Too many story ideas?

[Djmac1031]

Is there such a thing as having too many story ideas?

I currently have at least seven partly started stories.

My problem is focusing on which one to finish.

I'm already dropping two to the back burner because they were ideas for contest events I'm not gonna make the deadlines for.

A couple others started strong, then went stone cold. But I suppose I can always pick them up again at some point.

Then there's yet another I'm eager to write but suddenly went off on a tangent with a completely different story that wouldn't let me sleep one night.

That's the one I'm currently focusing my efforts on, but I keep looking at these other ones and trying to decide what to do with them.

I've said before I think I'm a better idea guy than an actual writer.

And ideas are great. We can't write a story without one.

But maybe my problem is I get too many ideas and it makes it tough to focus on just one.

 

[StillStunned]

Yup. I keep meaning to get back to some longer stories I'm writing, or even just finish the final instalment of The Rivals, but I keep getting distracted by new ideas. Some of them I finish, some of them I don't.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I have an overabundance of ideas, to the point there are so many stories in my head that my mind almost explodes. Wait, a new idea or a small aneurysm? Not sure which.

 

[Altissimus]

I have the opposite problem: I get one idea, and I can't leave it alone until I've written it.

 

[SimonDoom]

Is there such a thing as having too many story ideas?

I currently have at least seven partly started stories.

My problem is focusing on which one to finish.

Seven! Haha. If only.

I must be up to around 60 unfinished stories at this point, which vary at levels of completion from an opening paragraph to 5000 words or more. The story I submitted last night, Darkling Tower, has been kicking around for at least four years and maybe more. Heck, it's been just about done and TarnishedPenny gave it a beta read two years ago.

I get stymied by indecision about which stories to focus on, no question.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Lucky you!

I have the opposite problem: I get one idea, and I can't leave it alone until I've written it.

 

[SouthernCrossfire]

Seven! Haha. If only.

Exactly! My Summer Lovin' story was started over 2-1/2 years ago and my upcoming (if all goes well!) Winter Holiday story will have been in the works for nearly as long as Simon's. There are so, so many others in various stages...

 

[Altissimus]

Lucky you!

Perhaps. I was kinda thinking a smorgasbord of ideas would be nice, too. I guess we all want what we don't have.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'd trade my 40-started but unfinished stories for 20 finished ones. Someday.

Perhaps. I was kinda thinking a smorgasbord of ideas would be nice, too. I guess we all want what we don't have.

 

[TxRad]

Unfinished stories? I quit counting at 300. Ideas I have by the dozens. The other day, I saw a picture and five hours later, I put it up for Laurel to post at a little over 3000 words. I went live this morning. That doesn't happen as often as it used to.

Is there a writers equivalent to alcoholic's anonymous?

 

[Bamagan]

Unfinished stories? I quit counting at 300. Ideas I have by the dozens. The other day, I saw a picture and five hours later, I put it up for Laurel to post at a little over 3000 words. I went live this morning. That doesn't happen as often as it used to.

Is there a writers equivalent to alcoholic's anonymous?

Yes. You're there.

 

[Rob_Royale]

I'm right there with you. And since I got a blue tooth keyboard to write at work, it's gotten worse for started storys.
.

 

[Djmac1031]

Seven! Haha. If only.

To clarify; seven I can at least easily remember and identify.

I'm sure there's several others buried in my documents folder that I've forgotten about

 

[samhasstories]

My documents folder is a mess of partial drafts, false starts, random ideas. Honestly I like it. It means there's always somewhere for me to go when I finish something, or if for a moment (or many moments) I'm just not feeling the thing I've been working on.

I don't worry too much about the ones I'm neglecting - that just means I'm not sufficiently excited about them.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I'm excited for a few hundred to maybe 2000 words. Then, not so much. But if I did 2000 words at a time, maybe I'd finish.

My documents folder is a mess of partial drafts, false starts, random ideas. Honestly I like it. It means there's always somewhere for me to go when I finish something, or if for a moment (or many moments) I'm just not feeling the thing I've been working on.

I don't worry too much about the ones I'm neglecting - that just means I'm not sufficiently excited about them.

 

[samhasstories]

I'm excited for a few hundred to maybe 2000 words. Then, not so much. But if I did 2000 words at a time, maybe I'd finish.

Does that excitement come back if you step away for awhile and then return? Or do you just power through?

I find I write in spurts (pun not intended, or intended, I'm not even sure), and when I start to flag I just put that one down for awhile, until I feel another spurt coming on. (that one was intended.)

 

[alohadave]

I currently have at least seven partly started stories

Sounds about right.

I create a document for each story idea, and typically a rough outline. If I'm working on something else at the time, the new idea goes on the back burner until later.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I step away for days, weeks, and sometimes months. Sometimes that works, other times, it short spurt, the joy is gone, the thread is gone, and my muse refuses to sing my praises.

Does that excitement come back if you step away for awhile and then return? Or do you just power through?

I find I write in spurts (pun not intended, or intended, I'm not even sure), and when I start to flag I just put that one down for awhile, until I feel another spurt coming on. (that one was intended.)

 

[samhasstories]

Sometimes, alas, you just get the one spurt.

 

[AchtungNight]

Then with the right amount of time and muse encouragement, you can spurt again.

 

[MillieDynamite]

Agh, groan, moan, that's bad, baby.

Then with the right amount of time and muse encouragement, you can spurt again.

 

[MrPixel]

I only have two stories on the back burner, one unlikely to be finished, the other, a series, has elements that won't fly on LitE. I write not so much to be productive as a writer, but because there is a story in my head I think needs to be told, if only to myself. I have two series in active work at the moment. One has no end in sight, the other has the last chapter already done with zero chance of a sequel, just need to fill-in some development. No, nobody is killed off - just redefinition of the life path of the key characters that won't work on LitE.

I'll write quickies when inspired, but they're usually done in an evening or two, and don't even make it to the to-do list.

 

[Abbafan]

My problem is that I'm paranoid about being spied on or followed. I've been told I'm paranoid many times.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you though, right?

 

[GlennJenko]

Yeah, right there with you. I have my WIP series, then 3 other ideas, one of which is a series idea. So all in all probably about 20 different stories there across the 4 separate ideas. Then I also have my non-Lit story idea that also jockeys for position in my brain.

I attempt to remedy it all by trying to maintain discipline and just focus on one idea at a time. At the moment I'm focusing on my main WIP and partially also my non-Lit story. If I get an idea for something else or something that's a part of one of my other ideas I'll put it in a word document so I don't forget but don't detract too much focus from what I'm "meant" to be working on.

 

[BgDaddy33]

Is there such a thing as having too many story ideas?

I currently have at least seven partly started stories.

My problem is focusing on which one to finish.

While writing my story I went off in a tangent that almost derailed me. A new pairing that had all sorts of ideas flying at me. I captured what I could in brainstorm notes and told myself that it might make for a good one-off once the first story was written and forced myself to put it away.

That said, like you, I have dozens of started stories that I visit now and then. Getting to work on the discipline to finish them is worth the price of admission here though.