Here it is the end of August and I've only written one blog this month. One. Seriously. I'll make some excuses: I'm busy, I've been studying for my boards, I've been writing my WIP, it's summer, I work a lot.
Ah, there, I feel minutely better.
For three weeks I've been debating writing this really awesome blog about killing off characters. However at this point it still remains an illusive idea. I have been writing. I'm 60,000 words into my WIP. That's a fair amount in, I'd say. In fact, I'm nearly finished. I've reached the What the heck is wrong with me stage. It's a really crappy stage that goes something like this.
"Awesome! I've gotten to the fun, interesting, dramatic, action-filled part of story! And I'm stalled..."
What the heck.
I'm on Chapter 26. I know how the story will end. I know how to get from Point A to Point B and sum it all up with Point C.
So...what the heck is wrong with me? Why can't I just sit down and write it all out? My critique readers are bugging me for the rest. I'm still interested, still in love with the characters, the plot, all of it. I'm even more excited about having a finished product and starting to work on a query letter.
Soo...why am I not finishing it?
The truth: I have NO idea. This happens every time I get close to the end of my manuscripts. I write like a beast for 3/4 of the book and then I hit this lull where I can't even bang out a chapter in a week. It's ultimately very frustrating. In six days I've written a page and a half. But it's not writers block (or is it??) because I know where the story is going. I know how it'll all end. I could even brainstorm out about a million conversations and scenes.
The explanation I like the best (because it doesn't involve scary words like writers block or lazy) is that I'm afraid to finish it. I love the story so much that I don't want it to end. I am especially in love with this story line and I'll be sad to leave my one-armed Ginger behind. But there are other stories in my head that want to be written, too. Plus I have another MS that's nearly ready for querying that needs some final editing and polishing (and three more than haven't been edited at all, yet). I have a future, maybe I just don't have the ambition. Maybe I'm just scared.
What about you? Do you suffer from end of manuscript anxiety? Maybe I need to start a support group. ;)
All the best,
Kacey
Ha! I totally understand. I get that way sometimes too. More often than I want to, actually. Yeah, I'll be in your support group. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'M THERE AS WE SPEAK. You're psychic. You seriously are! I'm probably about 3/4 of the way done, I'm finally to that point I wanted to reach at the beginning where things are SERIOUSLY heating up, psychologically and plot-wise, I know exactly where I'm going and how I want it done... and yet it's dragging like all hell.
ReplyDeletePart of me thinks it's just that I'm like, what if I write this too fast and screw it up? Caution overload! Or maybe it really is that I don't want it to be over. I love this idea - I want to work it to its maximum potential.
I've blawarded you the Liebster blaward at my blog! Check it out, if you'd like. =]
Thanks Cherie and Riley. It's nice to know that you're not alone in this. I seriously don't understand it though. Uber frustrating!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a case of writer's block to me. I've only just broken out of mine five days ago. Since then I've been writing like crazy (1014.65 averaged words a day which is twice my personal "daily word quota").
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you'll get it done soon enough if you haven't already!
Visit Writersde-block.blogspot.com for writer's block assistance. :)