- Still waiting on word from the film producer about The Truth Lies in the Dark. If you haven't entered my Book 2 Movie contest hop on over to my contest page and leave a comment. It's that easy, and there are many prizes planned.
http://kcscontests.blogspot.com/
- Almost finished (less than 100 pgs. to go) on my WIP. I hit a lull in my writing. Not sure if it was because I didn't like the story direction, had a hard time switching back and forth from marketer/promoter of my first book to writing this one, or if my self doubt was trying to sabotage my creativity. Most likely it was a mix of all of these and a sprinkling of family responsibility. But I found my writing mojo and am now whipping through my WIP. How did I find it? A had a new idea for a book. This idea came on fast and furious; the entire story outlined (in my head) in two days. I can't wait to start it, but have made a deal with myself that I can not until I have finished my WIP. Believe me it's a hard bargain. This story has been a challenge and part of me wants to take it out back and shoot it with flaming arrows. The other (rational side) wants to see it to the end. This brings me to a question for all you writers out there.
What do you do when a great idea hits and you're still working on something else?
Do you?
A. Stop what you're doing and start the new idea?
B. Finish what you're working on and hope the new idea doesn't loose it's shine?
C. Work on both simultaneously?
I am curious what your answers will be. I will be discussing this more in a guest blog I am doing for author Leah Braemel on August 19. ( http://leahbraemel.blogspot.com/ )
Make sure you stop over there and catch my conversation with myself :) Yup, that's right, I said with myself.
Take care and keep writing!
Kristin : )
I hate it when I get an idea entirely independent of my current WIP. It's distracting and I'm always afraid it will, as you say, "lose its shine" by the time I get to it. But, if you're able to turn that into motivation to finish the first WIP, then I'd say it's a good deal.
ReplyDeleteThere have been times when I've abandoned the old for the new, and times I've just taken notes for later until the current project is done. It really depends on which speaks more, which has the most potential.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
When I got an idea for possibly another novel in a totally different genre, I wrote down the entire story arc (as much as I could see in my mind's eye at the time); it was quite detailed and comprehensive. But I had no intention of getting started on it, since I'm not finished with my wip which I hope to finish this year. But the other one is waiting in the wings when I'm ready for it. I trust that when I review it again, and it's time, the shine with still have its luster. There's a time and a place for everything. I'm just glad I had the foresight to record as much as I did. I knew if I didn't, I wouldn't remember it with the same clarity.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great way to motivate a writer to finish what they are currently working on when they have another just waiting to get onto the paper or computer screen!
I do not qualify as a writer but I will throw my two cents in anyway. Finish the WIP and get the satisfaction of a completed work. And, by golly, use goal of starting the new one as incentive to finish the one in progress. Sounds like a WIN-WIN to me!!
ReplyDeleteI write 'em both and deal with the consequences! Fortunately, my story ideas usually hit me from all different directions, so I don't get confused between the lines.
ReplyDeleteNo way I could put the new ideas aside until I finish my WIP - my brain is, quite honestly, sieve-like.
I don't like doing both, but the muses won't like it if I ignore them, either, and they have more power than I do!
I just got a new idea this week (giving someone else pointers on how to create a new idea, thank you very much). Ideas are so prolific in my head that if I stopped what I was working on to chase a new one, I'd never get anything finished. So I add new ideas to my "ideas" document, and keep working on my current WIP. Once that's finished, I have a whole document full of ideas to chose the next one to write!
ReplyDelete