When to Give Up on Your Fantasy Novel and When to Start Over

Today on Fantasy Writing for Barbarians, we’re answering a heartfelt listener email about knowing when to walk away from a draft and when to double down. If you’ve ever felt stuck between revising an old novel that no longer excites you and chasing that shiny new story idea, then this episode can help you out.

Jon reflects on his own publishing history, including a beloved but unfinished trilogy and his long journey rewriting The Pixar Theory. We unpack the guilt that comes with “giving up,” the difference between quitting and redirecting, and how to tell if your reluctance is just new-idea fever…or a sign you’ve outgrown the story. Producer Bridget chimes in with sciencey brain stuff and Drawfee quotes, and we explore how outlining, reframing, and cannibalizing your own work (in a good way!) can help you stay excited about writing.

Have a question or topic you want me to get into for the show? Email us at [email protected] or join our Discord and let us know what's on your mind.

Fantasy Writing for Barbarians‘ host is Jon Negroni, author of The Pixar Theory, Killerjoy, and more. You can read some of his original short fiction for free over on Cetera. Our producers are Natalia Emmons and Bridget Serdock. You can find all our episodes and various podcast app options here.

Intro music: "Adventures in Adventureland" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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