Be honest: have you ever abandoned a project before you gave it a fair chance? I know I have as a former project abandoner.
The reasons for this vary from writer to writer, as one would expect, but it’s knowing what your reasons are for abandoning projects that can help you put a stop to the tireless chasing of plot bunnies.
Which reason resonates with you? If you can identify it, you’ll be one step closer to figuring out how you can stick to a single writing project.
Reason #1: You’re bored of your own story.
I’ll be straight with you: this one was a big one for me. I got bored with my ideas so quickly, it was rare that I worked on a story for longer than a week!
I found that sometimes it’s not the story that’s the problem—it’s that the writer knows the ending and wants to work on something new that they don’t already have figured out. The real solution to this is to find the fun that does (I promise!) exist in every stage of the writing process. Below is a list of some blog posts we’ve published to help you inject fun back into writing regardless of how in love you are with your story at the moment.
- How to Make Writing Fun (and Thus, Maintain the Habit)
- Feeling Unmotivated? Sample Our Dopamine Menu for Writers
- Bored With Your Writing? Try Another Medium
- What to Do When None of Your Story Ideas Spark Joy
- How to Schedule Your Own Mini Writing Retreat
- Writing Words with Friends: 6 Ways to Sprint with Your Writing Buddies
- Give “Write With Me” Videos a Try
- How to Enhance Your Writing Experience with Soundscapes
- 20 Ways to Celebrate All Your Writing Wins This Year
Reason #2: You’ve run into a (seemingly) insurmountable problem.
Sometimes those plot threads become so tangled, it’s hard to find where one snag ends and another begins! Letting the work sit for a while can sometimes lead to an epiphany—or, sometimes, that it allows the distance between you and your next sentence to grow exponentially.
Your writing coach can be an invaluable resource for helping you work through any kind of writing problem. However, if you’re needing less guidance and more of a push out of analysis paralysis, check out this blog post on how to use dice and a deck of cards to get you writing again.
Reason #3: Self-doubt has creeped in.
Maybe it’s because we spend so much time in solitude, bouncing around ideas in our head for hours on end. Maybe it’s because social media shows us almost exclusively highlight reels and success stories. Whatever the reason, once the seed of self-doubt is planted, it can be unfairly difficult to pull that weed out of the ground.
Lucky for us, our founder, Racquel Henry has made it her life’s mission to support writers through these mindset trials and tribulations. This is why she’s created so many resources and offerings to help! If you’re short on time and looking for bite-sized motivation you can sneak in before a writing session or between other activities, check out our Motivational Minutes playlist on YouTube. If you’re more of a podcast person, check out The Write Mindset. And if you want a more long-term solution—like a supportive, structured environment to overcome writing obstacles and build consistency—then you will love The Write Gym, our group coaching and accountability program for writers.
Reason #4: Life happened.
Sometimes stepping away from a project is simply not up to you. Unpredictable events across the emotional spectrum can disrupt your routines and habits, and then it’s a matter of starting everything back up again. Every writer has been there. It’s exhausting and disheartening. And once things do calm down, it can be intimidating to start back up again. You feel rusty, unsure.
Rest assured that, as I said, every writer has been there. If other writers can get back on the horse, you can, too!
While you wait for life to calm down enough for you to carve out writing time, you can stay inspired by watching our Inspirational Videos for Writers playlist over on YouTube.
