In a recent post, Tiffany Yates-Martin talks about knowing when it’s time to let go. “Sometimes it’s important to know when to step off the stage,” she says. “That’s different for everyone: maybe when a manuscript you’re working on just isn’t calling to you the way it used to, or it isn’t coming together no matter how much you revise it, or isn’t getting the offers from agents or publishers you hoped for, and you realize this story may be one for the drawer.” You might even need to step away from your creative work altogether.
Giving up may give you a chance to rest, or it may open opportunities to explore new creative ground. “If you are letting go of a project or pursuit that no longer serves you, do it with joy, not sadness,” Yates-Martin writes. “With pride, not defeat, and excitement, not resignation. You’re opening up space for something new and fresh, something that will allow you to expand and grow in a new direction.”
If you’re not sure if your story is “done”, prepare yourself to let it go. Do your best work, but accept that your story will never be “perfect.” If you need to step away from writing for awhile, remember that writing is only one way to express creativity. Consider picking up something new for awhile. Or for a long while. “I put down my pen in fiction writing close to four years ago now and I haven’t missed it for a moment,” Yates Martin writes. “Maybe one day I will, and when I do I’ll come back and reinhabit those old familiar stomping grounds. Or maybe I won’t.”
