Hi everyone, and happy (almost) October!
I promised I'd churn out two blog posts for #TheWriteWay a month, and I already wrote one at the beginning of September. I may only have two days left before October, but at least I made it!
In my last blog post, I mentioned wanting to write one on having Too Many Ideas -- otherwise known as TMI Syndrome. (I'm not sure if that's a thing, but it should be!)
People love to ask writers, "how do you get your ideas?" and "how do you come up with all those books to write?"
Personally, I don't struggle with finding ideas. I struggle with having TOO MANY at once.
(My mind is overwhelming, y'all. It's tiresome at times. That's the life of an overthinker.)
I have hundreds of novel ideas sitting on my computer, but I only work on one at a time. It's pretty sad knowing I won't be able to write all of them in my lifetime, but it doesn't mean I'm not going to try!
Where do ideas come from? All around us -- from conversations we overhear, to movies, television shows, and other novels, to historical events and news stories. It's too easy to come up with ideas in our day and age, thanks to the internet and TV! I recommend bringing a pad of paper and a pen wherever you go in case you get a surge of inspiration -- that light bulb moment.
Today, I'm going to share how I wade through all my (millions) of ideas to decide on which novel to write, and how you can do it, too.
Which Idea Is The Most Fleshed Out?
This is where I start. If I only have a sentence of an idea for a book, it's not ready yet. But if I can see the book clearly in my mind -- with characters, a world map, some subplots, and the overall theme -- then I know it's ready to begin working on. For example, my next book will be the first of six. That one is incredibly detailed with all its world building and rules, and I know it's ready for writing!
Which Idea Speaks To You The Most?
For me, this one is the most obvious. I might have a great idea, but if it doesn't speak to me on some level, I don't write it. It has to reach me -- like stories about friendship, loss, or love. Which idea feels like it's calling out to you and demanding to be written? Sit in a quiet place and think. You might be surprised at what jumps out.
Which Idea Flows The Best?
This one ties into the whole fleshed out idea. For me, if I sit down and start writing and the words tumble out of me like vomit, then I know I've chosen the right one. I believe most of the time, writing should be very natural -- like your soul is the one telling the story. If you're struggling to write it or start the story, the book hasn't been planned out enough yet and isn't ready. Back to the drawing board!
My last piece of advice is to write out a schedule. I write one every year -- I even bought a specific journal just for planning. I have three novels left to write this year -- my October one, my November one, and December one. Sure, it's hard narrowing it down, but having a list and sticking to it helps you commit to the story.
Do you have too many ideas or none at all? How did you decide which story to start working on? Let me know!
Thanks for reading and see you next month!
Dana
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