When to abandon a screenplay and when to put it away for now

Do not decide during one bad week

Every long project has periods of doubt. Before stopping, change something smaller: rest, ask for a read, map the draft or write the ending in summary. A temporary loss of energy is not the same as a dead project.

Ask what is still alive

• Is there a character, image or relationship you still want to follow?
• Can you name the problem, even if you cannot solve it?
• Would a major change create curiosity or only obligation?
• Are you learning anything the next screenplay needs?

Do not let page count make the decision

Time already spent cannot tell you what deserves the next six months. Honour the work by keeping what it taught you, not by demanding that it become a finished film at any cost.

Stopping a project and stopping writing are not the same decision.

Leave the door in a useful state

Export the draft, write a one-page note about what worked and what stopped moving, then archive it with a date. If you return, you will meet a clear record rather than a cloud of guilt. If you never return, the work still belongs to your development as a writer.