Don't Quit on Your Writing Project

The one where we talk about creative motivation, how to use emotional storytelling, and social media marketing

Happy Monday, my friends!

Well, I didn’t manage to avoid the nasty stomach bug going around right now, but I did manage to get this newsletter pulled together in between all the days off

Jared Moses

forced me to take (since he’s the world’s greatest boss)!

Speaking as someone who constantly gets overwhelmed and tends to give up the second I sit down to write, this article from

Charles Rodriguez

was much needed and very timely. I hope it gives you a fresh surge of hope and motivation going into this week, as well.

Hope you all are staying healthy and staying creative!

Ceylan Gunduz

(OBA Media Newsletter Editor-in-Chief)

P.S. Scroll all the way down for your early release of our next podcast episode, where we talk about how to nail emotional immersion through Malcolm & Marie!

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5 Ways to Stay on Task and in Love With Your Work

Photo by Mark Fletcher-Brown on Unsplash

Between all my other responsibilities, I’m working on the second draft of my almost 10-year-old project, Cosmos. The chapter I am working on is just not working for me, and I do not understand why. I got frustrated with the project for the billionth time, forgot I will fix this latest draft on the second pass like I always do, and got distracted watching some ’80s anime because anything was better than writing: yes, the exact task I sacrificed so much in my youth to commit to because I was in love with the craft of storytelling.

The experience got me thinking of a funny quote from season two episode seven of the (dark) rom-com TV show, You’re the Worst. During a confrontation, the girlfriend, Gretchen, mocks her writer boyfriend, Jimmy:

“Where is the telethon for the noble writer? Bravely drinking coffee! Spilling his blood to get his feelings out! Filling two, maybe three, whole pages before his heroic effort is cut short by the desire to watch internet porn or get a snack!”

Gretchen’s harsh words are true. Despite having the wonderful opportunity to tell a big-damn story straight from the heart, I often flee from the work because writing the drama of characters who have existed in my head longer than some kids have been alive is no fun anymore. But watching a Twitch streamer play video games requires zero effort and is much more enjoyable. Alas, my work pace continues to slack.

Which led me to wonder: how can we writers stay on task, avoid indulging distractions, and stay in love with our work to not only get our projects completed, but completed with pride, not desperation? Being who I am, I looked at the stories around me for inspiration, and came across these conclusions that have helped me get out of this most recent writing slump. Consider these five takeaways the next time you look at your writing and want to scream.

Accept the Reality That Writing Is Work

The first official episode of the 2000s iteration of Battlestar Galactica, “33”, is a Bonafide classic. The last 49,000 humans left in existence, aboard starships making up a ragtag fleet protected by the titular battlecruiser, are being pursued by their genocidal and cybernetic enemies, the Cylons. For reasons the protagonists have not uncovered, the Cylons are jumping out of hyperspace and finding the fleet’s location every 33 minutes, forcing the heroic crew of the Galactica to be trapped in a cycle of fighting off their pursuers every half-hour before jumping away until next time. They have been on red alert and on the verge of collapse for 5 days. If they fail, then the Cylons will kill what is left of humanity.

Unfortunately, after one jump, a ship is unaccounted for in Galactica’s logs, meaning over 13,000 souls have been accidentally left behind. The hard-edged executive officer of the battlestar, Colonel Saul Tigh, recognizes the crew is losing focus due to their overwhelming exhaustion, so he brutally gets the crumbling crew to keep their reality in mind: “Yes, we’re tired. Yes, there’s no relief. Yes, the Cylons keep coming after us, time after time, after time. And yes, we are still expected to do our jobs!” The crew gets back to work, with the grim reminder of their responsibilities.

Our reality as writers is that once you work long enough, writing is no longer a fun hobby. The romanticism is gone. The challenges set in: financial worries, scheduling conflicts, mental anguish, and tough creative problems. Not to mention the difficulties in just sitting down at a desk quietly and writing words. After many years of this lifestyle, you start to become as drained and battered as the Galactica crew in this episode. Personally, I keep waiting for a break in this cycle. Some kind of new, more comfortable way of writing. A moment when storytelling becomes like I always fantasized working in the craft would be.

The truth is that writing is a second, unpaid job. Which means, as Tigh says, we are still expected to perform our duties. Otherwise, we get fired, or, in this case, our dreams do not survive. Reflecting on these words, I stopped viewing my project as solely an artistic pursuit that was a thorn in my side, a problem-child for not cooperating with my efforts. Instead, I viewed writing as a task that needed completing, without looking for the process to fulfill me in any romantic way. The work is a thorn in my side, but must be accomplished: that is what is expected of me as a writer.

In short, quit viewing your work as a hobby and more like a job, and you’ll treat the responsibility of writing with the respect the task deserves. Then, you will wind up focusing on and finishing a day’s work on time.

