Calling it Quits on a Project

Thoughts on when/why to abandon a project

I have this new project-in-progress that I’ve been wanting to work on for MONTHS. But I didn’t have the brain space to do it. So I booked myself a retreat at Highlights and waited for the day to come. I scrambled to clear everything else off my plate right before the trip so that I would have no distractions. I flew a red-eye and sat in the Newark airport for seven hours to get on a two-and-a-half hour van ride to make it to my cabin so I could attend a working retreat with inspirational creators Wendy Xu and Julie Dao. (As a bonus perk, I got to see my upcoming book, AVA LIN, up on the wall of the new Asian American voices cabin! 😱)

But the flow never came. I futzed, sure. I massaged the outline. I rewrote one scene. And then I decided I needed different tools and spent a day and a half researching and reconfiguring Clip Studio Paint. So… yeah. After some soul-searching on the plane ride home, I thought I’d talk about when to call it quits on a project.

Actual pic of my sad, blank, laptop while at Highlights

Is the inspiration there?

I guess at some point, I lost the inspiration for the project. I didn’t have a clear vision any more. And when I tried to find one at the retreat, I never landed on something that excited me enough to really get to work on it. I know that when I’m working on something I love, I crank away at it incessantly, so I knew something was off. If you’ve lost your inspiration, there are many ways to try to find it again (we talk about some in our Slumps and Dry Spells post.) But sometimes you just can’t. And it might be worth examining why you lost it in the first place.

Why do you want to make this project?

At a Story Level

Every project is driven by some thought/experience/feeling that I want to share or evoke. It’s equally carried by a character or character(s) I love. If I can be very clear with myself on what those two kernels are, I can assess whether I still feel passionately about it or if my interest has moved elsewhere.

At a Project Level

Sometimes a project feels exciting because it’s something I’ve never done before, or it rounds out my work in a way that I would love, or it showcases something I haven’t showcased before. Sometimes these are career goals for external reasons and sometimes they’re artistic goals for myself. It’s helpful for me to untangle these to understand why I’m pursuing a project to figure out what will get me unstuck:

External career goals can be irrelevant to the creation process and I might realize I need to step away because the goal itself doesn’t have enough substance driving it yet. Or maybe my external career goals will reinvigorate me, because I’m reminded of what I’m aiming for with greater clarity, which realigns my vision.

Artistic goals are ways I try to stretch myself and what keeps me interested and excited about the craft. But sometimes, I’ll realize that my personal artistic goals are too lofty and that I need more time to get there. Or, being clear about my personal artistic goals might give me the clarity to learn and grow in an area I need to, and I can commit to putting in the work to get there.

Being able to dissect the driving factors behind a project and understand why it’s not working helps me assess whether or not to keep going.

Are you having fun making it?

Of course, it all ultimately comes back to my favorite rule of thumb: Am I having fun? That’s definitely a bit oversimplified, because sometimes writing isn’t fun—it can be hard/frustrating/challenging, but generally, I write because I find it rewarding. If that reward piece is missing, then what’s the point?

A little guy I drew for fun who doesn’t have a story yet

Sometimes, I even have a clear vision for a project and I think I could execute it, but… I just don’t want to. Books take a long time! A good idea isn’t enough. You have to pick projects that you truly love working on.

For the project I’m currently wrestling with, my vision for it has gotten muddy and the fun is hanging on by a thread. So I’m trying to let myself off the hook. But my brain still has one or two ideas it wants to try! I’m not ready to give it up yet. I’ll noodle on it for a few more days with less pressure on myself, and see where it takes me. Sometimes it can be a bit of a weird psychological trick giving myself permission or pressure and knowing when to do what. Giving myself permission to quit might bring new ideas to my brain and unlock the project for me. Or it may just release me to work on other things.

It’s just goodbye FOR NOW.

When you call it quits on a project, it may not be forever. I’ve definitely picked things back up after years and finished them (THE BOO CREW NEEDS YOU! is an example of this.) I have other ideas that I’ve shelved and never touched again (yet.) But by letting go of a project, I know it will always sit in the background so if the right inspiration strikes, I can come back to it. Sometimes, an idea morphs into something else or elements feed into another story. You never know where an idea will take you.

Go refresh yourself.

So what am I doing now? I’m still noodling, but I’m also giving myself more room for other things. I’m learning about Warhammer and painting miniature figurines with my kid. I’m exploring foam cosplay construction with my other kid. I’m getting ready for my AVA LIN launch (in two weeks!) and my summer travel plans. I’m taking walks and eating snacks and spending time with my husband. In order for creativity to come out, you need things coming in. Sometimes, it’s necessary to take a break and refresh yourself.

At my local cafe researching my chosen Warhammer faction

That’s it!

Those are my thoughts on when I might call it quits on a project—Are there other things that you consider? Maybe your thoughts will help unblock me or somebody else reading this!

Next week, stay tuned for Part 2 in our Marketing series (for paid subscribers), where Christine and I talk about what efforts we choose to pursue when marketing our books and why.

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Last week, the children’s literature community lost a beloved member. Katey Howes was an energetic, talented, and passionate picture book author of books including Woven of the World and Be a Maker. She always had time to give advice to newer authors, arrange panels and events, and to be a cheerleader for others. Katey’s next book, The Reindeer Remainders releases in July, you can preorder it online and at your bookstore. We both send our love to Katey’s family and all who miss her.

Katey Howes (from https://www.kateyhowes.com/about)