When to Quit and When to Pivot? by Steph Beth Nickel

Does the title make your heart race and your blood pressure increase?

Quit? What do you mean quit?

We’ve been taught to complete what we start, whether it’s the food on our plate or every book we pick up to read.

Plus, some personality types are especially hard on themselves if they even consider pivoting, never mind quitting.

Additionally, as writers, we are faced with a unique set of challenges: that drawer full of unfinished manuscripts (whether physical or virtual), the endless list of ideas for new projects, the things that we used to find easy to write that now seem like unsurmountable tasks, rapidly approaching deadlines, and … everyday life.

There are a plethora of things that keep us away from our desk. But if writing is a priority, we must put on our proverbial blinders and get to work.

There are times when it’s okay to quit, whether permanently or simply for the time being, but hopefully the scenarios below will help us pivot more often than we quit.

There are several factors that can help us determine which writing projects to take on, which to modify, and which to lay aside or decline.

The Season

Whether it’s the season of the year (Christmas, for example) or our season of life (possibly, caring for young children or preparing for a move), now might not be the ideal time to write that 150K-word epic fantasy. You may choose to shelve it altogether or simply putter away at it, writing a few hundred words every week. I would encourage you to at least give Option B a try. But if now isn’t the best time for such an intense project, you could, instead, write a novella or short story–possibly one based on ideas for the longer work.

Could Doesn’t Mean Should

Could you take on one more writing project? Possibly. But is now the right time? Is this the right project? Is it something you feel eager to write or does the thought of the undertaking weigh you down? There is a lot of discussion these days about knowing your Why, and this is another instance when it’s good to determine what motivates you to take on, postpone, or decline a writing project. Just because you’re capable of doing something doesn’t necessarily mean you should. When you’ve determined your motivation and weighed the pros and cons, you can decide whether to take on the project or decline it in favour of completing your current WIP or saying yes to another opportunity.

Rightly Investing Your Energy

When you get an idea for a new book or other writing project, you may overflow with “starting energy.” Your fingers have a hard time keeping up with the ideas flooding your brain. You’re eager to get back to the page at every opportunity. You’re virtually undistractable. And then … the well runs dry. A plethora of shiny new ideas comes rushing in. Almost everything except the writing seems urgent (the laundry and dishes, for example). Writers who persevere and complete their projects know how to stay focused and push through the rough patches when the words aren’t flowing. They know how to keep track of new ideas without getting distracted by them. They know when to make changes to their original idea, when to pivot, rather than plodding ahead when the project just isn’t working and is draining their energy. And what a joy it is to make the final revisions and hit Send (or Publish).

Learning to Write in the Nooks and Crannies of Your Day

While some writers have learned to snatch time whenever and wherever they can find it–10 minutes here, 20 minutes there–many feel if they can’t sit down and write for hours, there’s no point in even trying. If you’re in the latter group, it may take some serious effort to convince yourself that you can make significant progress in 15 minutes, but you can. It will take practice, but the more often you open the Notes app on your phone while waiting in the school pick up lane or in any ridiculously long queue, the more you may look forward to “stealing” those moments to work on your book.

Evaluating Your Priorities

If writing is your primary source of income, of course it must be high on your priority list and part of your regular routine–whether you feel inspired to write or not. If your goal is to supplement or replace your income with your writing, that will give you an idea where it should land in the hierarchy of priorities. But perhaps, like me, you’ve realized that while you would like to earn a significant amount from your writing, other things require more of your time and energy. And that’s okay. It’s too easy to get caught in “the grass is always greener” mindset. Now may be the time to set aside some things to make room for your writing or it may be time to more fully embrace the other responsibilities in your life.

While I have countless ideas for books, I’ve come to the conclusion that helping others polish their work and completing the memoir I’m coauthoring are tremendous privileges and deserve the majority of my attention. But that may not always be the case.

What writing projects are high on your priority list? Which ones are you modifying? And which are you tucking away at least for now?

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