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Post by shawninmon on Apr 23, 2014 13:37:28 GMT -5
...in my own fashion. I'm essentially a pantser, so I don't mean that.
I mean that I usually choose an idea, then write it through to completion. I know many writers have stacks of started-but-unfinished manuscripts taking up space on their hard drives, but I've never been one of them.
My current WIP is a YA Romance set in the final year of high school. Each month of the main character's senior year will be a chapter. I'm happy with the main idea (What happens if the most popular girl in school falls in love with the skinny, nerdy boy, instead of the football player) and the subplots (He's nursed a crush on her since elementary school, but when she shows interest in him, he can't believe it and doesn't want to risk getting his heart broken; she's taken on the personality of her older sister who died in a car accident five years earlier to soothe her parents mourning the loss of their golden child.) I really like everything about this story fine. It's got a lot of drama, some humor, a lot of romance and some depth to it.
Then, flying back from Vegas, I fall asleep on the plane and wake up with a fully formed plot for a new book in my head. And I LOVE this new idea. I don't think it's just that it's Bright Shiny Object syndrome, it feels really important to me.
So, after spending several weeks researching and prepping this other new story, it goes on the back burner and I am going to write the new one. It's because the new one is sucking up all the minimal oxygen that is in my brain. I can't begin to think of writing the old one, because the new one immediately crowds it out.
I've only been writing a few years, so I wonder... has this happened to you? If so, did you stick to your guns and finish the one you're working on initially, or give in and let the new one ravish you? I'm curious... if you walked away from the first one, did you go back and finish it? How did the BSO (Bright Shiny Object) turn out?
One other thing... if the first project was part of a series, I would buckle down and finish it first, but these are both stand alones.
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 23, 2014 13:40:39 GMT -5
I wish it happened to me, Shawn. I have to sacrifice an organ to get An Idea. They really don't just come to me. I *never* have two at a time, jostling and competing for attention. But I've definitely heard others talk about the kind of thing you describing.
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Post by shawninmon on Apr 23, 2014 13:45:26 GMT -5
I wish it happened to me, Shawn. I have to sacrifice an organ to get An Idea. They really don't just come to me. I *never* have two at a time, jostling and competing for attention. But I've definitely heard other talk about the kind of thing you describing. I was the same, but I'm coming up with a new theory: There's only room for so many fully-formed ideas in my brain at one time. I need to write them to make room for new ones, but as soon as I do, another one pops up in its place. I'd carried the idea for Rock 'n Roll Heaven around for 20 years, but as soon as I write it and release it, BAM! Here comes the new idea. |
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 23, 2014 13:55:20 GMT -5
I wish it happened to me, Shawn. I have to sacrifice an organ to get An Idea. They really don't just come to me. I *never* have two at a time, jostling and competing for attention. But I've definitely heard other talk about the kind of thing you describing. I was the same, but I'm coming up with a new theory: There's only room for so many fully-formed ideas in my brain at one time. I need to write them to make room for new ones, but as soon as I do, another one pops up in its place. I'd carried the idea for Rock 'n Roll Heaven around for 20 years, but as soon as I write it and release it, BAM! Here comes the new idea. That's cool. Don't think it'll be that way for me, though. I wasn't carrying the Nolander idea around for 20 years before I wrote it. I started with a general premise and sat down and squeeeeeezed the plot/character ideas out in a tiny trickle. |
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Post by vrabinec on Apr 23, 2014 14:26:40 GMT -5
My current WIP is the other woman. The first one is currently shut down, 125k words in. But that first one's a mess on a lot of levels. I did the panster thing, and realized after 125k words that I started it 60k words too soon (a common affliction I'm told pansters suffer from) and that not only did I have the wrong protag and primary plot, I had the wrong genre. So, it was easy to set that one aside.
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Post by shawninmon on Apr 23, 2014 15:16:28 GMT -5
My current WIP is the other woman. The first one is currently shut down, 125k words in. But that first one's a mess on a lot of levels. I did the panster thing, and realized after 125k words that I started it 60k words too soon (a common affliction I'm told pansters suffer from) and that not only did I have the wrong protag and primary plot, I had the wrong genre. So, it was easy to set that one aside. It would be so hard for me to give up 125k words like that. Are you going to go back to it at some point? |
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Post by vrabinec on Apr 23, 2014 15:20:51 GMT -5
Yeah, now that I have the thing figured out. The fix came in drips and drabs as I was working on the current WIP.
