So many ideas, such little time.

Because I'm the sort that can't leave things undone, which is why I gut and muscle through books to at least finish them, I have something I do that helps me decide whether I can truly let something go*.

In fact, I think I read this here on AW many years ago.

If I'm at that point in the book, where it feels like it's taking an act of a major deity to get through it, I simply wrap it up with a

The mountainside gave way, the rolling rocks crashing down to kill everyone in its path.

And then leave the book alone.

If my subconscious can't leave it there and let that be the end of the book (after all, if it's not finished, it's certainly not going to get published so 'rock falls, everyone dies' isn't going to affect it's chances of selling, right?), then I realize that either I have hit fatigue, or something has happened in the plot that has taken the story in a direction that the story doesn't want to go.

In either case, I'm back to it, trying to figure it out instead of leaving it in that final crushed state.

I'm a big mind-trick writer, finding ways to trick myself into getting back to the keyboard.

*ymmv but this is something that has worked for me time and time again.

relletyrots, if you're having trouble getting back into First Novel after the break, one trick that might help is making a love list for the story. Jot down all the things that made you happy about what you've done so far, clever scenes or themes that compel you or bits of characterization that make you chuckle with evil glee. And whenever you feel your enthusiasm flagging, pull out that list and read it again.

A shorter version of this is just to keep in mind the initial idea-seed that made you go "Ooh! I've got to write that!" Sometimes that gets lost in the day-to-day of getting words on page, and it's good to remind yourself.

Really great advice here. This is totally me as well and I dont know anything but... writing a novel is some kind of sick holy matrimony, and 60,000 words in when things start getting stale, a fresh relationship with that hot-new-idea-on-the-block is a difficuilt temptation to resist. But the difference between new things and old things isn’t quality, it’s time. (And endorphines) Something inside you sang when you first touched her. Find that note, and hold it until the parade passes.

relletyrots said:

I guess I just feel (unconsciously) that I know it so well, there's no point in writing it. That is obviously a very flawed way of thinking about it, since:
1. How will the story ever get written?
2. Every single time I thought I knew a story perfectly, I discovered new exciting twists along the way.

But the advice given here is indeed great, so I'll be on my way to story-land now.

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Nail on the head, my friend. Go get em!

For what it's worth about enforced absences from a novel. I started my first novel back around 1990 and wrote about 50 pages of it. I then spent years not writing. In 2002, shortly after my daughter was born I decided that I was going to finish a novel. Although I no longer had the original copy, I had enough in my head that I was able to write the first 113,000-word draft in a year.

Finishing that first novel, and then revising it, gave me the skills I needed to serve as the foundation of everything I've written since then.

relletyrots said:

But I guess I just feel (unconsciously) that I know it so well, there's no point in writing it.

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Oh, yeah, that one! Been there, felt that; it's so bloody obvious where the story goes from here, why even bother writing it down? Well, of course it's obvious to me; I'm the writer. Doesn't mean it's obvious to the audience. And the writer usually gets surprised a few more times along the way, too.

Sounds like you've got the approach vectors lined up, relletyrots. Fire jets, and happy writing!

I just wanted to add my voice to the crowd shouting "you're not alone!" Last fall when I was deep into revisions (and still very much liked the story), all I could think about was a new, shiny idea. Nevertheless, I ploughed on and finished the current round of revisions. Then I let the story sit for five months (I needed to gain some serious distance from the text) while I pursued my new idea.

I noticed two things. 1) The new idea wasn't so shiny now that I wasn't hyper-excited about it anymore (it was on the back burner for 2 months before I got to it). But, as I started plotting and brainstorming, I regained most of my excitement. 2) I started thinking my previous story was unmarketable junk.

However, like you, I came back to my first story and realized "hey, this isn't so bad... I think I have the energy to polish this up more." If you can regain that spark of why you loved your first story to begin with, and can psyche yourself up to work on it again, I think it's definitely worth pursuing your first story. I found that spark again in my case. After a complete read-through, I remembered everything I loved about the story. I had a more objective view after letting the manuscript rest and had the energy to go back and make some tough revisions. I'm pretty happy with where it is now.

I do, however, fully intend on finishing my newer story idea as soon as these final revisions are complete...

That being said, when I was still learning to write, I abandoned tons of novels. Hundreds of thousands of words. I literally feel nothing for them now because all I see are their problems. With every new story, I'd make it to a stage further down the first draft > revising > editing > beta readers > revising > proofreading pipeline, overcoming the mistakes I'd made previously. So if you feel like THAT might be your first story... something you wrote to learn how to write... maybe it is worth pursuing the next idea.