Last week I told you about how I decided to give my work-in-progress and I a much needed separation. I say separation because I don’t think I’m ready to fully divorce myself from it, but only time will tell.
I decided to brainstorm some new ideas. I had a few ideas, but one stuck. It’s a young adult thriller.
At first, I felt like I was cheating. How dare I start writing a new book when things were left so open with my other one. But I got such great feedback from last week’s post, that I told myself this was what I needed. And it really is.
Not only is this story a different genre, it’s a different audience, a different point of view, a different tense, a different sex main character, and so much more. It’s really the polar opposite from what I was writing. Even if this story doesn’t amount to anything, I think it will be a great exercise in writing. And hopefully this will open the flood gates for more stories.
So like Ross said to Rachel, “We were on a break!” I really am, and hopefully this break will help me become a stronger writer, a more confident writer, and a more abundant writer.
What about you? If you changed to a different work-in-progress, did you feel like you’re cheating? Did you feel guilty?
Thanks to everyone who commented last week. It was more helpful than I could ever express! The writing community is a truly great community. 
Happy writing! ~Jen
I have a WIP I started last spring. While I really like the premise, I wasn’t sure where it was going. So I took a very long break. I thought maybe I’d work on it for NaNo but I think I might push it back until after that. I’m excited about your YA thriller!
I’m not sure if I’m going to do NaNo this year. I kind of want to work on my thriller now and not wait.
And, thanks! I hope I can do it justice and you like it because you’re totally reading it. 
I have stepped away from some projects to work on other ideas and at first I feel guilty and run back to the work-in-progress, only to feel a bit of resentment because I want to get the new ideas onto the page. The new ideas need attention as well but I’ve gone back to the work-in-progress and falling in love with it all over again. It’s okay to take a break
That’s great to hear! I hope to fall in love again with my WIP. Thanks for commenting, Marion. ?
I am thinking about changing my work-in-progress. I feel like I need time to fully develop some more ideas for my series. In the meantime, there are other stories I’ve written in my notebook that are screaming for their fifteen minutes of fame. It’s hard to decide which one to work on next. I guess I’ll leave it up to the muse.
The muse can be a fickle beast, but I’ve always found if you listen to her, you ultimately end up being happy. Good luck with choosing your next story!
Nah, I guess it’s good to have something for a change.