A Spiraling Guide to (Almost) Giving Up on Your Story

[BreeBaxter]

Okay, so… this is normal, right? That feeling when you start a story and you’re obsessed with it, like can’t-eat-can’t-sleep levels of thrill? It’s all you think about, ideas just pouring out, and every single word you type feels like pure genius?

Yeah, that happened to me. Thirteen chapters in one coffee-fueled, weekend-binge-writing marathon, and I was on top of the world. My story was alive, practically breathing, and I was right there in the thick of it, wrangling tropes and flinging plot twists left and right. It was… perfect. Until it wasn’t.

Because then the magic—the obsession—just… fizzled. I thought, “Hey, maybe I’m just burnt out. Take a day off, come back fresh.” But a day turned into a week, and every time I sat down to write, all I could feel was this annoying question: “Do I even want to?”

I mean, come on, the characters were fun, the world was big, and I had this grand, dramatic finale all ready to go. I knew exactly where I was headed, but suddenly, getting there felt like walking uphill in the wrong shoes on a rainy day with a latte that’s way too cold. (Yes, it’s the specifics that make it awful.)

The crazy thing is, it’s not like I don’t know how the story ends—I do! I've already drafted the final showdown, the perfect kiss, the "you-complete-me" moment. It’s all sitting there, ready to go. I just have to write the in-between chapters. You know, the chapters that actually make the epic ending mean something. But here I am, staring at my screen, fingers hovering over the keyboard, asking myself, “Do I even want this?”

And that’s when I realized something weird. Maybe it’s not that the muse left. Maybe the muse is still right there, lurking, judging, like a tiny chaotic gremlin that dangled this brilliant idea in front of me, only to whisper, “Good luck finishing it, babe” and peace out. Maybe it's not that at all. Maybe it's just that I don't wanna. I don't wanna finish it.

So here I am, spiraling because I don’t know if I can muster up the energy to write the bridge chapters, the ones that take you from the magical thrill of starting to the glorious satisfaction of finishing.

I’ve come up with a "solution" (and I say that with heavy quotation marks) that involves a whole lot of hand-waving and calling it “creative choices.” Basically, I’m taking the last four or five chapters and rolling them into one chaotic “catch-up” chapter. It’s not cheating; it’s a stylistic choice. Right? RIGHT?

Here’s the thing though, and I guess this is where it gets personal (oops): I wanted to finish this story not just because I love it (when I do love it), but because I want to feel that I can finish. Not just end it, but finish it, the way I always imagined.

So yeah, if you’re out there and you’ve felt this existential spiral of “Why do I even want to finish this?”, just know that you’re not alone. I don’t have any profound advice. Just a “same,” a deep sigh, and a coffee that’s probably gone cold by now.

At least I’m finishing something.

[Chronomel]

This is the most relatable thing ever​ funny how it's always get enough motivation to get knee deep, but not enough to finish. My personal tip is just do the scene/story you want to do. Cuz I also find myself in a place where all I really want to do is the cool ending (or I'm interested in another project entirely)

So the solution is just do that, cuz at least I'm being productive as opposed to agonizing about it and doing nothing. And then I usually realize that the "in between stuff" isn't that nessesariy, and I know the exact bare minimum of foreshadowing and character development to make the scene hit. Worst case scenario, I'm get to practice my writing/drawing skills

[Heidifisk]

It happens, sometimes you just got to accept that you are going to have slow days.

I write novels for amazon on the side, and it can be tough when that is currently like 1/4 of your income and NOT finishing something means you might not have something to release anytime soon.

You also might just need to write something else for a bit. Sometimes the brain worms won't let you move on to your main project.

Try just writing something that has been on the back of your mind for awhile. Or read, then go back to it, if you aren't monetizing the work in any major way, I don't see the harm in taking a short break.

[mayfieldmichael]

Dude YESSSS. I have so many main points and ending to my story all planned out but it’s those dang bridging chapters. I feel like I get writers block trying to figure out how the heck to get from point A to point B.

[ThunderChicken]

I think everybody feels this way at one point or another, and it is perfectly normal. The internet (and Tapas itself) is littered with the corpses of stories that have been unceremoniously dumped by their creators. Sometimes your own story occupies your own mind so much that you resent it. Or get bored with it. Or just plain start hating it. There is no shame in that. Step back for a bit, look at the whole thing, and think about what it would take to get back into it.

My only advice is this: if you choose to end your story, give your readers some closure. Even if you only have a few readers, they have invested time into your story and you owe it to them just out of decency to let them know how it ends. I actually saw one writer do exactly that: her very good story came to a sudden end because she was burned out. Rather than leaving everybody hanging, though, she posted a point-for-point summary of how everything was going to turn out. Her audience wasn’t left wondering what happened to the characters (or the creator). She spelled it all out, and said that if she starts writing it again she’ll take down that last update and pick up where she left off.. For that I have great respect.

[BreeBaxter]

@Chronomel

Whelp, I basically took the middle part, made a joke about it, and then just skipped to the end LOL.

[BreeBaxter]

Oh, the Amazon hustle! That’s fascinating—I’d love to hear about your process there.

@Heidifisk

[BreeBaxter]

Luckily, I did manage to squeeze out a ‘bridge’ chapter, which sorta-kinda connects to the two big finale chapters I’d already drafted, so there’s a semi-decent ending in place.

@ThunderChicken

[Heidifisk]

Nothing too special, just try to release 3-4 novels a year. (Honestly, it should be more but I'm honestly pretty slow xd)

You just really need to find a niche and get some good cover art.

[skidiggy]

Same girl, same. You are not alone in feeling this. It comes and goes in waves sometimes, but I've had bouts of not wanting to write (or second-guessing the already written chapters) to the point where I'm asking the same questions. Some weeks, I'm all for working on the romance novel and not the action fantasy, while others are vice versa. There was a period of several weeks where nothing got written. Burnout's a b, that's for sure. Whatever you decide, I hope you take good care of yourself; mind, body, and spirit. Wishing you well!

[heyroxi]

Same here! I ended up wrapping up one of my novels because I just couldn’t see where it was going, and some things are better left unfinished; completion isn’t always the same as satisfaction. Luckily, I have other things on my plate—drawing, web design, painting—so when I hit a block, I just switch gears and dive into another hobby. Sometimes ideas pop up randomly, so I jot them down or make quick notes, then forget about them until I’m ready to write again. You might want to explore other things, too. It’s great because when the inspiration comes back, I’ve got a little roadmap ready! So, don’t be afraid to explore and take breaks!