Comments on: Staying Faithful to Your WIP

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:21:32 +0000

I’ve been scheduling one or two days a week to work on fluff projects recently so that I have a better chance of staying faithful to the main one on the other days. It’s been working great so far.

By: Declan Stanley

Declan Stanley — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:02:18 +0000

It’s kind of like a work/life balance, a profit/passion balance.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:07:24 +0000

I love this “open marriage” idea, when it comes to work, of course.

Scheduling time for everything, that which is profit and that which is passion, can make “everyone” happy.

By: Christopher Jackson

Christopher Jackson — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:07:35 +0000

I love this idea! Something I hadn’t thought of – an open relationship. Think I might give this a try! I’ll talk it over with my WIP and see if she’s cool with it :)

Thanks for the great idea Declan.

By: Christopher Jackson

Christopher Jackson — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 09:05:46 +0000

Hope your trial separation goes well! Definitely set a date to get back together with your WIP, or you might find you drift apart!

Thanks for commenting :)

By: Declan Stanley

Declan Stanley — Mon, 31 May 2010 20:19:54 +0000

You could also try an “open marriage”. Monday to Thursday you stay faithful to your WIP, but on Friday you get to play with any new idea that takes your fancy.

By: Nelsa

Nelsa — Thu, 27 May 2010 13:57:54 +0000

Really great post and very timely for me. I’m very much into being faithful to the WIP (no cheating on it with multiple projects! :) But right now my WIP is being very irritating so we’ve agreed to a trial separation. I’m not seeing anyone else but enjoying spending times with old friends like reading and movies. But good point about knowing when to get back together. Must set a reunion date soon…

By: Mireyah Wolfe

Mireyah Wolfe — Wed, 26 May 2010 06:59:41 +0000

Eerily appropriate for me, Chris–I’ve given myself a deadline with my current WiP and I recently had an idea that’s been teasing me and I’ve toyed with the idea of writing both. So far, the only thing that’s kept me from trying is the very definite knowledge how my Crit group would yell at me! LOL :-)

By: Christopher Jackson

Christopher Jackson — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:08:13 +0000

A groupie sounds like a great idea! :D I bet that’s a massive motivation. Sounds like it’s really going well, keep it up!

Thanks for commenting Emily :)

By: Christopher Jackson

Christopher Jackson — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:07:14 +0000

That’s a really good point Jennifer, about questioning whether your story is working. I feel a little more committed to my WIP than I otherwise might, as I’m writing it as part of a writing duel (!) and so have to see it through. I did, for a time, think I was only sticking with it because of that, but I don’t think that’s the case. The story is there, but I keep getting distracted from it when the going gets tough. I know it’s my problem, and not the story’s!

Thanks for commenting!

By: Emily

Emily — Mon, 24 May 2010 18:01:12 +0000

I’m about to break 100,000 words in my novel. I’ve been writing this since NaNoWriMo 2003! I recently had a “fan” of my fanfiction contact me for more of my stuff to read. I sent her the first few chapters of the novel and she fell in love. Madly, passionately, wildly, and insanely in love! She read the chapters and promptly emailed me a gushing review…while asking for more. Since then, I’ve been compelled to write! I have gotten very little sleep in the past 2 weeks because I’ve been writing this novel for my biggest cheerleader. I highly recommend finding a groupie to get you motivated! ;-)

By: jennifer

jennifer — Mon, 24 May 2010 15:12:55 +0000

Thanks for this great post. I think it’s really important for writers to learn how to stick with a writing project until it’s completed. No matter how enticing it is to “cheat” on your WIP and work on something else.

I also think it’s important to mention this–If you feel yourself losing interest on your novel or writing project, you should think about whether or not the story itself is working. I spent 2 years trying to make a novel work, and I am now getting the feeling that no matter what I do, it’s not going to work. And that’s OK. Not all stories are meant to happen. If you find yourself losing interest regularly on your WIP, it may be worth examining whether or not the story is the problem, or if it’s something else.