The trouble with me… I always embark on writing projects I have no hope of ever completing. The latest is no different, and all of a sudden I have paused.
Looking at all the moving pieces — the complex character relationships, multiple timelines, varied formats like emails and messages, corporate documents, physical challenges, family dynamics, cultural elements — I realise it’s all too much to juggle in my limited spare time.
Even if the story had potential and addresses important themes, the current scope is just too ambitious for the time I have available. At this point, I have several options:
- Simplify the story significantly, focussing on just one main thread and strip away the rest.
- Break it into smaller, more manageable pieces, and maybe write it as a series of connected short stories or episodes.
- Scale back the format complexity and stick to straightforward narrative.
- Save it for when I have more time; sometimes good stories just need to wait for the right moment.
- Try writing just one complete episode as a standalone piece to test the waters.
- Abandon the whole project altogether.
I know there’s no shame in recognising that a project might be too big for my current circumstances. Better to be realistic than to let it become a source of stress or frustration.
And so, once more, I throw yet another scrappy manuscript onto my pile of misadventures. It’s true that I dream of being a writer, but reality stands in my way. I never finish anything.
Last modified: 11 January 2025
