Butcher's essay on "The Great Swampy Middle" has been a source of amusement, comfort, and inspiration to me on several similar occasions.

I'm going through this right now. About 10,000 words into the story itself. All the characters have been set on their paths. And I dread sitting down every day and writing. I actually find myself cleaning the bathroom, or mopping the floor--anything to avoid writing.

I, too, have been getting seduced by shiny new ideas. In fact, I've been down this road often before, and always I abandon the current story and chase the shiny new idea.

But I always end up back here again, another 10,000-20,000 words, frozen up, and thinking I must be writing the wrong thing.

So for once I'm trying to push through it. I don't think anyone can answer your questions, because I suspect they are largely unknowable until you have reached a certain point in your story. And I fear that point is probably the end of the first draft.

I should change my sig, too. I'm currently doing around 500 words a day although trying to aim higher (I bolster my personal wordcount mood by counting words done in outlining, in jottings, any words at all, as long as it's words about this one story).

I never love a story after about 8000 words and never finish it without hating it at some point.

You'll notice a thread here called the "Page a Day Club". There is also the 500 words a day thread in Mystery/Thriller/Suspense (but all genres are welcome). In fact, you'll find many such encouragment threads around the board. It helps to have a writing buddy too. Find your support and don't feel weak for needing it. Everyone needs a kick in the butt now and then.

Kudos on pushing through today.

You could just have chapter four syndrome. Get to chapter five and all will be fine.

I'm narcissistic and I write memoirs so I never fall out of love with my WIP.

I love that about me.

Keep in mind you can jump around. Is there a scene you're excited about? A new character who might show up? You're early enough that you can toss in whatever you want.

Nivarion said:

You could just have chapter four syndrome. Get to chapter five and all will be fine.

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My first drafts tend to pile high with TODOes - can't think of the right dialogue for this scene? Don't know how you're going to resolve the conflict? Keep writing and finish it later!

Thanks to this thread I'm blindingly aware I am slacking off myself (that's a good thing, though!) After class I'll surely start...Aww crud, gotta study for finals. Oh and my room needs cleaning...

Can't you tell I'm wimping out?

I guess because I finished one novel and I have two WIPs I know now the reality of the business and how long it takes for me to finish one novel. I guess I psyche myself out.

Gotta grow some backbone...

Nivarion, is that a real syndrome?? I swear, I hit the wall at Chapter 4 every single time! Then I get to Chapter 5 and I'm doing fine again.

To the OP, I think this happens to everyone in some form or another. I usually take a step back and think through the storyline - maybe consider a totally different plot twist. Or I call up my mother and ask her for ideas, because she's obviously got a different take on things than I do (she never sees the actual ms, because she can't handle curse words or sexual innuendos...ugh). Sometimes it helps just to bounce your ideas off someone, because if they get excited about it, then you get excited, too. And that can be a motivator.

I also sometimes just indulge and write a scene or two that sounds really cool. And maybe it'll work later, maybe not. But at least you're excited about it.