How many times have you started out with a project and left it mid-way or felt that it wasn't such a great idea after all?
In the past five years that I've been writing, I gave up on 5 such works that I thought would make 'good' reading material. I had the whole story formed in my head, I was feeling confident about it but when I started to pen it down *drum rolls* all I got was a blank paper in front of me.
I was wondering whether that happens to a lot of other writers as well? I know that Nicholas Sparks' first two novels didn't get to see the light and even 'The Notebook' was found in a literary agent's 'slush pile'. So, maybe it's not so bad after all..
It never bothered me before but I was going through my work last night and the number of stories I had written bothered me. Or maybe it is the fact that I'm young and not experienced.
Is it an issue? I don't really feel that I've lost my 'writing mojo' even though I've had writer's block a few times.
Hi Chhavi,
I think every writer has a bottom drawer filled with unfinished works. Sometimes it's better to leave things be. It's all practice in the end. The important thing is to write as often as possible.
Those snippets can also surprise you at a later date. Stories may contain hidden gems that you can extract and expand upon to create something new.
Or a piece can be transformed altogether.
I have two projects on the go at the moment.
A play that started life as a short story and a novel that has had may false starts (as a short story, then as a radio play and now as a novel.)
It can be frustrating to go through all that work and not feel satisfied, but don't ever believe it's the end. Writing has a way of surprising you. One day you have a eureka moment and suddenly understand what it was you were trying to say all those years ago.
Have faith and keep writing.
I can only go by my own experience but I think if we have a break from writing sometimes what we experience in life can help with our writing. I have put myself under pressure before to complete a piece of work by a certain time but it doesn't always help me - sometimes I need to take a step back and have a break from it and then relook at it. I think writing tid-bits could be useful, even if it's not something you put in the piece you're currently working on, you may use it on something else. We all have our own way of writing so don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you will get to a stage where you are happy with the way you write, just keep plugging away at it and enjoy it. Good luck
Thanks Gilly, nice to know I'm not the only one. It took me 3 months to write my first ever novel (It was a children fantasy and I was just 13 years old then) and another 1 year and 4 months to write my next novel (How it starts) and I had days when I just want to give up but I quite like the result in the end.
I'm just worried that writing tid-bits is going to leave me with just snippets and not complete work.