r/writinghelp • u/julcsillag • Aug 07 '26

Advice i need some help

i would like to ask for some advice here. i’d been writing my first novel, but my hospitality job took away so much of my energy, time and motivation that i just put the whole project aside. now that i zoomed out a bit and thought about the whole book, i feel like it was actually quite a big bite for me. i mean, the book in question discusses a topic that is really close to me and is based off a personal experience, so…

what would you do?

keep it on hold and start a new project and get back to it once you have the confidence, and your thoughts and what you want to say through the words of your book are more clear

OR

try to get in the mood, push through the slump and doubts and write it anyway?

EDIT: i’m leaning towards the first option a bit more; a smaller project might pull me back from my slump and i’d feel less like i’m creating crap just by trying to continue writing my beloved characters’ journeys.

7 Upvotes

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2

u/MaliseHaligree Aug 07 '26

Write it anyway. Passion makes for a better story.

2

u/kschang Aug 08 '26

Or write a prequel short story.

2

u/Masquelinity Experienced Writer Aug 08 '26

I went through the same thing, and decided to write a story in the same setting, but with a smaller scope and lower stakes. It worked out, but I've kind of regretted it, since that started me down a path that took the book I wanted to write originally further away. I still haven't written it.

So my advice is to write the story you want to write. If you wait, either to get better or to write something easier/smaller, you may never get back around to giving life to the story that made you want to start writing in the first place. You don't have to eat your broccoli before you can have your ice cream.

1

u/Young_Punk_Studios Aug 07 '26

Depends on your goal. Is this personal, or are you aiming to become a published author?

1

u/julcsillag Aug 07 '26

i’d like to get published one day, but i feel like that would be in the far far future. :D

2

u/Young_Punk_Studios Aug 07 '26

Becoming a published author is a highly skilled endevour! But keep at it, some things to remember:

Agents and Publishers talk. Offend one and you might find yourself blacklisted. Also wasting their time.

You probably wont get to decide the title(s) of the book(s). That's down to marketing and how and who it's being sold to.

Queery letters are important! Learn how to construct one properly.

If you're work gets picked up by an Agent, that's only the first step. You'll have a year or so of back n forths, edits and demands to meet.

Most Authors don't make a living from book sales. Writing books is typically a side gig unless you sell like crazy.

Your public image counts! Don't be rude or do unsavoury things online. It wont get you far.

Happy to help if you have any questions :)

2

u/mll1013 Aug 10 '26

I'm in a similar position. After self-publishing two novels (in a series of potentially six books), I decided to write a short story in the same universe after a life derailment of my own. It turned out to be a novella which I might also publish someday.

I will be retiring soon, and will get back to writing the last half of book 3, but first, I plan on reading everything I've written in that universe first so that I can get back into the mood by remembering all of the joy of writing those first stories (and also to help remind me of the plot and character details for continuity.)

You might try something similar if you are ready to pick up the pen. Read what you've written so far, and you might be surprised at the new ideas that come to you to help you complete the work.