A story idea I've 'scrapped' twice now is taunting me again...

[Naruzeldamaster]

This is a story for the Pokemon fandom that I've been playing around with, like, a lot, every now and then. This thing has been 'haunting' me for upwards of four years. At different times.

I've started this thing twice now, and each time I get part way into it and for some reason I get 'cold feet' and abandon it right at chapter one.

It's weird because there's nothing in the story that's outside my 'wheelhouse' and other than being written for Teens (Pokemon is generally written E for everyone) it's not much different than the usual stories.

 

[Nikos]

The only cure for "cold feet" is a trusty Charizard.
Do you usually start writing and follow the story, in a free writing kind of way? Because what usually helps me go through stories is a skeleton. I have been using the same tactic since the university when I wanted to go through essays. I have the general idea in my mind and I write down the skeleton (in titles )from one part to the next. And then instead of dealing with going through the story, now that the story is compartmentalized, I go through the small parts from point a to point b to point c... and this way it is a far less daunting undertaking!

 

[Rudolphthered]

I've felt that way when I started writing. What worked for me was that instead of starting on chapter one, I would write a scene that seemed interesting and build the story from there, helping me stay engaged with the project. Then I would come back and fill the beginning.

If you are keen on starting at chapter one, or you feel uncomfortable with starting somewhere else, you could just write ahead without overthinking and polish it once you reach more interesting places in your story.

It might also help to ask yourself why this story feels so important to write. Understanding that could give you some insight into what’s really blocking you.

 

[CupofJoe]

Don't start at the beginning.
If you have an idea for another part of the story, try writing that first and see how it goes.

 

[Naruzeldamaster]

The only cure for "cold feet" is a trusty Charizard.
Do you usually start writing and follow the story, in a free writing kind of way? Because what usually helps me go through stories is a skeleton. I have been using the same tactic since the university when I wanted to go through essays. I have the general idea in my mind and I write down the skeleton (in titles )from one part to the next. And then instead of dealing with going through the story, now that the story is compartmentalized, I go through the small parts from point a to point b to point c... and this way it is a far less daunting undertaking!

Yep I'm a big time pantser, my story ideas come to me in like 3 - 5 scenes tops (and a lot of times they will repeat in my brain) and I'm left to fill in the blanks when I'm not writing those scenes. And the worst part of it is once I have those scenes down on paper that is it, my brain don't gimme more info on the story to work with lol

Sometimes it's easy enough to get past those parts (and on to the next scene I have 'planned') but others it's a bit tricky depending on what has to happen in-between the bits I have planned. I'm currently working on a different project that I had abandoned because I didn't like how the 'endgame' came out, and I'm starting from the beginning with that one too.

I could try writing ahead, but I feel like that's out of my wheelhouse lol though it might be worth a look

 

[Prince of Spires]

The big question is why you get cold feet. Is it that you're simply afraid of what people think of it? Or is it that there's something wrong with the idea? As in, you're missing a part that you need filling in before you can write it. Or is it something else?

If it's the first, then just write. You don't have to show it to anyone. Give yourself permission to just write something that might be bad. As for another reason, try to figure out what's wrong and focus on fixing that.

As for being a pantser, if you never manage to finish anything, you might want to try a different approach. I used to believe I was a pantser. Like you, I'd have a few scenes in my head. I would write them and then my mind would simply go blank and I would have no idea how the story would continue. I would then stop and eventually drop the project.

Maybe try planning a little for a change. It doesn't have to be a 100 page outline with detailed character descriptions and an encyclopedia of background information. Just take the scenes in your head, and try to figure out where they're going. What would be a next logical step? What's the end of the story? You could write a short blurb (the text you read on the back of the book). Or, just one sentence per chapter. You don't even have to plan very far ahead. First novel I planned, I would just plan 3 chapters ahead. When I would finish a chapter or a scene, I would take 5 minutes to sit down and think where the characters would go next. I'd write down the next 3 steps in the journey. Or look at the next 2 I wrote down last time, see if they were still valid, and add a third.

If you never finish anything, give it a try. You don't have anything to lose.