shelving my wip || a chaotic vlog where I do nothing but spiral

[@AriBPK]

hi all, let me know how your projects are going in the comments down below! have you maybe been going through a similar struggle of deciding to finish a wip or switch gears to a different project? thanks for watching 💕

[@jennlimwrites]

It sounds like you made the right call on revisiting your older WIP and that the distance from your newer one may end up being beneficial to the piece! Looking forward to more updates as you dive back in

[@AriBPK]

thank so much, Jenn! I'm excited to dive back in, for sure

[@bottledwater2000]

Omg as someone in almost the exact same situation this is SO validating!!! I also recently made the decision to shelve the thing I hastily outlined for nano like a week into november LOL. My heart is still firmly in the project I'm revising but I was really feeling the drafting FOMO in november so I ended up writing 50k of a project that probably just shouldn't (ever) be written. There's part of me that's worried I might be giving up too easily and that maaaaaybe the moment where it all comes together is just around the corner but I need to be honest with myself - I simply don't care about these characters very much and when you read the manuscript, you can tell. Have learnt some valuable things lately about when to push and when not to. Thank you for normalising intentional shelving!!

[@AriBPK]

I'm so so glad it was helpful to hear - none of the work you put into any of the drafting was wasted, that manuscript is going to be there when you're ready for it! I was in such a similar position with Money Piece - it's so important to be able to tell when you should push and when you shouldn't, and it's such a hard skill to learn about yourself - so glad that you're enjoying what you're revising now and excited to hear more about how it's going!

[@beccatobar]

It takes a lot of courage to shelve a wip bc it requires a lot of self reflection on your own work. While it sucks to feel things aren’t working on a project, knowing when to step away is also a skill. Proud of you Ari! Besides, you know I’ll read anything you write 😉 as always you and the pups are just too cute. Here for your vlogging era ❤

[@AriBPK]

it's so hard especially because I hate to feel like I'm giving up on anything, even though shelving it isn't giving up on it. thanks becca 💖 you're the best

[@renwrites]

that lasagna looks bomb ❤‍🔥 as someone who shelved their WIP in the beginning of November, I very much feel this. but I think that a large part of knowing yourself, in many aspects of life including writing, is knowing when to push yourself and knowing when not to. sometimes it's just not the right time to work on something, I'm sure that whenever you return to money piece the work you put into it will feel better than anything you could have forced yourself to do now when your heart and head aren't fully in it. I think it's a great use of your energy to channel it into something you're excited about, can't wait to see all that you do in the new year ✨

[@AriBPK]

thank yoouuu! I think knowing yourself and your process is so true, and same for you with your WIP, it'll be there whenever you're ready for it 💖

[@itsamina]

sometimes straying away from what's typically recommended doesn't always apply and that's okay! similar to personal relationships, forcing things that aren't working will set you up for disaster. space can bring so much clarity and unlike personal relationships, your project will always be there when you get back haha it took me 5 years to fall back in love with my wip again and i feel like the space allowed me to not only grow and get more life experience (so i know what the hell i'm talking about lol) but also as a writer! i know for sure that there's no way i would've been able to tackle some of these themes back then. i'm sure there's a reason that you're feeling this way and even if it's not known now, i'm sure it will be whenever you get back to it anyways, much love 💖

[@AriBPK]

that's so so true, Amina! 💖 such wise words

[@isabellajuanitalyn]

This is so interesting Ari, I definitely understand that feeling. My writing projects are going so well. I've hit both of my goals for December and I am so excited for January!

[@AriBPK]

i'm so glad to hear that - you're killing it, isabella 💖 cheering you on!

[@emilyhthompson]

a 75% completion rate for projects is incredible, Ari! also that lasagna looked incredible. sometimes the decision to shelve a project is the best one you can make not only for yourself, but for the manuscript too. in my experience, wonderful things happen when you take the pressure off of it! money piece will always be there to come back to if you decide to revisit it. 🫶🏻 the joy on your face at the end of the video when you talked about starting pretend the earth doesn't call again was so clear! excited for you to jump back into this project! i've spent some time away from my draft as work and life have picked up before the holidays, but i'm excited to get back into it next week. overall, the project is going well, but it has been very chaotic so i think i need to revisit my outline and clarify a couple major plot points that are a bit fuzzy right now.

[@AriBPK]

thanks so much, emily! 💖 the lasagna was SO good. I'm so excited to see how your draft is going!

[@emilyhthompson]

@ it is the ultimate comfort food haha, and thank you! 🩷 hoping to have an update soon! ✨

[@ieatpaintchips72]

Me judging you for being unmotivated while I'm avoiding both work and writing.

[@AriBPK]

😂 that is so fair tho

[@Faithnwrites]

For most of 2024 I worked on a project but I decided to shelve it and now I’m working on a new project.

[@AriBPK]

it's such a hard decision to make! excited to hear about this new project 😊

[@heyyitssj]

My current project feels like it is going so slow. I’m determined to finish it but man I don’t feel like it right now 🙈 I think it’s just the holidays getting to me, and I want to go into hibernation mode 😅

[@AriBPK]

wanting to go into hibernation mode is so real! winter can be really hard 💖