Sunday, October 17, 2010

I'm Not a Loyal Writer

I keep cheating on a project with another.

Sometimes, I hear of old couples writers who've worked on a single novel for a decade or more, and I wonder how they do it. My love is fickle, and early after I finish the first draft of a WiP, I have ideas for another. (Yes, for NaNoers, I have year long plot bunnies)

"Come write us," they say. "We're new and sexy shiny. We'll be better than what you have right now."

I find it hard not to fall into the trap. Sometimes I'll note the idea down, hoping to revisit it later, but the excitement and inspiration is gone by then. So I move on to new WiPs all the time, afraid I'll lose the perfect idea while it's there. It's why I four complete first drafts from my last two years, and two more to be rewritten. I only stopped to edit once.

This year, I'm trying something different. I'll be writing two stories during NaNoWriMo, and I hope that by alternating between the two, I can keep the other ideas away. I need focus, or I'll never get anywhere!

Am I alone in this? How many of you have troubles sticking to one project? And how many of you only write one novel and stick with it?  (For the record, I think both are fine)

3 comments:

  1. Good luck keeping the plot bunnies away. Might I suggest getting a writer's block dog to help? :)

    I've always got new ideas for stories, and I welcome them (well, not during Nov of course, but all other months of the year). I'll usually write down some notes, maybe a scene or two, maybe the first couple chapters even, and then move on. If it really sticks I can always come back and work on it later. And it's better to have too many ideas than too few!

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  2. Well, I've come back and reworked on ideas before and, with one notable exception (my current WiP, in fact), it hasn't worked out so well. I think I managed to rekindle the original rush because my initial idea was of a setting, not plot and characters.

    But you're right! I prefer to have too many ideas than too few. I just have to learn and deal with it. ;)

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  3. I have, on occasion, let wispy new ideas take control. It's hard not to, it's like the lust phase that you may have moved out of on your current WiP. I haven't yet seen a WiP into complete fruition, though... so I am not a good example!!! Bad Lindsey!

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