Don’t give up on that writing project!

Jun 18 2009

I’ve posted about this before but I think it is worth repeating again – only because I still struggle with this myself. Right now I’m working on a fiction project and it’s at a crossroads. I’m having a hard time with the plot and I don’t like the writing I’ve done so far. Should I give up on the story and move on to something else? Or should I keep working on the story until it’s finished in hopes it turns out good. Remember, with the latter option I can still edit, re-write and repeat as often as necessary.

There’s a little saying I use at moments like these to push me into the right direction:

“It’s better to finish a bad story than let a good one die.”

I don’t know where those words come from. If anyone out there knows, please clue me in so I can give proper credit for the phrase. However, I think that phrase holds true for most writing projects. A story can very easily start off a little rough (hence: rough draft), but end up being a gem after some hard work and TLC.

The whole idea of a rough draft is to get everything down on paper (or computer) first, and then go back and start polishing up your writing and filling in holes in the plot and so forth. A rough draft will never be perfect.

After your project is finished, give it a rest!

I’m serious, once your rough draft is complete, stick in in a folder and shove that folder into a drawer and forget about it for a few weeks (heck, even a few months would work). Why forget about something you’ve worked so hard on? Because if you let your story “sit” for a while, when you go back to edit and start revising, the story will appear fresh and any mistakes will stick be more obvious.

While you are letting the story sit, start on another writing project. If you can keep this cycle going, you’ll always be writing something new and editing/revising a previous work at the same time. A great way to stay busy.

Set a goal for yourself

Setting goals can help you in any part of your life. Writing is no exception. In fact, because writing is such a solitary, self-motivating endeavor, goals are even more crucial. The next time you sit down to write a short story (for example), make a goal that you will send the finished manuscript to X number of publications. Or, be determined to self-publish it yourself on your own website, blog or even as a chapbook.

There’s nothing worse than spending all that time and energy on a short fiction project, only to have it end up collecting dust in the bottom of some file drawer.

In my case, I’m going to push on with this story to the end because I want to see how it turns out. If I’m happy with the finished product, you just might see the story pop-up in digital format somewhere on the web (hint hint). I’ll keep you posted.

When you get stuck in the middle of a writing project, do you get discouraged and give up? Or do you finish the project to see if anything can be salvaged? Leave a comment below. I look forward to your answers!

One Response

You’re right to finish your novel now. If you delay, you will probably never finish it. I started writing a nevella around 1990. In 1993, I realized I hadn’t done anything on the story yet I would re-read it and come up with ideas of where the story could go. I read this story around 2005 and parts of the story didn’t seem to make sense any more. I should have finished the story by 1992; I’d had the time.

In 1982, I forced myself to stay up to 3 am to finish a story I probably would not have otherwise fiished. In 1993, the same thing happened again one evening and I did a short story between about 7 pm and 11:30 pm.

I’m glad I pushed ahead with both stories. I suspect you’ll feel the same sense of relief and accomplishment.

Mike

Mike 6/26/2009 3:56 pm