Knowing whether your WIP is worth continuing
I’ve seen a lot of talk in the writing community lately around quitting writing/giving up on your WIP, and it’s really been quite discouraging. So, I’ve decided to go in the opposite direction. So, here are EXAMPLES of reasons your WIP is worth finishing:
Imagine your story after multiple revisions, rounds of beta readers, a professional edit and proofread - it’s shiny and ready for publication - is it something you’d like to read?
Instead of comparing your first draft to others’ finished products, imagine your manuscript/story idea as the best it can be. If that version of your WIP is something you’d enjoy reading, others will probably too, which means that it’s worth writing.
2. It moves you/says something important
Not all novels need to make some monumental statement or drive readers to tears of inspiration, but if your story does that, it’s sure as hell worth writing.
If you feel that your story has the potential to cast light on an important topic or mean something to someone, it’s worth continuing.
3. Something about the story excites you
When that first spark of inspiration for your WIP hit you, you were excited, right? Excited by the ‘what if’, by the characters, by a specific scene or a plot twist. Something about this story made you think: “Wow, I have to write that.”
Writing a novel can take a lot of time and spending such a long period with one story can dilute your excitement. So, think about that element that made you excited at the beginning. Do you think readers might get excited at that when they read it for the first time? If your answer is yes, then your story idea is worth writing.
4. It has something no other novel has
This isn’t compulsory. Nearly all books have similar elements.
BUT if your WIP has a fresh take on a cliche or a world unlike any other ever created or a unique story line, it’s probably worth writing.
Just think about it. You’ve had this awesome, original idea. If you don’t write it, the world will never experience it.
Yep. That’s it. If you like writing it, then keep doing so. There doesn’t have to be some objective justification for you to do something you enjoy. You can just do it because you want to.
And no, no one likes working on their WIP all the time. Sometimes, you feel like pulling your hair out or setting your manuscript on fire.
But if it mostly gives you joy and excites you, you should keep writing.
I’m not advocating for continuing your WIP at all costs. By all means, if you want to abandon it, do so. But don’t do it because you feel discouraged or someone else has convinced you it’s not good.
If you have any requests for posts/questions about creative writing, feel free to pop me an ask or a DM.
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