Startitis: a condition where a person feels the need to start many different projects without finishing current projects.
I first read about this condition on this wonderful knitting blog. I have a very serious case of startitis. I love to start projects, but hate to finish them. Usually this strikes my crafting life. I knit or crochet something but when it comes time to put on the finishing touches, like a button or a strap, I freeze. I put the project aside and start something new.
For the last few years, since I started NaNoWriMo, startitis has suddenly struck my writing life. I finally have some real writing projects, and none of them are complete. The first novel I started writing is almost finished, but I froze and put it aside to start something new. I wrote it during the month of November. For many months after NaNo, I continued working on the story. Then I got close to the end and realized I needed to add another character in order for the protagonist to get the information that she needed to succeed. I immediately put the novel aside and started thinking about what I would write for next NaNo. Now I have 4 books in progress.
I am beginning to wonder if I have a fear of finishing projects. A completed project is a big responsibility. Once you finish a knitted purse or a novel, you have to take the next step and figure out what to do with it. What if I am so terrified of the next step, of doing something with my writing, that I never finish a project?
I have decided that this NaNo is the one that will change everything. Since I am collaborating on my novel, there is a higher expectation of completing the work. For the first time, I have someone who is really excited to read what I am writing and to help me edit and revise. I am hoping that this motivational push will help me finally reach a writing finish line.
Have you ever suffered from startitis? What helps you to stay the course and complete your projects?
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