How do you know when to call it quits?

© Photographer: Sherry Tetens Long |
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Hey, all! 
I'm kind of excited but also kind of sad this week.

Why, you ask?






Well, this week marks the LAST week of the A Little Bit Cupid Tour that has been going on. YAY!!
In fact, today I'm over at Autumn Review sharing my TOP TEN Fun Facts about my book. :-)
Come on over!

(That's the exciting part)


        ***


The sad part is that I've been trying to work on a new book of mine for a good chunk of last year and part of this year and although it's been moving forward and I'm on chapter 8...I feel I must abandon this story.

Yes, this is completely painful to say.
I've been struggling with this for awhile.

I mean, how do you really know when to call it quits or just put your big girl panties on and push yourself to move forward?

I don't think there is a right answer.

But here are some reasons why I'm calling it quits on this story despite the amount of progress I've made:
This book is NOT under contract to write. Everyday I open up this story I actually dread working on it. It's no fun.Although there is nothing "technically" wrong with this book, it's not ME. My voice isn't there. There barely is any humor or fun banter--things my books normally have in them.I'm not "feeling" this book or the characters and as a result I feel readers will pick up on it as well. Do any of you watch American Idol ?  One of the things the judges constantly say to the singers is that they have to FEEL the song and not just sing it well. That difference comes across to the audience.

It's hard to walk away, because it's not something I normally do and part of me will always feel as if I failed. Failure is hard to accept even if it's for the right reasons.
So I'm a little down, but part of me feels as if a HUGE weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

I so need to work on something fun and lighthearted and I actually have two ideas I'm toying with. Going to plot a little today and see if I can sketch an outline by the end of the week and we'll see what happens. :)

So that's my little crisis. You would think writing would get easier with time!

How about you?
If you're a writer, have you ever abandoned a project for the reasons I mentioned?
If you're not a writer, have you been watching American Idol? What do you think of the contestants this year?