When Stories Catches Fire

[Duleigh]

I love it when a story "catches fire" and writing it becomes a joy. For me the story writes itself and I'm just along for the ride, translating thought into keyboard input. But what do you do when multiple stories catch fire at the same time? I have four stories in the works, and I found myself hopping from one story to the next, punching out 1k to 2k words before hopping to the next, just enjoying the ride and keeping notes of my progress, then one story caught FIRE and writing it became a passion.

However that story isn't planned for release any time soon and I have two stories planned for August, so I hopped to one of my August stories and that one suddenly became my night and day. I love it when a story does that, but story #3 needed attention for August also, so reluctantly I hopped over to #3 and started work. I allowed #3 to take an unplanned turn and it suddenly burst into flames consuming every stroke of my keyboard. It doesn't want to let me go so I can get some work done on #2 but at the same time #1 is calling and a story in the works for January is demanding some bandwidth also.

What do you do when you have multiple stories demanding your full attention but you don't want to let one story become your exclusive project causing you to lose the fire to work on the other stories?

It must be sudden rush of oxygen in the air that's causing this for me...

 

[djrip]

It sounds like a great problem to have!

 

[gunhilltrain]

Patience, Duleigh, is the only answer. You can only work on so many things at once. I think that you have to clear them out as they are finished and then get to the next one. (Well, maybe three at a time, in different stages of completion, is feasible.) I've used the assembly line analogy that each car has to follow the one in front of it.

Well, I guess you can imagine one than one line going at once. But since it's mostly just you, you have to then jump from one line to another.

 

[Rob_Royale]

My LW story was like that. It is a great feeling. The one I submitted yesterday I had to drag out kicking and screaming.

 

[Altissimus]

What do you do when you have multiple stories demanding your full attention but you don't want to let one story become your exclusive project causing you to lose the fire to work on the other stories?

Try to finish one.

 

[oneagainst]

Yeah, that. It's awesome. My current story series caught fire and it's like being in the zone... you get flow. Then the story  literally caught fire.

 

[TxRad]

When are you people going to learn to never print these stories out on paper or at the very least, keep a fire extinguisher handy.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Try to finish one.

Yeah, this. Nail one of them down.

Or do what I've just done, start on a another story. That way, whatever your mood, you've got one to come back to, every time...

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I’m there at the minute with THE PROCESS wishing I could write multiple chapters at the same time and get more words down.

I’m around 17,000 words in on what will probably be between 50-70 thousand plus words.

 

[Duleigh]

Yeah, this. Nail one of them down.

Or do what I've just done, start on a another story. That way, whatever your mood, you've got one to come back to, every time...

Then I stand the chance of five stories in flames demanding my attention (◎﹏◎)

 

[ZfrkS62]

Well this is disappointing. I thought this was going to be a "my story stalled so I set fire to my laptop" thread

 

[Djmac1031]

I wish I had this "problem" lol.

I suppose early on in my Jenna series, I did. Which is how I managed to pump out so many so quickly.

Of course, all of those are very short chapters. But the ideas were all there and just kept coming.

Lately, I'm pretty much one story at a time.

Oh I always have at least several IDEAS. But I gotta wait for one to "catch fire" before getting down to writing it.

 

[Duleigh]

I’m there at the minute with THE PROCESS wishing I could write multiple chapters at the same time and get more words down.

I've done that! There's a real chance of losing track where you're at

 

[Duleigh]

Well this is disappointing. I thought this was going to be a "my story stalled so I set fire to my laptop" thread

Nahh, that's been done to death

 

[Duleigh]

Oh I always have at least several IDEAS. But I gotta wait for one to "catch fire" before getting down to writing it.

I start several stories at once and fill the screen with ideas for each one, but for me it's rare for a desire to explore each one happens. I've always had to wait to enter each one fully before the fire catches, this time they all exploded in my face!

 

[dmallord]

Folks, I only have a couple of fingers to type with, and my laptop screen is only 15", so I limit it to one story at a time.

My hat size is 7 1/2, and at that size the head under it only cogitates on one story at a time. Otherwise, things get too foggy. I may have an idea or two that I jot a note down and save, but as to catching multiple stories on fire ... I am not going back into that kind of rat race.

'Focus eye - young Jedi; slow and steady wins the race.' [To mix up a few movies and a hare and tortoise race here.] You all be burning too many candles at both ends!

And Tx, I try not to print out the stories - I've got to protect the characters and their agents' identities so the IRS isn't looking into all the funds Lit is funneling into their accounts.

 

[Emilymcplugger]

I've done that! There's a real chance of losing track where you're at

Nah, I never have that problem.

My head is like a filing cabinet in that it opens compartments for the chapters and I just go in and fill the compartments.

Currently I’m bouncing between 1-2, once 1 is done I’ll bounce between 2-3, etc.

 

[Duleigh]

My hat size is 7 1/2, and at that size the head under it only cogitates on one story at a time. Otherwise, things get too foggy.

I've found that it's not the hat size but what the hat advertises. My Miller Lite hat doesn't produce many stories, but wearing my Strategic Air Command hat - I can't type fast enough to keep up with the output!

 

[onehitwanda]

I'm down about a number of things and that's killed any urge to write the two stories I have on the go right now. So of course now there's a third one gerninating instead. I opened my editor 30 minutes ago and now I'm already over 1k words into it. I should be working.

 

[MargotPayge]

Right now, nothing is coming for me. But each story I've posted here was like that. I got excited about seeing where the characters went.

But, I was trying to be more machine-like and crank out words in a steady, disciplined way, making writing more like my job. Unfortunately, I succeeded.

When the joy leaves, the words stop. I think I'm just going to have to accept that I have two speeds: on and off.

 

[onehitwanda]

I have two speeds: on and off.

Fire and cinders.

 

[dmallord]

Up hill ...

Fire and cinders.

... and down hill as the words trickle onto the screen - one - by - one.