Writing hiatuses

[EmilyMiller]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

 

[NuclearFairy]

I get that all the time, but the only way to get any peace and quiet is to write which leads to me ignoring that little voice so I can get some sleep.

 

[AwkwardlySet]

Yup.

There are days when I feel like I've written very clever stuff. And then the next day, I'd feel like it all sucks. I think that's all normal.

As for hiatuses, well, I had one more than a year long, so again, easy to relate. It's all about time and motivation.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I get that all the time, but the only way to get any peace and quiet is to write which leads to me ignoring that little voice so I can get some sleep.

Yeah - I wrote other stuff

 

[Voyeurkenneth]

Sounds familiar!

How much of it is left to complete? If you can see the finish line in sight, give it a final push? I'm sure it'll take more time for editing anyway, where there's plenty of time to fret .

 

[WittyUserName]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

Sounds very familiar. I randomly stopped writing for a few months a year ago. Sometimes you have to push through! Congrats on the words!

 

[EmilyMiller]

Sounds familiar!

How much of it is left to complete? If you can see the finish line in sight, give it a final push? I'm sure it'll take more time for editing anyway, where there's plenty of time to fret .

So it’s in six parts. I have finished first drafts of Parts I - IV.

I’ve also written the second half (ie the end of the story) of Part VI.

I have an outline covering the end of Part V and the first half of Part VI. It’s a case of writing that. Probably 7,000 - 10,000 words depending on how fast I move the plot along.

I think the final novel will be about 90,000 words (before editing).

 

[PennyThompson]

I've been in a writing slump the last month or so, but staying in the game by beta reading for others feels like it helps!

Writing for me is a fun side hobby that I'm not looking to monetize. I have to remind myself that nobody is paying me to force something onto the page just to meet an arbitrary deadline.

If the words aren't flowing out like water, I need to do something else for a while until the wellspring recharges!

 

[StillStunned]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

Just by going back to it makes you better than George RR Martin, Scott Lynch and Patrick Rothfuss. For people to say you're novel is crap, they have to be able to read it, and for that you have to finish it.

And you've written enough that you should know you're more than capable. Just keep writing. If it's something you'd read, then it's something worth writing.

 

[EmilyMiller]

And you've written enough that you should know you're more than capable. Just keep writing. If it's something you'd read, then it's something worth writing.

Thank you .

I had a couple of people look at the intro recently and their feedback was encouraging. I’ve had two people read all the first draft bits, and a few others read just Part I. I just worry they are being too nice to me.

 

[THBGato]

I seem to be on a break too. The same thing happened last year around this time, so it might be seasonal. But also suspect the end of my interest in writing is nearing.

Hope you get back to the joy of writing soon.

 

[StillStunned]

On the subject of imposter syndrome...

No, I don't have that. When I write, it's what I'd like to read, and how I'd like to read it. If Lit's readers enjoy it, great! If they don't, I'll acknowledge the shortcomings - but I don't think I'd change the story.

Then again, my focus is largely on crafting prose. My plots are usually straightforward. If I was to venture into novel-length territory, I might start questioning whether the plot was interesting enough to carry the story. But until that time, I'll stick to what I know.

 

[dirk2024]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

Yes. And I'm not even trying to write 82k words.

I have the first story I came here to write, as yet unfinished. I even have follow-up WIP's lined up behind it. It's been written, reviewed by another, re-written, had other passages cobbled into it, and I am feeling stuck on finishing it. In the meantime, I work on other stories.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Yes. And I'm not even trying to write 82k words.

I have the first story I came here to write, as yet unfinished. I even have follow-up WIP's lined up behind it. It's been written, reviewed by another, re-written, had other passages cobbled into it, and I am feeling stuck on finishing it. In the meantime, I work on other stories.

Sometimes letting the text gestate in your subconscious can be useful, while you write other stuff.

 

[EmilyMiller]

My plots are usually straightforward.

Yeah, my plot is anything but straightforward. A large cast, multiple locations, and travel in between them. Lots of intertwined threads.

 

[crookedletter]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

It's very familiar. It can be tough to stay excited about long projects. Sometimes when I've been toiling on something for a long time it begins to feel like a chore, and when my writing feels like a chore it tends not to flow as well. Then I struggle between the impulse to pivot and write something I'm excited about, or stick with it and see if I can work through the doldrums.

The former is often the answer, but it comes with the risk of leaving that project in a drawer indefinitely, nagging at me as something unfinished.

So. Congrats on getting back to it, and what sounds like a pretty productive return. 1200 words is a pretty big session, for me at least. I hope you're enjoying that feeling.

 

[Britva415]

I still write once in a while but haven't published in >2 years because school gives me so much homework

 

[EmilyMiller]

So. Congrats on getting back to it, and what sounds like a pretty productive return. 1200 words is a pretty big session, for me at least. I hope you're enjoying that feeling.

