Is it painful to move the setting/story to something else?

For the longest time, I've been plotting and working on my Colonial mystery series about my blind French detective named Amos "Aimon" Garnier until recently I discovered that I keep having this desire to move this concept up to the mid-1850s, Alabama. Turn Amos into a Mexican named Miguel Sanchez who lives with a former US soldier and his family.

I like the Antebellum era, have an interest in Victorian medicine, and almost half of the characters are wearing clothes from that era anyway, but it's painful to say good-bye to dear Amos and the Colonial setting. I refuse to let it go even though it may be for the best. Amos clearly isn't willing to tell the story, and I don't really want to write a story set during the Revolution. I love the 1800s, I want to explore the events between the Mexican/American War and the American Civil War.

I know it's dumb. It's the same story, same everything only it's moved up eighty years and the protagonist is Mexican. However I feel like I've wasted my time, I'm having to start over again.

Ever had moments like this? How do you deal with it?

 

The setting can be looked upos as a character. Sometimes changing the setting is relatively painless, other times it profoundly impacts the entire story, just like making a character substitution.

 

If you have complete confidence in what you're changing and believe that it won't affect your base story too much, then go ahead.

 

I've flipped-flopped changing my novel to the French and Indian War. It all boils down to what fits you best. And anyway, from my experience, it's difficult writing in an age different than your own, so look at what you feel most comfortable with.

 

It's not like you have to say goodbye to Amos forever. You can always use him for something else.

 

Not so fast. Write a sample chapter or two with the Mexican protag, you might end up writing a very different character and a story. Who knows you might have two good stories instead of one Also, when you actually write it you might find that you are not so enthusiastic about 1800s.

 

A writer of contemporary fiction bound by a realistic historic timeline (not emo gothic vampie-rish, alternate universes ,eye gouging sci-fi )Moving my setting back only half a decade , I changed the dynamics to the point I stumbled into a hot, crazy ,mad, phat, bad ass plot twist