I'm not pretending to be a know-it-all. This is just advice that helps me and hopefully will help you.
The irony of writing this when I should be focusing on writing is not lost on me.
Hokay, so you're sitting there, getting into your current story, when all of a sudden you have this brilliant idea. It starts playing out in your mind and you eagerly reach for a piece of paper or open a fresh Document.
You get that high, thinking of how amazing the story will be, and you just want to show it to the world.
Then, before you know it, you get another--and another--and another.
Before you can shout: FOCUS, you're writing 3 or 4 or even 5 books at once.
We've all been there. I mean I used to completely abandon my old ideas and start the newer ones. If you have this problem, you are not alone. I promise you.
So how do you get focused? Here's what I do:
1). I limit myself to how many books I can write. My limit is 2 + I will allow myself one short story or novella.
2). Write down every idea you have. I'm not saying write the first six chapters, I'm saying get a journal or text the idea to yourself or better yet, if you have a phone or device that has a notetaking app, use that.
Something like that, although not as fancy. I use the notes on my iphone and keep it in there. I currently have 20+ ideas in there.
3). Focus on the story at hand. Think about where you're going next. Think about the characters. If you need it, make a plan for it. Write a synopsis. Do whatever will help you.
I get focused by writing a chapter by chapter plan in order to help me know where the story is going. Or else just sitting there and thinking about where I went the characters/story to end up. And then I know that once I'm done with this book, I can move on to the next.
4). Get lost in the story. Easier said than done, but if the story is stumping you to the point that you actually start to hate it, then maybe put it on the shelf. Or if you have a limit of 3 books to write at the same time you can move to one of the other two.
5) Repeat.
I'm not saying to shut your ideas down, never do that. Mine run through my mind all the time, and when I have ideas for scenes or characters, I write them down in the idea journal. If I feel like I need to write a chapter to get it out of my system, I do that, but then I tuck it away.
If you need me to ellaborate on anything, please comment or PM me. :)
If you have any requests for me to give tips (this includes planning methods and editing and just plain old advice) then PM me, comment her, or post on my message board.
The irony of writing this when I should be focusing on writing is not lost on me.
Hokay, so you're sitting there, getting into your current story, when all of a sudden you have this brilliant idea. It starts playing out in your mind and you eagerly reach for a piece of paper or open a fresh Document.
You get that high, thinking of how amazing the story will be, and you just want to show it to the world.
Then, before you know it, you get another--and another--and another.
Before you can shout: FOCUS, you're writing 3 or 4 or even 5 books at once.
We've all been there. I mean I used to completely abandon my old ideas and start the newer ones. If you have this problem, you are not alone. I promise you.
So how do you get focused? Here's what I do:
1). I limit myself to how many books I can write. My limit is 2 + I will allow myself one short story or novella.
2). Write down every idea you have. I'm not saying write the first six chapters, I'm saying get a journal or text the idea to yourself or better yet, if you have a phone or device that has a notetaking app, use that.
3). Focus on the story at hand. Think about where you're going next. Think about the characters. If you need it, make a plan for it. Write a synopsis. Do whatever will help you.
I get focused by writing a chapter by chapter plan in order to help me know where the story is going. Or else just sitting there and thinking about where I went the characters/story to end up. And then I know that once I'm done with this book, I can move on to the next.
4). Get lost in the story. Easier said than done, but if the story is stumping you to the point that you actually start to hate it, then maybe put it on the shelf. Or if you have a limit of 3 books to write at the same time you can move to one of the other two.
5) Repeat.
I'm not saying to shut your ideas down, never do that. Mine run through my mind all the time, and when I have ideas for scenes or characters, I write them down in the idea journal. If I feel like I need to write a chapter to get it out of my system, I do that, but then I tuck it away.
If you need me to ellaborate on anything, please comment or PM me. :)
If you have any requests for me to give tips (this includes planning methods and editing and just plain old advice) then PM me, comment her, or post on my message board.
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