Yeah - and I’m feeling it again, which is good

 

[Dark_Kumiko]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

Yep.

I have a 70k-ish draft sitting neatly, waiting for me. I told her, my MC, 'One second, dear, just one more short story. There is this dark fairy tales anthology, and I'm having fun.'

So she waited, and that short story has now developed into a longer work.

Well, she has been waiting since January until now... I have many projects, like, three? Now four...

 

[iwatchus]

Based on some suggestions I saw when I was reading/watching several how to's on writing last month, I am trying something different right now, targeting writing novels. I wrote my first novel(120K) in July. It's not the worst writing I have done, but it's not the best either.

One of my problems is I get in too much of a rush to finish something I am working on. In particular I cannot properly revise something when it is fresh in my mind. So why not go big. I thought. I am trying to write three novels now, essentially interleaved (very different stories). I want to write a rougher than usual first draft of each, one at a time. Then make a major revising pass over each in turn, then do a polishing pass over each in turn. The hope is to be able to force myself away from it enough to lose touch with the writing I have done, so I can see it afresh when I go to revise and rewrite.

Currently, I am 25K into the first of the three, hoping to have all three novels end up around 60-70K, so on the short side of novels. The current WIP is a straight sci-fi (settlers on a new planet, with monsters, political intrigue and a love story). One of the other two is a long term relationship arc between two women, that goes from mentor to lover to best friend over several years. The third is a straight romance targeted for Mature.

It has been somewhat freeing just leaving holes in the draft saying <<<needs another incident here showing growing friendship between Aziz and Marianne >>> and things like that. We'll see how that goes in the revising stage, probably sometime in November.

The hope is to fill in holes in my time with a few short stories (which for me are about 15K), mostly further tales in the universe of my original series, plus probably a winter contest entry and a valentine's day entry.

I am probably insane.

 

[EmilyMiller]

Based on some suggestions I saw when I was reading/watching several how to's on writing last month, I am trying something different right now, targeting writing novels. I wrote my first novel(120K) in July. It's not the worst writing I have done, but it's not the best either.

One of my problems is I get in too much of a rush to finish something I am working on. In particular I cannot properly revise something when it is fresh in my mind. So why not go big. I thought. I am trying to write three novels now, essentially interleaved (very different stories). I want to write a rougher than usual first draft of each, one at a time. Then make a major revising pass over each in turn, then do a polishing pass over each in turn. The hope is to be able to force myself away from it enough to lose touch with the writing I have done, so I can see it afresh when I go to revise and rewrite.

Currently, I am 25K into the first of the three, hoping to have all three novels end up around 60-70K, so on the short side of novels. The current WIP is a straight sci-fi (settlers on a new planet, with monsters, political intrigue and a love story). One of the other two is a long term relationship arc between two women, that goes from mentor to lover to best friend over several years. The third is a straight romance targeted for Mature.

It has been somewhat freeing just leaving holes in the draft saying <<<needs another incident here showing growing friendship between Aziz and Marianne >>> and things like that. We'll see how that goes in the revising stage, probably sometime in November.

The hope is to fill in holes in my time with a few short stories (which for me are about 15K), mostly further tales in the universe of my original series, plus probably a winter contest entry and a valentine's day entry.

I am probably insane.

Yeah one novel is more than enough for me

 

[Nightaelf]

I wrote 1,200 words of my novel today.

So what? I hear you ask. Well those are the first words I’ve written for it since July 31st. Two whole months of not adding a word to its current 82,000.

I think I needed a break from it. But it’s also stupid imposter syndrome saying, “It’s all crap, what the hell were you thinking? You can’t do this?”

The voice hasn’t stopped, I’ve just decided to ignore it .

Any of this sound familliar?

I’m also stuck at 70,000 words, and my head keeps going, “Nope… not good enough,” even though my beta reader is really enthusiastic.

But I feel stuck in my own way of thinking. I want to add lots of details because I find them important for the story, but then I end up cutting a whole bunch again because it feels like it’s getting too long-winded…

 

[Nightaelf]

I've been in a writing slump the last month or so, but staying in the game by beta reading for others feels like it helps!

Writing for me is a fun side hobby that I'm not looking to monetize. I have to remind myself that nobody is paying me to force something onto the page just to meet an arbitrary deadline.

If the words aren't flowing out like water, I need to do something else for a while until the wellspring recharges!

I like this way of thinking!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I’m also stuck at 70,000 words, and my head keeps going, “Nope… not good enough,” even though my beta reader is really enthusiastic.

But I feel stuck in my own way of thinking. I want to add lots of details because I find them important for the story, but then I end up cutting a whole bunch again because it feels like it’s getting too long-winded…

The voice is very persistent, right?

 

[Nightaelf]

The voice is very persistent, right?

Yes!
She’s an annoying bitch who makes herself far too present.