How to Fall in Love with your Story Again

I'm sure we've all got that one story (or several) sitting buried in our docs.  Or maybe it's the one we've been forcing ourselves through.  But there's one thing that these both have in common: they've lost our interest.

It's sad, really; you were so excited to start this story.  You wrote nearly the whole thing in your head before finally doing a bit of plotting.  Then came the exciting part—that new doc was created, that beautiful spread of blank white, seeming to call you, to challenge you to place your fingers on that keyboard and begin to fill it with your magic.

But then... at some stage in the story, an imperceptible change took place.  So slight and gradual that you suddenly realized that you lost interest in the story, and you don't even know how.  Maybe it was somewhere in the first thousand words.  Maybe in the middle of the story, when you begin to think that maybe this story is all that your mind hyped it up to be.  Maybe it's during the editing stage, when you're nearly ready to trash the thing.  Or perhaps it was before you even started, when you opened that fresh doc and the sight of the empty white sheet intimidated you, freezing your train of creativity.  And you realize that... no matter how much you want this story to continue, it just can't.  Because the unthinkable has happened.

You no longer love the story.

Sure, somewhere deep inside, you really want to get this story out of your system.  You want to share it with the world someday.

But today is not the day.

Or the next day, or the next.
And now you're at a loss of what to do—you've started a new story, but a part of you still wants to finish this abandoned piece of art because, somehow, you still believe that it might be worth something.  So how do you accomplish that?  Here's some ideas to help you fall in love with that story once again.

1. Storyboards
Sometimes you just need a little nudge in the right direction.  A simple photo, an inspiring quote: if you need some inspiration, Pinterest is the way to go.  You can find hundreds of ever-popular storyboards to give you ideas, and then comes the best part—creating your own!  Storyboards contain everything from photos of actors & actresses for characters, to aesthetic pictures that describe the story's setting.  Or perhaps a word from the urban dictionary that your character likes to say repeatedly.  There's no end to the possibilities!

2. Community
Having someone(s) to talk through plot bunnies with is invaluable.  Whether it be a single partner, or a whole group of trusted people, brainstorming every rabbit trail that pops into your head.  Not to mention that the encouragement and excitement from your colleagues is contagious, which, in turn, makes you eager to open that laptop and pour out your creativity.  Plus, this encouragement is a bottomless well that never dries, so whenever the momentum slacks and you need a pick-me-up, your friends are there to lend fresh inspiration and perspective.

3. Music Playlist
It's common knowledge that a movie's soundtrack is a key point to a movie's impact.  When the music climaxes, viewers are drawn into the suspense and inch to the edge of their seats.  When the music is soft, it hints at a relaxing point in the movie.  Simply listening to a movie's soundtrack gives a hint at what the feel of the movie is like.

It's much the same with a writing playlist.  The more songs you have that describe the feel of your book, the more likely you are to sing along.  Whether it's simple instrumentals, or a song that you hear on the radio, creating a playlist of these songs and listening to it, singing or humming along, will cause you to envision scenes that fit the songs, and make you excited to rush back you your doc and get your ideas down on paper.

4. Reread

When you're convinced that the story is trash and that it's not even worth your time, start from the beginning and just start reading.  Write your favorite quotes on index cards or stationary and put them in strategic places around your workplace.  Get a physical copy of your book to showcase in your personal library.  Change fonts in your doc for a fresh outlook.  But above all—read.  Read it like a new book that just came in the mail and you can't wait to find out what happens next.  And once you find yourself back at the place where you quit, you might find that you really do need to know what happens next, and (hopefully!) the words will come.

I can't guarantee that any of these methods will work, but hopefully this will give you some new and exciting ideas to get you back in love with that story of yours.  Let us know if this helps you—we'd love to hear about it!