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 23, 2014 16:21:30 GMT -5
My current WIP is the other woman. The first one is currently shut down, 125k words in. But that first one's a mess on a lot of levels. I did the panster thing, and realized after 125k words that I started it 60k words too soon (a common affliction I'm told pansters suffer from) and that not only did I have the wrong protag and primary plot, I had the wrong genre. So, it was easy to set that one aside. Is this the romance? |
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Post by Daniel on Apr 23, 2014 19:20:48 GMT -5
That's cool. Don't think it'll be that way for me, though. I wasn't carrying the Nolander idea around for 20 years before I wrote it. I started with a general premise and sat down and squeeeeeezed the plot/character ideas out in a tiny trickle. I can't believe you didn't take advantage of the  emoticon for this one. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 19:24:36 GMT -5
That's cool. Don't think it'll be that way for me, though. I wasn't carrying the Nolander idea around for 20 years before I wrote it. I started with a general premise and sat down and squeeeeeezed the plot/character ideas out in a tiny trickle. I can't believe you didn't take advantage of the emoticon for this one. Definitely a missed opportunity, there. |
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Post by Alan Petersen on Apr 23, 2014 19:27:17 GMT -5
I went through the same thing after finishing my first book that I published. I've had an idea for another book, different characters, etc. that I was excited about, so I started writing it. But when my first book sold much better than I thought and people asked me if the MC would be back for more, I back burned that other story so I could focus on the next two books of the first book's series. But if I get a juicy idea for the other book I'll write that scene, so I'll probably have a big mess on my hands when I finally focus on that book (I probably have around 10,000 words so far), but I need to get the next two books out in this series.
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Post by Rinelle Grey on Apr 23, 2014 23:24:02 GMT -5
I usually have half a dozen ideas jostling for attention in my head. Some of them are partly started (from before I started publishing), so I'm trying to finish those, and my series, before I start writing new ones. Not sure if I'll stay strong or not though.
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Post by Becca Mills on Apr 24, 2014 0:35:07 GMT -5
I can't believe you didn't take advantage of the emoticon for this one. Definitely a missed opportunity, there. Thought I'd lay a belt-high fastball over the center of the plate for y'all. I'm just that kinda gal.  |
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Post by lindymoone on Apr 24, 2014 4:54:08 GMT -5
Perfectly normal, just like masturbation.
Wait. Did I type that out loud?
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Post by vrabinec on Apr 24, 2014 6:17:59 GMT -5
My current WIP is the other woman. The first one is currently shut down, 125k words in. But that first one's a mess on a lot of levels. I did the panster thing, and realized after 125k words that I started it 60k words too soon (a common affliction I'm told pansters suffer from) and that not only did I have the wrong protag and primary plot, I had the wrong genre. So, it was easy to set that one aside. Is this the romance? Yeah, same one. As for masturbation...no, no, I better not say anything. I'm much too much of a gentleman. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2014 9:52:19 GMT -5
...in my own fashion. I'm essentially a pantser, so I don't mean that. I mean that I usually choose an idea, then write it through to completion. I know many writers have stacks of started-but-unfinished manuscripts taking up space on their hard drives, but I've never been one of them. My current WIP is a YA Romance set in the final year of high school. Each month of the main character's senior year will be a chapter. I'm happy with the main idea (What happens if the most popular girl in school falls in love with the skinny, nerdy boy, instead of the football player) and the subplots (He's nursed a crush on her since elementary school, but when she shows interest in him, he can't believe it and doesn't want to risk getting his heart broken; she's taken on the personality of her older sister who died in a car accident five years earlier to soothe her parents mourning the loss of their golden child.) I really like everything about this story fine. It's got a lot of drama, some humor, a lot of romance and some depth to it. Then, flying back from Vegas, I fall asleep on the plane and wake up with a fully formed plot for a new book in my head. And I LOVE this new idea. I don't think it's just that it's Bright Shiny Object syndrome, it feels really important to me. So, after spending several weeks researching and prepping this other new story, it goes on the back burner and I am going to write the new one. It's because the new one is sucking up all the minimal oxygen that is in my brain. I can't begin to think of writing the old one, because the new one immediately crowds it out. I've only been writing a few years, so I wonder... has this happened to you? If so, did you stick to your guns and finish the one you're working on initially, or give in and let the new one ravish you? I'm curious... if you walked away from the first one, did you go back and finish it? How did the BSO (Bright Shiny Object) turn out? One other thing... if the first project was part of a series, I would buckle down and finish it first, but these are both stand alones. I'm wrestling with this right now Got to finish my series, but I'm daydreaming a lot about an idea that struck me a couple of months back. In my head the other idea seems really high-concept, and like if Stephen King had it he'd turn it into a sure-fire smash hit and sell the movie rights for approximately all the money in the world. I keep telling myself it's just Bright Shiny Object syndrome, but I've made the cover for the book and now keep staring at it longingly. I've forced myself to finish the series first, but it's been difficult. Damn shiny objects Of course when I do get around to writing this super awesome idea it'll turn out I hate it and my next idea will be something Stephen King would sell his soul for  |
