I have this first draft that I'm editing. It's slow right now because work is bogging down my creative brain. Still, it's going.
I also have three story ideas knocking around in my brain. I'm not sure of their length yet. Closing my eyes I can see that two of them are longer and one is a short story. None of this is written down yet.
How do you do it? Not just the finding time to write it, but how do you decide which one to work on at any given time? I ask because all four of these things are pressing on the inside of my skull bursting to get out.
Like the guy from scanners. (video is a bit gruesome; just warning you.)
Writers and non-writers alike. Hit me up with your best advice.
Word to the Nerd
11 comments:
I'm awful for multiple ideas and just letting them all take over so my advice is pretty not so good but it WORKS. I write a little of all of the ideas — not too much just a couple of thousand words or so — and then I follow the one that grabs me most. I use the one I can't stop writing even though I set myself a limit.
Not the greatest advice ever but yeah. Hopefully all the other people will offer up some words of wisdom. :)
<3
I'm anxious to hear the answer myself, I've always wondered how writers find the time for writing if they have some other job too.
I can only work on one thing at a time as well. The book I'm working on right now, just wouldn't leave my head. I've found it incredibly easy to write, so I'm glad I did that and put my book that was on submission on hold.
I don't think there's one right answer to this question. Prioritize what you want out of writing and make a choice based on your schedule/goals/what you really want to do.
I'm sure it'll come to you.
I had the same issue this summer. A book I'm dying to write and third book in the series that I'm contracted to write. A good friend advised me to take the fall and write the book which I did.
For me, it's whichever story screams the loudest.
Crap, you have more than one idea? Please share one of them!
Whichever one pulls at you the strongest. Because if you pick one of the others, it will be slow going because you're not as motivated to work on it.
I wouldn't work on the short stories. That's just me. If you're looking at ideas and you want to be published traditionally, consider which one looks fresh, unique without also looking bizarro. Also, consider how the story would be marketed...does it have a hook? Some people like to write a query at this stage...when you try to figure out what's enticing about a story, it gives you ideas. And I'm working on THREE stories right now...revising one that's already out on submission, revising one that's almost ready for submission, and a third that will be my next "big" project. Seriously, you can work on more than one thing. Good luck!
I would say do quick sketches of each story, maybe just plot and characters, maybe just a few paragraphs. Whichever one you find yourself needing to write more on, a simple sketch will not do, that's the winner.
I sit down at the laptop and go with what my fingers type. Sometimes I work on multiple projects at the same time -- a little here and a little there. It's really a great feeling, although frustrating, to have writing inside of you that can't wait to reveal itself.
Love,
Janie
I think everyone goes through this. I just go with it. I usually write all of them, really quickly and badly just to get them down in a document I can work on later. I'll do it out of sequence, rough, grammar free - anything to get it down, then work on whatever one speaks to me loudest. And go back and forth if necessary. I know this isn't helping much but hell, if you have ideas, write them all and the one that shouts loudest will win. You can always work the others later.
I'm having my own NaNo rewrite dilemmas lately, namely I like lots of what I wrote but the main premise is flimsy at best. I need a better one, something that makes it all MAKE SENSE. Grrrrr.
Good luck, man!
Although I'm more of a master in the how not to do it department, I'll my best...
If I ever have multiple ideas streaming simultaneously I write the gist of each one down so as not to forget them and then feverishly type whichever one seems to have the most detail. If I can focus and type without worrying too much on how it reads just yet, I consider that a win.
I would just choose one at random and if I wasn't feeling it, move on to the next!
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