Unfortunately most of these stories are cookie cutter AI crap with ENORMOUS plot holes. and a deadpan AI voice reading them. Ive occasionally taken a stab at writting but all i can come up with is a scene and no ending. but this? i think i could do better.

If you want another author’s take on this, I’ll weigh in, with the caveat that every writer’s process is different and there is no “one way” to write. That said, I can’t count all the stories I started and stopped before finally finishing a book. So, my first point is, this isn’t unusual. Your prior writings aren’t a waste, either. You’re still learning and growing with each abandoned story. Second, another commenter had a great point saying you have to accept being bad at something before you can be good at it. This is true. Trying to fix a story AS you write can kill your inspiration for writing it. Or, it can stymie your progress to a miserable crawl. (I can hear Ilona laugh as I write this because beginnings still take me FOREVER since I keep trying to fix them before continuing, and she keeps telling me, “Move on! You’ll fix it later!” She’s right, but…old habits die hard :))

Anyway, what finally unblocked my Never Finishing curse was giving myself permission to write “crap.” Once I stopped trying to make each chapter “good” as I wrote them, I could focus on the inspiration that led me to start that story to begin with. This is still how I get past my dreaded beginnings, by the way. So, with your next story, try allowing yourself to write what you might consider absolute drivel as long as it keeps you moving forward to the next chapter. Don’t edit until you type The End. If that doesn’t help, try changing up your process. Do you outline first? Then try pantsing it. Are you a pantser already? Then try outlining. Do you forced yourself to write every day? Then take breaks. Etc. Writing doesn’t have a One Size Fits All process, so you might just be using the wrong process for yourself. And don’t forget to celebrate the little victories. Did you get to 50 pages? Yay! Did you stop on your current story, but the next one is going smoother? Go you! Finally, don’t be discouraged that this isn’t easy. I’ve been a full-time writer for over fifteen years, and it still isn’t easy for me to finish a book. Best of luck to you!

Yes !! Meg and Simon are hilarious !!!

I LOOVVVEEE Robin McKinley’s “Sunshine” — one of my all-time favorite novels. Ever. I never get tired of rereading it. It’s really hard to explain why to my friends b/c all of the why I love it answers involve spoilers. So I always end up saying just: you should read this. You won’t regret it.

Hi Mod R — thanks so much for replying! Perhaps the post that I’ve been thinking of was archived and that’s why I can’t find it. Oh well.

The posting you linked about romance terminology is great!

The post I’m thinking of had a series of statements in this form: you might think Hidden Legacy is an urban romance, but it’s really fantasy (agreed that it’s romance also — no question about that!)

You might think that X series by is us Y, but it’s really Z. So a number of statements that follow this X, Y, Z form —

I’m resigned now to not being able to read it again. I should have saved it at the time b/c it struck me as so interesting!

In any case, thanks for your help!

+1