Losing enthusiasm for things is such a natural part of life. Whether it be a trend, a TV series, a book, or a topic we’ve studied, it happens as we go through life.
But with creative projects, it can happen during the creative process, or even before finishing it. Each project I’ve worked on has, let’s say, a battery life. That battery life can be a month, two months, three months, etc., depending on the scope of the story. During this time, I’m able to focus on it and put all my energy into it. But after a while, the battery life decreases, and my enthusiasm wanes with it.
At that point, I just want to be finished with the story. I’m not interested in expanding the universe or adding more chapters to it. I’m ready to wrap it up and call it a day. Even though I know there are a lot of things to work on (or edit), it’s more of a chore than something I’m happy to work on.
But what keeps me going are new ideas. If I can introduce new ideas into the story ,it keeps the story alive and fresh. I feel more invigorated, where each day of writing is a discovery–an opportunity to explore and uncover secrets and mysteries. But if the ideas feel stale or static, the process is more like painting-by-numbers. I’m simply filling in the blanks rather than actively creating anew each day.
To be enthusiastic about a story, I need to feel challenged by it, to have problems to solve that advance the ideas, the characters, and the plot. It must resonate with me, and be a worthwhile story that I can continuously improve and refine.
Fallton Havenstonne 