Have you ever given up on a story before finishing it?

[MrStill]

There seems to be a common theme here...

I have about 60 submissions published to date and at least that many in various stages of assembly, disassembly, maybe to be edited, maybe to be plundered for spare parts, etc.

I can only imagine our readers going through our various folders with confusion on their faces, asking us 'why didn't you just publish all of this?'

 

[soflabbwlvr]

I have several that I am struggling to finish -- some have languished for over 10 years. One, however, I believe I have given up on. I do not feel that I have the skill to give this story the emotional heft I envision for it. I could write it as a stroker, but that was not my intent and would not be satisfying for me.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Never give up...

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Same...

 

[StillStunned]

Same...

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And here's the thing: if I haven't moved it to my "Dead Ends and False Starts" folder, I fully intend to finish the story!

 

[Devinter]

Same...

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"Flowers from the Ash" is clearly an absolute masterpiece. I can feel it. You should strongly consider finishing that one.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I'm more of an "indefinitely shelved" person, but I've abandoned one story after somebody else published one that was very close to what I'd had in mind.

 

[RoperTrace]

I've never deleted a story, but I have quite a few that can be charitably characterized as being in a deep cryogenic sleep. I tell myself I will get back to them, eventually. We'll see.

Been there, done that, as the saying goes. And I'm not particularly proud or ashamed at abandoning a 'few' stories, and that fact bothers me more than the actual abandonment. Not sure if this even makes sense, so I'm abandoning this conversation, for now.

 

[RoperTrace]

Yes, I have and I've deleted a few that I gave up on... and I'm kicking myself in the ass for deleting them. Although the story wasn't fully formed, there were some good ideas in there that would have fit into later projects, but I deleted them! I learned the hard way - DON'T THROW ANYTHING AWAY.

In fact a story I entered in this year's Winter contest was written 4 years ago then I re-wrote it because: reasons. Years later, those reasons were settled and I dug out the Original Story, gave it a good polishing and posted it. Laurel and Manu didn't like that the name was similar to a previous story, so they named it The Original Story (Thanks guys) The lesson is - if you give up on a story, keep it. Circumstances may change, your muse might have a different path for you, a fresh plot bunny may bite your ankle you never know.

They can do that?

 

[Duleigh]

They can do that?

I sort of allowed it to happen but yes, they can. I just wanted the story to be posted, it's been siting in my "out box" for four years.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

"Flowers from the Ash" is clearly an absolute masterpiece. I can feel it. You should strongly consider finishing that one.

That one is special, indeed. 16K words and I think I'm about half done.

 

[AlexIce]

Quite often. However, for a lot of my unfinished works, I've recycled/repurposed them into later published stories.

My most recent two stories contains elements & characters from four stories altogether that never saw the light of day.

 

[Rob_Royale]

Oh yes. I have a dead file. Currently occupied by six stories. I don't delete them because all it takes is one new idea and up from the grave they rise.

 

[alohadave]

They can do that?

They can do whatever they want, they have the keys.

Laurel renamed one of my stories when I submitted it. Granted it was a sequel, but I wanted different name than the first one.

 

[Kelliezgirl]

I had what I thought (and still think) was a great idea for a story about turning the tables on a blackmailer. Got 7 or 8 thousand words in, but for the idea to really payoff the MC had to go much darker than I was comfortable writing. So I shelved it for now, might revisit at some point.

 

[bestkeptsecret678]

There’s giving up… and there’s the long pause. Not the same thing. You decide.

2 years later, I’m still sitting on my all time favorite story premise. I’ve written the prologue, and am still happy with it, but it’s such an ambitious project…. Not sure when I’ll ever get it going.

 

[TheLobster]

Looking at the screenshots of your drafts' folders, I'm quite amazed that y'all seem to have your titles sorted out already.

Unless I happen to come up with a very inspiring pun (such as was the case for my Xmas contest submission), most of my stories tend to go untitled for the bulk of the time I'm writing them. Some only get a header & byline at pretty much the last moment before I hit Submit!

