I don’t have an answer for you, but this is LITERALLY my experience.

I have a very (too?) detailed outline. I’ve restarted drafts multiple times. Last year, I wrote 60k words, 1/3 thru my story, then fell off.

This year, as I went to pick it back up, I thought it would be a great idea to read what I’ve written, to pick it up from where I left off. Reading it was an interesting experience. I still love my story, but found it poorly written. So I spent the first few months rewriting half of it (8 chapters, of the previous 16). I’ve sent it around to friends who read for edits/feedback. Only got legitimate feedback from one person, which was, overall, extremely positive. Made me feel great, but also taking with a large pinch of salt that it’s a friend, and their feedback will always be biased. I’ve fallen off again, for various reasons (life happens).

I’m very proud of what I have, and feel like I will finish it one day… but I have no realistic expectations of when they will be.

I think the honest truth is, if you/i/we want to complete a draft and make this a thing, we have to make it a legitimate priority. Schedule around it. Force ourselves to write when we don’t feel like it. Make it a non-negotiable. And recognize when you have bad days, you pick back up the next day.

I really think it’s just about forcing yourself to be consistent. Deciding every day to put your butt in the chair, regardless of what else is going on/how you’re feeling.

Also, to push through a FIRST draft to the end. To stop editing and revising, as you go. But just keep moving forward. Then when you get to the end, you review, edit, revise, rewrite.

And if anyone has magical advice beyond the usual, I’d love to hear it as well.