This year I've abandoned two projects, and it was not an easy thing to do in either case. In the first case, I started writing an adult romance novel, that had everything. A clever title, a dashing British leading man, and a spunky American protagonist. I sort of sputtered out with it about a third of the way through, and I've never returned to it. My second failure is more on a grand scale. This book is big. Big in scope, in the fact that it involves time travel, research on time travel theory, historical research, and I was going to try a new writing style as well. Yeah, I guess it's not surprising that it didn't work out.
I have an inspiration board for that project above my desk, and every time I look at it, I get a little twinge of guilt for moving on to another shiny new idea instead of going back to work on it. I've decided that it may be a project that takes me years to actually get to, and I'm okay with that. I love the idea and hope that it'll come back to me one day. But if not, that's okay too.
Do you return to projects once you abandon them, or are they abandoned for good?
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I'm hoping that I return to abandoned projects, because I have one that's about 90% through the first draft. That's a lot of work to completely scrap. It's been about a month and a half since I set it aside and started working on something different. I know I'm one of those people who is inspired by what I'm reading. So if I'm reading something dystopian/sci fi in the near future, I might be inclined to rush right back to it. We'll see, I guess. Thanks for sharing =)
ReplyDeleteI have ideas in my notepad that I will get to sometime. I will. Sometimes I'll go back and sketch them out a little more fully. Perhaps I get a stroke of inspiration for how one of them will work out, or for a scene in one of them. I'll make a note. But right now, I'm working on my WIP. But hopefully, when it's time for one of these ideas to take center stage, all my note-taking will help me develop and write the novel faster than starting from scratch. But the idea is never abandoned.
ReplyDeleteA little insight into how I work. Thanks for the opportunity to share, Tara!
@ Jamie: I understand what it's like to be inspired by what you're reading. I actually began a contemporary YA project after reading a great contemp YA!
ReplyDelete@ Colin: It sounds like your method is pretty similar to mine. I love having a place where I can store all those random plot bunnies. :)
Ahhh, the great question. I go back to them after a good amount of time has gone by. Looking through the reject drawers are healthy. I remember how much I liked the novel idea, and then many re-write it as a short story.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK to move on to more stuff, unless you do it too often. I'd try sticking with a couple and finishing it to the end.
Good luck with all of your projects ^_^