Anyone else have this issue?

[kelpiebeans]

burgawinosourus

American_Flyleaf_Girl

burgawinosourus

American_Flyleaf_Girl

burgawinosourus

That's how it's always been for me. Try to decide on one that you think could really go somewhere and go with it. If you get an idea for a new character with a new story try to add it into the one you're working on, If it fits. If not, try to save it for a rainy day. Write down as much info on them as possible and you'll find their purpose soon.

I have so many random add-in characters. But it's so much fun. Thank you for the tip. xD

You're welcome~! It's just ended up being the only thing that seems to work for me. biggrin

Well it's good that you at least found SOMETHING that works. :3

Indeed. I hope you can find your helpful little niche as well.

Thank you. ^u^

[phantomkitsune]

Oh, I get that. I get around it by putting them all together. If I want to write about Yggdrasil and assimilation and culture clashes and ghosts and cherry blossoms and possession and transhumanism and the Chinese elements and California falling into the sea, well, that makes a perfectly functional first two chapters.

[kelpiebeans]

phantomkitsune

Oh, I get that. I get around it by putting them all together. If I want to write about Yggdrasil and assimilation and culture clashes and ghosts and cherry blossoms and possession and transhumanism and the Chinese elements and California falling into the sea, well, that makes a perfectly functional first two chapters.

Write ALL of the things. nice. xD

[Phyla89]

Miharu~!

*ahem*

I believe the simple answer would be to pick one, anyone, and just finish it just for the sake of finishing it, whether not it turns out good or not. Just make it a habit. Then it will be easier to finish the things you actually like.

[kelpiebeans]

Phyla89

Miharu~!

*ahem*

I believe the simple answer would be to pick one, anyone, and just finish it just for the sake of finishing it, whether not it turns out good or not. Just make it a habit. Then it will be easier to finish the things you actually like.

Thank you for the advice, and....

YESSSS. Such a little jerk he is.

" Oh, please, sensei, don't yell at me, you'll make me cry... "

[phantomkitsune]

American_Flyleaf_Girl

phantomkitsune

Oh, I get that. I get around it by putting them all together. If I want to write about Yggdrasil and assimilation and culture clashes and ghosts and cherry blossoms and possession and transhumanism and the Chinese elements and California falling into the sea, well, that makes a perfectly functional first two chapters.

Write ALL of the things. nice. xD

Yep! It works well for me: I recently had an idea for a story revolving around a concept and a character, but was stalled at the world and the conflict and what on Earth was going on. Another idea hit me, and I panicked because I am working on too many projects. So I shoved it in the other story. It ended up working surprisingly well.

[kelpiebeans]

phantomkitsune

American_Flyleaf_Girl

phantomkitsune

Oh, I get that. I get around it by putting them all together. If I want to write about Yggdrasil and assimilation and culture clashes and ghosts and cherry blossoms and possession and transhumanism and the Chinese elements and California falling into the sea, well, that makes a perfectly functional first two chapters.

Write ALL of the things. nice. xD

Yep! It works well for me: I recently had an idea for a story revolving around a concept and a character, but was stalled at the world and the conflict and what on Earth was going on. Another idea hit me, and I panicked because I am working on too many projects. So I shoved it in the other story. It ended up working surprisingly well.

Might as well smile sometimes you just HAVE to use an idea somewhere and if you don't, your brain tries to implode.

[TottWriter]

I have found that the more I've learned about writing, the fewer "ideas" I've had. Time was, I'd start a new story every day. New characters, new setting, new this and that. Now, I have far fewer on the go, or even cropping up in my head.

That's not a bad thing at all. It's a direct result of my progress. As I've gotten better at conceptualising stories, I've realised the difference between an "idea" and a "plot". The former is great, but 99 out of 100 ideas never make it past the first three pages. When you learn to sift through the ideas and discard those which don't have the development potential - however brilliant they seem when they occur to you - you will have an easier time of it.

The trick with writing a story is not coming up with ideas. If I wanted to, I could sit down and list thirty or so "ideas" in less than an hour. The trick with writing is to find an idea which has plot potential, and to develop it into something meatier. By all means, merge several ideas together if you can. Character concepts can be put on hold until there's a space for them, settings can wait for an opportune event in a story. Even plot "ideas" can be merged in as subplots.

But, as I said, the trick is to practise working out which ideas have the going distance, until you get to the point where you subconsciously discard anything not up to standard.

I went through a phase a couple of years ago where I panicked because I wasn't getting ideas any more. Then I realised it was because instead of inspiration striking from the aether and demanding I write its idea, now, and make it the Best Thing Ever, I was able to generate stories out of concepts and premises when I actually needed something new to write, and all the rest just simmered in my sub-conscious until I wanted it or outgrew it.

I've realised now that that was probably when I actually started learning how to write properly. I've got a long way to go yet, but at least I'm getting there now. And the trick is to study all your ideas, and work out how much substance they have. Is what you've got a scene or a story?

[haowopcmasjkka]

I no longer try to write every idea that pops into my head. I end up not being able to finish it and I get frustrated. Instead, what I've been trying to do (as I think someone else said) is when I get a new idea, see if I can somehow put it in the story I'm working on. Otherwise, I write it down so I can (maybe) write it someday when I don't have anything to write.

[evilfangirl137]

What I do is I write all of my story ideas down in a book (along with minimal plot and character information) and then Ill sit on them until I get inspiration for one of them and I just go for it. But i defiantly jump from story to story working on them each a little at a time.

[Cogent Dream]

American_Flyleaf_Girl

Too many story ideas and plots, and WAY too much love for each of them to decide which one to really devote ample time to?

Over the past...gads, three or four years...I've built up a moderately overwhelming store of story ideas, plot bunnies, scene scribblings, and characters, and I like each and every one so much it's difficult to choose. I've found that working on multiple stories at once just creates monotony and makes them all seem boring to me, not to mention their plots go down the tubes.

And the bunnies never stop! More plot ideas, more plot ideas. Some of them legitimately enjoyable, some of them festering bile. I have yet to finish a single one (aside from my 2010 NaNo, but that's still in rough draft form. )

Does anybody else have this problem? And does anybody have any tips on it?

Everyone has this problem, that's why most amateur writers haven't finished a full story before.

Best way to avoid this is to incorporate new ideas into an existing story, through new characters, organisations, themes or even little arcs along your main character's journey. This stops you from having a million stories and adds a lot more complexity to your existing one.

[Anna_Spence]

Once I start working on a novel, I can't work on any other big projects. I usually have a novel and short story I'm working on and nothing else. I usually come up with all of these great ideas when I'm working on something else, so I write all of the good ones down in a separate word document, and tell myself that I can write once I'm finished my current projects. I also try to condense as many as I can into short stories so I don't have to spend as much time on them.

[howIing]

American_Flyleaf_Girl

My problem is the complete opposite. On a regular basis, I have too few ideas on what to write, and end up writing something that is total s**t just to make my brain function properly.