Work or Quit

During the heyday of the stage musical Hamilton, creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda seemed to be a genius the likes of which come thrice a blue moon. Hamilton was heralded as a masterpiece of writing, theatre, and music, and from 2015–2017 everyone was obsessed with the dense power packed within the subtleties of Miranda’s lyrics and storytelling.

But the truth is that Miranda is human, and therefore not some herald of creative divinity but an ordinary storyteller. Hence, during an interview in this era, he was asked if he ever thought about giving up on making and completing Hamilton. He matter of factly said: “All the time. All the time.” Miranda’s reasoning was pragmatic: “And then you push through [the doubt]. Like, you push through it ’cause what’s the alternative? You’re gonna leave that idea stuck in your head forever? That sucks! The alternative is you go through life and you had this great idea and nothing came of it…”

@actingmastery"I wanted to give up all the time, but you push through it. Because what's the alternative" - Lin-Manuel Miranda on taking 6 years to write 'Hamilton' #ActingClassesSydney #Actors #ActingAdvice #LinManuelMiranda #Hamilton

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Tying back to the Battlestar Galactica quote, if writing is a job and you are expected to do that job, the consequence of quitting is this alternative Miranda describes. Remembering this interview, I grew morose, yet better able to comprehend my situation. I am tired of working on this project. I have had my fill of this never-ending editing. I’m sick of being anxious over every detail. I’m filled with the desire to quit and be free of the terror that hits me when I know the project has come a long, long way but the finish line is still nowhere in sight and maybe never will be. But I, you, we, cannot quit.

If we quit our work, we are not lesser people: that is a fact. Still, if we don’t finish our stories, they are doomed to live forever only in our heads. Sometimes we need to quit our jobs for our improvement. Sometimes, to live, we don’t. If you are in the latter category, then here is a direct way to stay on task: remind yourself you must complete the work or you will never be free from what could have been.

Stop and Appreciate the Wonder You’re Making

I absolutely love kaiju and tokusatsu movies, especially the Godzilla series. I’m fascinated by the miniature sets the giant monsters, mechs, and superheroes battle in and around. The work these set designers have made for decades is astonishing. Whether obviously fake or incredibly effective in their illusion, watching costumed juggernauts duke it out on some sound stage is always a blast.

But you know what’s even better? The production footage of these sets. The magic within these props, costumes, and scale buildings in front of cameras, above cushioned pads, and strapped with tiny explosives captures my imagination. The tangibility to these miniatures is so joyous to see, like dreams come to life. Yet, to the filmmakers, these sets are like pages for us writers: just part of the job, nothing special. Oh, but these miniature sets and the scenes shot on them are special, if one stops to just be in awe of the wonder that is there. Wonder lost on veteran senses.

Just like those tokusatsu filmmakers, after a while of writing you can become blind to the fact that you are making a terrific thing. Forget about quality for a moment and just recognize–and appreciate–that you are making whole dramas, entire worlds, thrillers, and new poetry that no one has ever seen before with the magic of your words.

I have no idea if my project will succeed. But quitting the ongoing inner monologue about how bad my work is and, instead, reflecting on how much I have accomplished so far (not to mention how much the story actually does work based on my gut instincts) helped me be happy to do the writing and, thus, keep going. When you are struggling, take a look back at how far you have come and what you have accomplished. You might find the inspiration you need to make your present dilemma a future milestone.

Revisit What Made You Fall in Love in the First Place (Without Judgement)

Unsurprisingly, as Cosmos is a space opera adventure drama, one of the major inspirations for the piece was Star Wars: one of my first great loves. As a once-aspiring traditional filmmaker, George Lucas’ 6-part epic was a guiding beacon on my creative journey–hence the countless hours spent reading production interviews, watching behind-the-scenes footage, reading J.W. Rinzler’s The Making of Star Wars trilogy books from cover to cover, and devouring every other scholarly opportunity I had to better understand this saga’s creation so that my works could be just as good.

Wanting to take my place in the great halls of the inspiring epics made me start this mad quest of a project in the first place. In the early days of daydreaming, note-taking, and, eventually, first draft writing, just hearing John Williams’ music, watching scenes from the films, or looking at production photos of Star Wars would excite me to keep on writing. Oh, to be so innocent again. Now, I sometimes look at my space opera and I feel nothing but trapped in the pursuit I have made; doomed to never match my inspiration’s quality; cursed to write about space opera garbage when I could be doing anything else with my life.

Then, a funny thing can happen. When I least expect it, I come across The Empire Strikes Back on TV. Darth Vader is challenging Luke Skywalker to a duel. I’m flung back through time to sitting on my living room floor, in front of my VCR, entranced by this movie again, and my dad is on the couch behind me. He quotes Vader the same way I do now. I remember the smell and taste of memories like these and think, “Oh, yeah, that’s why I am still writing.” Suddenly, my work seems like a good thing to be losing sleep over.

