There are stories sitting in my folders right now that don’t have endings.
Some stopped halfway through a chapter.
Some barely made it past the opening pages.
Some exist only as notes, fragments, or feelings I never quite shaped into words.
For a long time, I treated those unfinished stories like evidence of failure.
This year taught me something different.
We Talk a Lot About Finishing—But Not About Surviving
The writing world loves completion.
Finish the draft.
Finish the book.
Finish the series.
Finish strong.
But this year wasn’t about finishing.
It was about surviving burnout, chronic illness flares, emotional exhaustion, big life transitions, and the quiet weight of showing up every day even when creativity felt distant. Some days, just opening a document felt like a victory.
In that kind of year, not finishing a story doesn’t mean it didn’t matter.
It means it existed during a hard season—and that counts.
Unfinished Doesn’t Mean Unimportant
Every unfinished story still did something for me:
- It held emotion I didn’t yet have words for
- It helped me explore an idea without demanding perfection
- It reminded me that my imagination was still alive, even when my energy wasn’t
Some stories were never meant to be finished this year. They were meant to teach, to test, to comfort, or simply to exist as proof that I was still a writer—even on the days I didn’t feel like one.
A story doesn’t lose its value because it pauses.
Sometimes Stories Stop Because We Need To
There’s a narrative that if a story stalls, it’s because of discipline or motivation.
But often, stories stop because the writer needs rest.
This year, my body and mind asked for more gentleness than usual. Writing through pain, fatigue, GI flares, and depression changes the way creativity flows. Some days, the most compassionate choice was to stop—not because the story failed, but because I needed care.
And that’s not weakness.
That’s listening.
Those Stories Are Still Waiting—Not Gone
Here’s the quiet truth I’m carrying into the next year:
Unfinished stories don’t disappear.
They wait.
They change shape.
They deepen while we live.
They return when the timing is right.
Some of the stories I didn’t finish this year will come back stronger because I didn’t force them through exhaustion. Others may remain fragments forever—and that’s okay too. Not every story’s purpose is publication. Some exist just to walk with us for a while.
Redefining Success as a Writer
This year forced me to redefine what success looks like.
Success wasn’t finishing everything I started.
Success was not giving up entirely.
Success was returning to the page when I could.
Success was honoring my limits without abandoning my love for storytelling.
The stories I didn’t finish are proof that I kept dreaming, even when it was hard.
And that matters.
If You’re Carrying Unfinished Stories Too
If you’re looking at your own unfinished drafts with guilt or frustration, I want you to hear this:
You are not behind.
You did not fail your stories.
You did not waste your time.
Those stories met you where you were—and that’s enough.
You’re allowed to rest.
You’re allowed to pause.
You’re allowed to come back when you’re ready.
The stories that matter most will wait for you.
Happy Writing ^_^
Sara's Writing Sanctuary 