Letting Projects Go
As a writer, I can truly say that one thing I hate doing most of all is letting go of projects I've held onto for a while--even if they can technically be considered 'dead' projects. Even if I haven't touched them in a few months. It's hard, man.
I think I speak for the majority of creative writers when I say I don't like letting go of things. But today I'm gonna talk about how and why letting go can become necessary.
Why It's Hard to Let Go
(So so many reasons. )
-You become attached to the characters
-You are truly in love with many aspects of the story
-You may have some vague wish to revive it
-You've been working on it for so long and have spent so much time/creativity/etc on it
-You might feel like a failure if you don't go through with the project
-You feel pressured from other people (maybe friends/early audience) to finish and carry through even if the project is NOT going the way you want it too and bringing you daily pain
-IT'S YOUR BRAIN CHILD AND YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DROP CHILDREN. Right?
Wrong. When it comes to art anyway. (You should most definitely NEVER drop a human child). :P
As you work away at projects they become very near and dear to your heart.
When is it Time to Let Go?
Obviously, whenever you write ANYTHING there will be some sort of struggle. Something you can't get right and things you repeatedly get wrong. Some books just take longer than others.
But 'dead' projects are dead weight.
You may need to consider letting go if;
- There are no salvageable parts of the story at all.
- The pressure to stick and finish one project is clogging your creativity and making you feel guilty toward new ideas.
- The story no longer aligns with your beliefs, your values or your style.
- You begin to hate writing just when thinking of an unfinished project.
-It's just not working out for you
-You feel the need to move on
What you Should Know
Just because you have decided to let a project go does not mean you are a failure. Whatever that project was, you exercised yourself with it. It was an experimentation of creativity. Likely you've learned things about yourself and your writing process: what you like, what you didn't like.
Likewise,
Just because you put a lot of time into a project does not mean that that project was a waste. You must have cared about it at some point in time, and none of the time you put into something you used to care about is a waste.
Unless you have signed a contract, you are under no obligation to finish a project. The only thing you are working toward is your own deadline. If something becomes a burden to you, you are under no obligation to complete it. You have absolute control over what projects you work on and when--unless you've signed a book contract.
Remember:
People change. People's tastes and styles change. The more you write, the more your writing evolves. You move from amateur to veteran, and your writing will change. More often than not, that's a wonderful thing.
Not every project you start will come to be finished. In fact, it is unrealistic to expect that. We get SO many ideas a day. Some detailed and thrilling, some only a vague sentence or a peace of scenery. If we tried to turn every idea into a project and finish every project we start--well, we'd all be drowning in paper and ink.
You never know how many unfinished projects lie behind wildly successful authors. We only see their published, edited, perfected work. We don't know how much time and effort was spent on something that would never see the light of day. Behind every 'successful' writer is an armada of unfinished works and ideas that were never able to expand. That's ok.
Everyone's process is different. Some people will churn out a book a year (and I know people who have). Some people will dedicate twenty years to the completion of one book (ahem LOTR). That's fine. We don't all have to be the same, nor should we be.
Let's Chat!
1. Do you believe in letting go of projects?
2. Have you ever held onto a project for longer than you should have?
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| Photo by Bookblock on Unsplash |
Why It's Hard to Let Go
(So so many reasons. )
-You become attached to the characters
-You are truly in love with many aspects of the story
-You may have some vague wish to revive it
-You've been working on it for so long and have spent so much time/creativity/etc on it
-You might feel like a failure if you don't go through with the project
-You feel pressured from other people (maybe friends/early audience) to finish and carry through even if the project is NOT going the way you want it too and bringing you daily pain
-IT'S YOUR BRAIN CHILD AND YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DROP CHILDREN. Right?
Wrong. When it comes to art anyway. (You should most definitely NEVER drop a human child). :P
As you work away at projects they become very near and dear to your heart.
When is it Time to Let Go?
Obviously, whenever you write ANYTHING there will be some sort of struggle. Something you can't get right and things you repeatedly get wrong. Some books just take longer than others.
But 'dead' projects are dead weight.
You may need to consider letting go if;
- There are no salvageable parts of the story at all.
- The pressure to stick and finish one project is clogging your creativity and making you feel guilty toward new ideas.
- The story no longer aligns with your beliefs, your values or your style.
- You begin to hate writing just when thinking of an unfinished project.
-It's just not working out for you
-You feel the need to move on
What you Should Know
Just because you have decided to let a project go does not mean you are a failure. Whatever that project was, you exercised yourself with it. It was an experimentation of creativity. Likely you've learned things about yourself and your writing process: what you like, what you didn't like.
Likewise,
Just because you put a lot of time into a project does not mean that that project was a waste. You must have cared about it at some point in time, and none of the time you put into something you used to care about is a waste.
Unless you have signed a contract, you are under no obligation to finish a project. The only thing you are working toward is your own deadline. If something becomes a burden to you, you are under no obligation to complete it. You have absolute control over what projects you work on and when--unless you've signed a book contract.
Remember:
People change. People's tastes and styles change. The more you write, the more your writing evolves. You move from amateur to veteran, and your writing will change. More often than not, that's a wonderful thing.
Not every project you start will come to be finished. In fact, it is unrealistic to expect that. We get SO many ideas a day. Some detailed and thrilling, some only a vague sentence or a peace of scenery. If we tried to turn every idea into a project and finish every project we start--well, we'd all be drowning in paper and ink.
You never know how many unfinished projects lie behind wildly successful authors. We only see their published, edited, perfected work. We don't know how much time and effort was spent on something that would never see the light of day. Behind every 'successful' writer is an armada of unfinished works and ideas that were never able to expand. That's ok.
Everyone's process is different. Some people will churn out a book a year (and I know people who have). Some people will dedicate twenty years to the completion of one book (ahem LOTR). That's fine. We don't all have to be the same, nor should we be.
Let's Chat!
1. Do you believe in letting go of projects?
2. Have you ever held onto a project for longer than you should have?
Yes we should all let go of projects, there's no need to let a project clutter up space that a new project can fill.
ReplyDeleteOf course! I worked on a novel for 5 years(I think I must have at least 12 drafts on my laptop) and I just couldn't let it go. It really felt connected to me in and I guess I was afraid that if I let it go I would stop writing. I finished the final draft last year. It was a beautifully worded, plot hole ridden, underdeveloped piece of trash. But I finished it and I was able to move on. (Thank goodness) I still hold that story close to my heart since it was what got me writing, but I've let go of any desire to write more to the story.
Yeah .When you hold on to something that long, other really becomes close and sentimental, even if you can see all the flaws in it. I agree completely. Thanks!
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