When you hate the very idea of your writing, consider what made you want to start in the first place. What inspired your story? What were your goals for the project? What sparked your love of storytelling? Pitch the origins of your inspiration and your current plot to someone nearby if you need help getting perspective. If not, just answer these questions for yourself. Don’t think about the current state of your story. Just for fun, consider your work an upcoming masterpiece.

I’m not asking you to suddenly be young again, but to remember that love, above all else, got you to sit down and start writing. Saying hi to your old creative flames can kickstart your heart to finish what needs doing, even for just a day’s work.

Give Yourself a Break If You Think the Story Isn’t Working

Today, 1997’s Titanic is regarded as a modern cinematic classic: the first film to ever make $1 billion at the box office and the second to ever win 11 Academy Awards. The film seemed destined for success. Of course, anyone who knows Titanic’s production history will tell you knowledge of its near-disastrous production was so public that news outlets were mocking the film before release, predicting a very embarrassing flop of a picture. Indeed, there were times when the crew felt they were only going to work to create one of the biggest bombs in history. This picture of writer and director James Cameron on set speaks for itself:

This photo of James Cameron on the set of “Titanic” has become a popular meme template.

Still, the cast and crew kept going. They didn’t have time to worry about the film not working. Turns out, they created a film that continues to live on.

Lilo and Stitch, a personal favorite of mine, is another film with an interesting production history. According to many interviews, directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois met as story artists on Disney’s Mulan, where they bonded over their shared misery that was the long, maddening hours of that film’s production. Thus, when the two had a chance to direct a film for the animation studio, they deliberately planned to make a picture that did not repeat what had made Mulan so miserable. Everyone would get to go home to dinner with their families. Nobody would suffer break-ups because of the filmmaking. No one was going to look back on the making of Lilo and Stitch and have nightmares.

As a result, great care and hard work was given to the deliberately cheaper production and smaller film, which allowed for more creative freedom than usual. Sanders and DeBlois made a successful movie for their time, which has since gone on to become a beloved classic adored by fans the world over. The duo also created a successful production by putting their filmmakers first: there was no anxiety-driven drama as with Mulan, and many of their crew say that Lilo and Stitch was the best production they have ever worked on.

When considering these two very different productions, I am fascinated to hear that no one wasted as much time as I have panicking over if their story was working. The Titanic production was driven by a mind-numbing resignation to disaster, while Lilo and Stitch sounds like a production nirvana. The former was too busy trying to survive to question if Jack and Rose’s final drafted romance was believable to 1997’s audiences. The latter was too focused on giving the titular characters souls to worry if they were measuring up to the Disney classics before them. Instead, the filmmakers cut themselves some slack and just worked. Created. Worried about real problems. Allowed themselves to be goofy.

So, whether you are miserable in your work or calm, give yourself a break and worry about if your story is working when the time is right. Until then, keep editing, solving plot problems, adjusting dialogue, enjoying yourself, celebrating an accomplishment, or taking a good walk to figure out an issue. Do not do what I do and psycho-analyze every line when you know, from years of experience, you will set things right on the second pass. If the story itself is not working, you will know so in your heart. Otherwise, you have too many real problems to contend with, or too many good memories to make, to waste time beating yourself up.

Be nice to yourself while diligently finishing your work. Tis a hard task, and I know you can do it!

Stuck between ‘this is genius’ and ‘I should delete everything’? We’ve been there. Let’s fix it. Get your FREE Consultation with an OBA pro writer/editor—because your story deserves to be told, not abandoned. You bring the vision, we’ll help you land the punch.

Struggling with Subtext, Conflict, or Authenticity in Your Writing?

This episode is for you. As a subscriber to OBA’s newsletter you get early access to our podcast episodes. Today, the team is talking about the film Malcolm & Marie and how to draw your audience into your story using artistic and emotional techniques.

Catch up with our previous episodes here:

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To submit a question for

Jared Moses

to answer in the next “Director’s Cut” episode, feel free to reply to this email or drop a comment!  

CAPTAIN’S LOG

2/2/2025

Ceylan Gunduz

There’s a lot of social media platforms out there. And everyone says you have to do so much on all of them in order to gain any traction. I’ve been spending the past few months gaining as much knowledge as I can about how to use social media to grow a business. While I feel like everything I’ve learned has been helpful in some way, much of it is conflicting information. I’ve realized that what you really need to do is experiment, try, fail, and learn. You need to find what works for you and your brand by trying a bunch of different things and seeing what sticks. So that’s the process we are on for OBA right now. If you want to chime in on what posts you think work and would like to see more of from us, feel free to find us on your favorite social media platform @Onebrilliantarc! If I see you over there I’ll definitely feel more encouraged to have friends along the journey of getting over my social media aversion! :)