It's not you, it's me...૮(˶ㅠ︿ㅠ)ა | Lack of Emotional Connection to Your Story
I think this a point that all writers and authors reach at least one time in their writing careers. You started this wonderful idea but what was once shiny and new is now dull and rusting. It really does happen to all of us. I am that convinced. So, Marie Kondo this shit and ask yourself, "Does writing this still bring me joy?"
If starting with this question doesn't help much, here are four follow up asks to get to the heart of what's blocking you from writing your magnum opus. ✎ᝰ.
Why did I start this? ( •̀ - • )
What made this story exciting in the first place? Was it a specific scene playing in your head? A character you created and wanted to share with the world? Revisit why you started this project to bring back the initial motivation of writing your story in order to write the rest of it.
2. Where did it go stale? (·•᷄ࡇ•᷅ )
Go through what you've written so far to find that "sagging middle". Wherever that is, my advice is just to scrap it. Don't worry too much about deleting all your hard work. It's obviously not helping you out here. Start over with that exciting portion of why you started your story at the forefront of your mind. Chances are that's all you'll need to do to get the pen flowing again.
3. Could I come back to it? (╭ರ_•́)
Taking a break from a project is fine as long as you have the mind to come back to it. Coming back with fresh eyes does wonders to quieting your self- criticism and re-focusing on your story again, but I don't recommend taking off more than a week. It's like school or the gym, once you stop going, it's hard to come back.
4. Is there anything salvageable? (。•́︿•̀。)
If the first three questions didn't work, it's time to hit the panic button. YOU ARE NOT A FAILURE IF YOU HIT THE PANIC BUTTON. Okay, you are a failure, but it's okay. We all fail at something. I've personally failed, and have published failures, multiple times within my writing career. The best thing you can do is pick up the pieces and move on. Find your favorite parts of your story and store them away or immediately try to re-home them into other projects. Completely starting over is good too. But if that's not possible, keep your ideas. You're ideas are still good, don't abandon them.
Hope this helps! Happy writing! ✌︎︎♡⃛
Click here to find out which of the 7 potential reasons for writer's block you may have.