But that doesn't seem to be the case for @StillStunned and @ShelbyDawn57 at least. These are basically all some carefully named pieces, even at the (presumably) early stage. It's quite interesting to notice the difference.

 

[StillStunned]

But that doesn't seem to be the case for @StillStunned and @ShelbyDawn57 at least. These are basically all some carefully named pieces, even at the (presumably) early stage. It's quite interesting to notice the difference.

I don't have a problem renaming my story while I'm writing. "Bound to the Blade" was originally "Mighty Thews and the Demon Blade", for instance, and "Rulk the Rat and the Demon Dagger" was "Azzin and the Demon". The whole series "The Rivals" was "Sky & Sand", and "The Dome" was "Far Future" (the separate folders still have those names). "Closeness" was "Don't Touch". "A Quiet Woman" was "The Quiet Woman". "The Princess and the Plea" was "The Princess and the Pearl" and before that "Rivals (new story)". "The Porn Shoot" was "And Action!".

And so on.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Looking at the screenshots of your drafts' folders, I'm quite amazed that y'all seem to have your titles sorted out already.

Unless I happen to come up with a very inspiring pun (such as was the case for my Xmas contest submission), most of my stories tend to go untitled for the bulk of the time I'm writing them. Some only get a header & byline at pretty much the last moment before I hit Submit!

But that doesn't seem to be the case for @StillStunned and @ShelbyDawn57 at least. These are basically all some carefully named pieces, even at the (presumably) early stage. It's quite interesting to notice the difference.

The road to finishing a story is long, often dark and full of perils. A frequent casualty along that path is the working title of a story. They tend to change as the story grows often at the last minute as my mouse moves to the publish button. None of them are sacred.

 

[Plathfan]

No, but I happened to merge two or three stories that were on a long hiatus into one. Interestingly, those often turn out the best. Some might dismiss it as shoehorning, but pantsers rarely comprehend the art of sewing.

 

[pink_silk_glove]

No, but I happened to merge two or three stories that were on a long hiatus into one. Interestingly, those often turn out the best. Some might dismiss it as shoehorning, but pantsers rarely comprehend the art of sewing.

That's not antagonizing at all. (eyeroll)

 

[Plathfan]

That's not antagonizing at all. (eyeroll)

Being frank often is, but I can’t say I don’t enjoy it. (sunglasses)

 

[StillStunned]

Being frank often is, but I can’t say I don’t enjoy it. (sunglasses)

There's nothing wrong with being frank. But making a disparaging remark about a style of writing that you don't share, without any previous mention of that style in the discussion or even any logical connection with your previous statement, that's not being frank. That's being a troll.

But how's the story coming along? Anything you'd like to share with the rest of us? Anything at all?

 

[pink_silk_glove]

Being frank often is, but I can’t say I don’t enjoy it. (sunglasses)

Oh, so I'm not on ignore like you said I was. ; )

 

[RoperTrace]

Oh yes. I have a dead file. Currently occupied by six stories. I don't delete them because all it takes is one new idea and up from the grave they rise.

'You've chosen wisely'.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

No, but I happened to merge two or three stories that were on a long hiatus into one. Interestingly, those often turn out the best. Some might dismiss it as shoehorning, but pantsers rarely comprehend the art of sewing.

Curious comment.

I'd infer from it that you've never read Game of Thrones.
G.R.R. Martin calls him self a gardener as opposed to an architect, what we, in this conversation call a pantser. I'd offer he has produced one of the most elaborate and beautiful literary tapestries of a generation, paralleling the works of Tolkien and Lewis. To suggest he wouldn't comprehend the art of sewing is as simplistic as it is naive.

Letting a story grow organically doesn't mean we just throw seeds to the wind and let the garden go wild, it means we let it grow organically, pruning carefully as it does so, sometimes ripping out plant and replacing entire areas to achieve an image that matches our vision. It also doesn't mean we don't have a plan, it's just that that plan is like the Pirate's code, more of a guideline.

And, I'm interested... Where did you publish this story you mention? I'd love to read something you've written.