I’ve had a little “hiccup” in my writing. I’m feeling strangely detached from the book I’m working on. I’m trying to figure out why, so I’m taking 3-4 days off from writing, just relaxing, playing games, etc. Then Monday or Tuesday (I’ve already taken Friday-Sunday off) I’m going to reread everything I’ve written and see if I can renew my interest in this manuscript. If so, onward I go. If not, I’m going to switch to another book for awhile. We’ll see how it goes. Has this ever happened to any of you?
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lauralynnelliott.com 
I get detached from time to time. It doesn’t happen to every book, but sometimes I do, and I hate it. This was why I had to quit Wagon Trail Bride. I just couldn’t get into it, no matter how hard I tried. Even from the very beginning, I was forcing it.
Sometimes I’m able to push through it by either taking a short break and going through it to figure out where I went off track. That is what I had to do with my current work in progress, and this is why I’m behind in getting it done. But it was worth getting away from it for a week to realize I needed to go back and add a couple scenes. Now I’m back on track.
I hope your break will give you the much needed insight you need to get connected again.
I am wondering, did you feel connected while making your word count goals? I notice that I actually drift away from the characters for a couple days or so before I realize I lost my connection to them. I just wondered if it was the same for you.
I’m not even sure how to answer your questions. I’m not sure when or where I lost the connection. I’m beginning to wonder if I’ve ever really been connected. I was just working. I’m hoping I can get back into it instead of having to abandon something I’ve already put 20% of the words into. I just hope it’s not because I’m outlining that it feels so clinical. And the scary part is, I’m only 20% into the book but I’m already about 75% through the scenes I outlined. I’m thinking “Where’s the rest of my story?” That’s why I just wanted to relax awhile and see if I was pushing myself too hard on this story.
I know that feeling. I’ve started books and was so busy writing, I didn’t think about whether or not I was even connected to them. I even finished a couple and published them. They are my least favorite books. I’m not sure if other people pick up on my lack of feeling or not. I think the stories were cute enough, but sadly, I’m okay with never reading them again.
I hope this book you’re working on is not like the ones I did that way.
I think I’ve just got to find a way to connect to the characters a little more. I’ve been pretty lucky that in all the books I’ve published in the past, I’ve felt something for the characters. I don’t want to have one I don’t love. I hope all the plotting isn’t what’s making it all feel so clinical.
I have no idea if it could be or not. I hadn’t thought about it, but it could be possible since plotting forces us to be more objective in our approach to writing. Maybe for people wired for plotting, it’s easier to connect to the characters than it would be if they wrote by the seat of their pants. I do think it’s easier for me to connect to characters when I don’t plot the story out. And now that you mention it, Just Good Friends was one I plotted out first, and I didn’t really feel close to those characters like I usually do. Hmm… It’s an interesting theory.
Don’t Worry, being 75% through an outline and only 20% on word counthas happened to me on quite a few occasions. My idea would be too A) Convert the story into a shorter format like a Novella if you can. It’s pointless artifically lenthening a story past its natural end for the sake of a set lenght target. Readers usually pick that up fairly quickly. B) Finish all the scenes you’ve already outlined and then take every scene and see how that scene can spawn other scenes and then sandwich the new outlines inbetween the material you already have and then start drafting out those scenes again C) have a break from the book, breathe and relax 😉 (like you are thinking of doing…) It is not worth flirting with writers block if you can switch to another book …
PS. I usually choose Option C 😉
I can easily write a novella. The problem with it is you end up with readers complaining it’s too short and they want to know more. Readers don’t understand that sometimes a book is as long as it is and that’s it. My full length novels have good review averages, but my novellas don’t, so that’s why I’ve shied away from them. I actually LOVE writing novellas. I never feel the pressure I feel when writing a novel. I actually considered letting this be a novella if that’s all it CAN be.
There’s no reason I can’t do option B AFTER I do option C. 🙂
I run so many projects simultaneously so that I can set things aside when I start to feel like I’m just going through the motions. My general thought is that if I’m not having fun writing it, others aren’t going to enjoy reading it, either.
I know there’s a whole school of “Butt in chair” discipline and forcing oneself – but I tend to rebel against this type of thing. I do better having lots of things to play with.
I would definitely take that break, and do other things. Maybe writing, maybe not. I’m guessing you’ll know, eventually…
Until then – have fun! =D
I like working on a couple books at one time for this exact reason. It’s easier to work on a story you do enjoy than forcing out one that isn’t working. Lauralynn, maybe you should start on the other story and see how things go. 🙂
Ruth, I’ve always admired you for being able to work on projects simultaneously. One of my biggest fears is that I’ll like one so much more than the other, I won’t work on the other one. But maybe that’s not a bad thing. I could finish the one I like and then go back to the other one. See, this is why it’s great to be indie. If I was under a publisher’s deadline for a certain book, I would have been crazy by now. LOL
Shan, I believe in forcing yourself if you’re just kind of being lazy. But if it’s just not working for you, I don’t think it helps to force it. I was too tired to get back to it yesterday, but I plan on looking at it today to see what I can do. Then I’ll decide.
I don’t tend to get lazy. I tend to move on to other things (the real secret for why I have so many goals is that my mind needs much much bright and shiny, and deep abiding passions, to play with…my projects are like marbles!).
I agree that forcing what’s not working isn’t worth the effort. I don’t know how many times I’ve been doing something completely different, and a revelation will break…but I know it’s never happened when I forced things.
I hope it comes clear soon!