Can anyone else relate?
I’m working on a new story, hurrah! I love the idea, the characters are developing and we are making friends. The plot has been planned and I am in the middle of the tricky first draft stage, which is always sticky and results in a fun combination of self loathing and self doubt.
This time, I’m experiencing a different emotion, something that I’ve never experienced before, although the self doubt is still raging strong. With every word I type, every sizzle of excitement that comes with a new idea, I miss the main character from my previous story.
It’s a pang that won’t go away in the pit of my stomach, a niggle at the back of my brain and dare I say it, an ache in my heart. I feel like I’ve not finished with her, that she’s got more tales to tell and that I’m somehow betraying her by writing a different story, that I’m letting her down by writing something new. She’s been a big part of my life for the past nine months and if I’m honest I feel a bit empty without her.
It’s almost impossible for my new main character to make herself known if I’m still pining for a previous one. She’s trying, I’m trying, it’s just a bit conflicted at the moment. Of course, it could be a new procrastination technique that I’m developing but I’m not so sure. Has anyone else felt this? How do you say goodbye and move on?
bonniebridgman 