Warned off by the muse

That does sound like a bad sign. Maybe go back to the first story and revise it instead?

I've stopped writing a scattering of short stories and one novel on the basis that something wasn't working, but I didn't know what or how to fix it. On the other hand, I've finished many more short stories and one novel, including a batch of the shorts that weren't working (after some time away from them).

It always comes down to finishing in the end. If you're not finishing anything, you have a problem. If you usually finish, and this one project is causing the issue, some space might be a good idea.

Polenth said:

It always comes down to finishing in the end. If you're not finishing anything, you have a problem. If you usual finish, and this one project is causing the issue, some space might be a good idea.

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I agree with Polenth. I recommend finishing this draft then going back to fix the beginning. I'm doing this with the second draft of my WIP right now. I hate the romance [cliched, juvenile] compared to the later 2/3's, so I'm writing the first third.

I've never been warned off by the muse. The people I've submitted to, on the other hand . . . .

caw

I've got 16 stories under my belt since I started and I've learned if the muse isn't nibbling at your ear, just put it aside till she is. Case in point, my third novel BLIND CONSENT was giving me all kinds of problems both with the theme and characters. I sit it aside for almost a year while the story cooked in the background, then brought it back out,rewrote, reorganized, redesigned the H/H. That book ended up winning the 2009 Rose award for best romantic suspense. Bottom line, don't give up, every project, like every child has a life of its own. Give it time to ferment and become what it was meant to be, least that's my experience.

Neal Gaiman hates every book he writes at 3/4 mark. He regularly calls his agent and tells her that the book doesn't work, that nobody will like it, that it's terrible and boring. So - everyone has this, even the greats.

My advice would be figure out what would make the story work for you, write it through to the end, and then fix the beginning. If it still doesn't work and you can't imagine making it work, then put it in the drawer and forget about it for a while. As writers we keep growing the more we write, so it might be that in a few months you'll look at the story and think: "But of course! I should have added monkeys!". And then you'll add monkeys, and it will be glorious

Did you try adding monkeys, by the way?

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

I agree with those who suggest that there's a difference between the middle of the book blues and a muse that doesn't want to play.

I personally always like to fix what I can fix when I know I need to fix it. I know that runs against the standard advice to skip editing until you're done, but my muse won't play with me if I don't do it. So, whichever works for you.

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

I don't get that you want to give up from your original post, but I do get that you must feel discouraged.

Remember- you can fix those first few scenes of the opening. Whether you do it now or later is your choice.

What is important is to finish what you start. Finish the book and see how it turns out.

Polenth said:

It always comes down to finishing in the end. If you're not finishing anything, you have a problem. If you usual finish, and this one project is causing the issue, some space might be a good idea.

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Agree. I think. I've only ever been on one side of it--procrastinatory. Putting it off and putting it off and putting it off is par for the course for me; I'd never finish anything if I stopped when I felt reluctant and hated the story and thought everything was stupid. There's always reluctance. There's always this blind stupid aversion to sustained effort. There's always self-doubt.

If that's not you, though, then it might be the other thing.

calieber said:

So that story is in abeyance, but I'm still excited about it, with the revised opening. On the other hand, I launched into something else, took notes and everything, and then kind of petered out. I try to go forward with it, but I find myself putting it off, and putting it off, and putting it off, and I'm wondering if that's a sign I don't really want to write it. If something starts to feel like an assignment when it isn't one, is that a bad sign?

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I totally agree with everyone else who's saying that whether that's a bad sign is dependent on your usual process. If you feel that way about lots of your projects, it might not mean anything. If it's unusual for you, then, yeah, it's a warning of sorts.

But you are talking about two separate stories in your post, right? There's one you finished, and realized part way through that the opening needed work, and one you're trying to write now and are finding yourself procrastinating. Did I get that right?

Assuming I did get that right, did you actually edit the opening that needed it? Maybe your muse isn't telling you that your current project is problematic, but rather, it just isn't finished with the previous one. Even if you did revise the opening, this could still be the case, because you say you're still excited by that story. I've had experiences like this before--people always say to put a project aside after you finish it for a few weeks and work on something else for a bit so that you can come back and edit with a clear mind. But I have so much trouble putting a project aside like that! Or rather, I can set the project aside, but I can't find the will to work on anything else while waiting to start edits. All I can think about is the project that needs editing, and my brain rebels every time I sit down to try to write something else.

Adding my voice to the chorus of people saying to finish what you begin is first and foremost. Well into my thirties I drifted from project to project, always becoming annoyed, stuck, bored, etc eventually. Finally determining I was going to fight through those moments and see something through to completion and hopefully publication, changed my writing and my life for the better in innumerable ways. Pick one and see it through! Good luck!

[I believe today is national tongue-in-cheek day - for chuckles, not grumbles]

Yes. Give it up. Every time a story gets a little tough, give it up because you have to rely on that muse to keep the writing ethereal and fun. Besides, there are so many other really cool ideas out there that will get that muse excited and gibbering in your writing ear for the next 1/2 or 3/4 of a story.

This writing thing has to be special. It has to flow from your fingertips like lightning to ground. If it ever stops just flowing and glowing, do not try to work your way through it. It will just come out crappy if you force yourself to sit down and work out the difficult parts.

You could also try putting crystals under your pillow. And, of course, never try to write when your horoscope suggests anything other than a stellar day ahead.