Last week I talked about how to become a popular writer. Also related to writing your book, finishing it and knowing how to get it out there, this week I will be talking about letting a project go. Every project that you work on will have its ups and downs--it is inevitable. But how do you know if that "down" is reason enough to stop a project? Should you just keep going with it, or is it stuck? Here are three ways to tell whether or not you should kill a project.
1.) All Feedback is Negative
If you have given out your manuscript after each of its drafts, and still the majority of the feedback is negative, you may want to reconsider moving forward with it. Not everyone will like your book, and that is okay. However, when the people that you have trusted with reading your manuscript and giving you feedback are suggesting that you reconsider, they might be right. Sometimes a project gets to a point where you would have to do so much work to get it where it needs to be, that if no one seems to be liking it, perhaps you should move on. Don't let this get you down, though. For all you know, a great book might be coming right along, and you would never know unless you move on.
2.) You Aren't Feeling it
Now as I said previously, every book has its ups and downs. At some point in your book you will probably either hate it, or come close to hating it. This is perfectly normal. You are looking at it through a microscope smaller than any other microscope. You are going to see every imperfection a thousand times more disgusting than it really is. Sometime it will annoy you so much to the point of making faces at the truly obnoxious parts. But this will pass if you keep going with this book. Eventually you will see that nothing is perfect, and that editing will fix a majority of issues. However, if this my-book-sucks feeling keeps going on for a long time, then you should step back and look at your book, its plot, and where you see it going. Can you see this being a majorly popular book? Can you see yourself marketing it? If not, then it might be time to move on.
3.) You See Something Brighter
If when you are writing your book, you think of a new book idea and can't stop thinking about it, then either you have a case of writer-boredom, or that new idea really is better. If it is the first case, then this is fine! Like I said, there will be low points in your writing. Those points will pass if you keep writing. Write down your great idea and work on it later. I've worked on more than one book at once and trust me, it isn't the greatest idea. Put that idea aside and focus on your priority the book that you are already writing. If your problem is the latter, then you should consider moving on. If the book that you are working on seems dull or lackluster, then you need to consider a few things. First of all, think about whether the book that you are working on is worth continuing. Does spending months and months more on it make your stomach cringe because you think that you will be deathly sick of it? Does the idea of a new book make you smile or make you want to type a million words a minute? It will be different for everyone, but really consider it. Which book would you rather be writing?
If all or any of these things are relevant to your writing situation, then you should consider moving on to a new project. This might make your stomach turn because of the time spent on your book, but sometimes moving on is the best thing for a career.
Good luck!
-Elysia Regina
2.) You Aren't Feeling it
Now as I said previously, every book has its ups and downs. At some point in your book you will probably either hate it, or come close to hating it. This is perfectly normal. You are looking at it through a microscope smaller than any other microscope. You are going to see every imperfection a thousand times more disgusting than it really is. Sometime it will annoy you so much to the point of making faces at the truly obnoxious parts. But this will pass if you keep going with this book. Eventually you will see that nothing is perfect, and that editing will fix a majority of issues. However, if this my-book-sucks feeling keeps going on for a long time, then you should step back and look at your book, its plot, and where you see it going. Can you see this being a majorly popular book? Can you see yourself marketing it? If not, then it might be time to move on.
3.) You See Something Brighter
If when you are writing your book, you think of a new book idea and can't stop thinking about it, then either you have a case of writer-boredom, or that new idea really is better. If it is the first case, then this is fine! Like I said, there will be low points in your writing. Those points will pass if you keep writing. Write down your great idea and work on it later. I've worked on more than one book at once and trust me, it isn't the greatest idea. Put that idea aside and focus on your priority the book that you are already writing. If your problem is the latter, then you should consider moving on. If the book that you are working on seems dull or lackluster, then you need to consider a few things. First of all, think about whether the book that you are working on is worth continuing. Does spending months and months more on it make your stomach cringe because you think that you will be deathly sick of it? Does the idea of a new book make you smile or make you want to type a million words a minute? It will be different for everyone, but really consider it. Which book would you rather be writing?
If all or any of these things are relevant to your writing situation, then you should consider moving on to a new project. This might make your stomach turn because of the time spent on your book, but sometimes moving on is the best thing for a career.
Good luck!
-Elysia Regina
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