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Post by Daniel on Apr 24, 2014 18:28:14 GMT -5
Got to finish my series, but I'm daydreaming a lot about an idea that struck me a couple of months back. In my head the other idea seems really high-concept, and like if Stephen King had it he'd turn it into a sure-fire smash hit and sell the movie rights for approximately all the money in the world. I keep telling myself it's just Bright Shiny Object syndrome, but I've made the cover for the book and now keep staring at it longingly. This is so me right now! I've been trying to stay away from the Internet (failing now) so I can finish the first draft of the final book in my trilogy. I've been letting myself get distracted by EVERYTHING, including ideas for my next book. The next one will be a contemporary fantasy story, and I've been sitting on the cover for months now. I want to show it to the world! But I made a pact with myself that I won't talk about the next shiny object until the trilogy is done and I can start on the new WIP. Fortunately, I'm on fire again for finishing the trilogy. Apparently, all it needed was the new ending I came up with this week.  |
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Post by shawninmon on Apr 24, 2014 20:48:12 GMT -5
Got to finish my series, but I'm daydreaming a lot about an idea that struck me a couple of months back. In my head the other idea seems really high-concept, and like if Stephen King had it he'd turn it into a sure-fire smash hit and sell the movie rights for approximately all the money in the world. I keep telling myself it's just Bright Shiny Object syndrome, but I've made the cover for the book and now keep staring at it longingly. This is so me right now! I've been trying to stay away from the Internet (failing now) so I can finish the first draft of the final book in my trilogy. I've been letting myself get distracted by EVERYTHING, including ideas for my next book. The next one will be a contemporary fantasy story, and I've been sitting on the cover for months now. I want to show it to the world! But I made a pact with myself that I won't talk about the next shiny object until the trilogy is done and I can start on the new WIP. Fortunately, I'm on fire again for finishing the trilogy. Apparently, all it needed was the new ending I came up with this week. Having the ending in mind always does it for me. When I was a young boy, I lived on a horse farm and would go out with my dad to collect the horses from their pasture. They would balk until they saw the barn... and supper. Then, we couldn't keep up with them. I'm the same way once I see the ending in sight. |
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Post by vrabinec on Apr 25, 2014 8:57:52 GMT -5
Got to finish my series, but I'm daydreaming a lot about an idea that struck me a couple of months back. In my head the other idea seems really high-concept, and like if Stephen King had it he'd turn it into a sure-fire smash hit and sell the movie rights for approximately all the money in the world. I keep telling myself it's just Bright Shiny Object syndrome, but I've made the cover for the book and now keep staring at it longingly. This is so me right now! I've been trying to stay away from the Internet (failing now) so I can finish the first draft of the final book in my trilogy. I've been letting myself get distracted by EVERYTHING, including ideas for my next book. The next one will be a contemporary fantasy story, and I've been sitting on the cover for months now. I want to show it to the world! But I made a pact with myself that I won't talk about the next shiny object until the trilogy is done and I can start on the new WIP. Fortunately, I'm on fire again for finishing the trilogy. Apparently, all it needed was the new ending I came up with this week. Hmm, contemp, eh? You might have to update your avvy. I'm curious as to which direction you went. But you're not talking about it so.... |
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Post by vrabinec on Apr 25, 2014 9:02:17 GMT -5
This is so me right now! I've been trying to stay away from the Internet (failing now) so I can finish the first draft of the final book in my trilogy. I've been letting myself get distracted by EVERYTHING, including ideas for my next book. The next one will be a contemporary fantasy story, and I've been sitting on the cover for months now. I want to show it to the world! But I made a pact with myself that I won't talk about the next shiny object until the trilogy is done and I can start on the new WIP. Fortunately, I'm on fire again for finishing the trilogy. Apparently, all it needed was the new ending I came up with this week. Having the ending in mind always does it for me. When I was a young boy, I lived on a horse farm and would go out with my dad to collect the horses from their pasture. They would balk until they saw the barn... and supper. Then, we couldn't keep up with them. I'm the same way once I see the ending in sight. Yeah, I saw the same phenomenon with my uncles' cows and sheep. I used to love staying on my grandma's farm. I loved it when they butchered a hog. I think that watching it strung up upside down to bleed out into a bowl prepared me for being a writer. |
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emoticon for this one.
