Why You Keep Restarting Your Novel

By georgelthomas on 21 Jul 2026 • ( 0 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today, I’m examining that age-old writerly problem of starting over again and again. So, let’s jump in!

Why You Keep Restarting Your Novel

You sit down. You’re excited. This time it’s different. You open your draft, and you’re certain you know what you’redoing now.

You rewrite the opening. You tweak the voice. You change the POV. You feel that familiar rush — this is the version that’s finally going to work.

And then, a few chapters in, the energy drains away.

Something feels wrong.

So you go back to the beginning.

Again.

If this cycle seems familiar, you’re in good company because this is pretty much par for the course for the majority of us writers.

Restarting your novel over and over again is one of the most common struggles we face. And crucially, it’s rarely about laziness or lack of talent.

Let’s talk about what’s actually happening — and how to break the loop.

You’re Mistaking Discomfort for Failure
Writing a novel should feel uncomfortable at times. Once the initial excitement fades, you’re left with uncertainty, complexity, and unanswered questions — and that can feel like something has gone wrong.

So you start again, chasing that early-draft confidence again—back when you were sure you knew what you were doing.

But it’s vital to learn to recognise the difference between normal drafting discomfort and genuine structural problems. Most novels feel shaky in the middle (or even before), but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to work.

You’re Trying to Fix the Wrong Problem
Often, the opening isn’t the issue at all.

The real problem might be:

an unclear character want/goal
weak stakes
a missing midpoint turn
a fuzzy ending

But those issues don’t reveal themselves until you’re well into the draft — so you keep tinkering with Chapter One instead.

Instead of stopping, try to push forward. Finish the draft. You can’t properly diagnose what’s wrong with a story until you see its full shape.

You’re Editing Instead of Drafting
Restarting can feel productive. You’re writing. You’re polishing. You’re improving sentences. You might even be working some new aspects of the story into the draft, which can create its own problems.

But really, it’s avoidance.

You can’t revise what doesn’t exist yet — and constantly restarting keeps you safely away from the harder work of discovery.

I say this a lot, and it’s because it really is true—and bears repeating: allow yourself to write a deliberately messy first draft, and remember, its job isn’t to be good — it’s to exist.

You Don’t Trust Yourself Yet
At some point, every writer hits the terrifying moment where the story asks a question you don’t yet know how to answer.

Restarting lets you dodge that moment.

Because if you go back to the beginning, you don’t have to make decisions about the plot, theme, or ending; you’re just reworking the stuff you’ve already written. The stuff you know.

What you need to do is sit with the uncertainty. Let the draft ask questions you can’t answer yet. Trust that clarity comes after all the exciting momentum, not before it.

You’re Searching for the ‘Perfect’ Version
We all want a perfect draft. There isn’t one.

Every novel is created through versions — flawed, contradictory, awkward ones included. Restarting again and again often means you’re trying to write a final draft first. But that’s not how novels are made. Writing is a process, and you can’t skip over any of it.

Think in stages. Draft the story, then diagnose any issues, then revise. Each stage has a different purpose. Mixing them causes paralysis.

How to Stop Restarting
If you find yourself stuck in the restart loop, try this:

Pick one version of the opening and freeze it in place—no changes!
Write forward only — no backtracking
Make notes in the margin (or in a separate notebook) instead of rewriting
Set a word-count goal that prioritises progress over quality
Promise yourself that you won’t restart again until you reach the end

After all, you’re not committing to this version forever; you’re just committing to finding out what the story actually is.

Overall, it’s important to keep in mind that restarting your novel doesn’t mean you’re failing as a writer. It’s actually a sign that you are a writer and that you care. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be trying hard to lead with perfection.

Keep up the good, hard work, writers, and, as always, thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

George