Do you know the frustration of receiving countless rejection emails without knowing how to improve your manuscript? You want to revise but feel lost and can’t make sense of even a simple phrase. That was the day I realized I might need to leave that manuscript to rest for a while. It was my first baby, and I felt devastated that my book would not see the light of day.
Writers often discuss the importance of personal qualities like persistence and stamina, but sometimes, there is nothing more you can squeeze out of yourself. I had to learn another important lesson about respecting my limits and accepting that what I did with my book was insufficient.
LOST IN THE WRITER’S BLOCK
Dropping the project is where I struggled the most. I worked hard on that first manuscript and felt connected to those characters as if they were family. I applied everything I learned in writing webinars and courses to that book. It took me years to finish my first book, and I even hired a professional editor to develop the manuscript. No new ideas came to mind, and I got lost in the darkness of writer’s block. Sadly, I had no more necessary material to give to that project. I would sit with an open laptop for days, struggling to fix the problematic first chapters or find the place for the inciting incident.
I decided to take a break and purchased ten fresh thrillers to gain insight into how experienced fellow writers handle these issues. We went to the seaside with our children in the summer, and it was too complicated to bring my laptop to work. That was a blessing. I benefited from the reading and the distance I made from my characters, and by the time I could start writing again, a different story was occupying my mind, and new characters settled in.
MOVING ON
I moved on because I accepted there was nothing more I could have done for my first novel. I cleared my head from those characters and their stories by reading many more books, especially within my genre, so I felt inspired to start writing something new. It was the most intelligent decision. In no time, I was drafting another book, and I was back on track.
Even if you decide to shelve that book, it doesn’t mean you have to go back to the drawing board. Creating a writer’s brand is similar to constructing a skyscraper with a strong foundation. It’s up to you to keep adding more floors.
For those still not convinced they should abandon the project, I strongly recommend taking some time off, at least a month, if not more. That will give you a new perspective; maybe this is what you need to strengthen your WIP. Just so you know, even if you shelve that book, it doesn’t mean you can’t go back to it one day. Now that I know what I am doing, I’m about to revise mine.
