IWSG - Taming the Monsters
Since I posted a fine article for my first installment of the Insecure Writers Support Group (a great contribution, if I do say so) allow me to rant and ramble on my second post.
I'm one of those writers who seem to have more ideas than time and/or proper motivation. Usually, I have a hundred random ideas rushing through my head on any given day. Occasionally I must force my ass into a chair, pick one idea, and run with it.
Unfortunately, my hard drive full of half-baked and half-written stories tells me I'm not too good at picking out the solid ideas that might have even the smallest chance of turning into something resembling a finished product.
Occasionally though, with enough pushing, self-loathing, and bitter ornery resolve I manage to complete something once in a while.
I continue to work on my mystery crime story, which I'm now convinced, has an absolutely unique main character but my mind often drifts to stories of fantasy and, uh ... things of a more, adult, nature.
Yes, I have been known, on occasion, to venture off into stories of paranormal erotic romance and paranormal romantic suspense, but let's keep that bit of information to ourselves for now, why don't we.
I guess the point I'm trying to make in this installment of the support group is that: If you are like me, always struggling to tame the beast of a thousand half-baked story ideas, you're not alone.
Keep the ideas flowing, occasionally reaching into the raging current at the stones in your head. Sure, you'll probably spend a lot of time poking at the torrent of slop but every now and then, know that you are bound to come up with a gem worth keeping.
Be sure to check out the other posts by following this link: http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html
I keep little Moleskine notebooks that are littered with story ideas. I go back and re-read them a month later and most of them suck, but, every now and then, I'll find a story worth pursuing. Like you, time is my enemy. Either that or I'm just plain lazy. Somebody once said (or probably wrote) that if you get to a point where you can't keep the idea in your head any longer and just have to absolutely write it down, that's a good time to start writing because, by then, it just has to be written.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck, JL. Just keep writing.
Hi JL. JQ here. My second post too this month and I am your neighbor on the linky list. You're 271 and I'm 275. I know what you mean about too many ideas swirling in my head. The sitting down part and actually writing them down is the hard part for me. Don't you hate it when you have a brilliant idea at 3 a.m. and can't remember what it was when you get up at 7 a.m.? Bummer. Have a great IWSG Wednesday!!
ReplyDeleteJust stopping by from the IWSG to say Hi :)
ReplyDeleteWell, you've pretty much summed up EXACTLY how i am! lol
I have about 500 pieces of unfinished work sitting in my notebooks. Im not sure if i get bored or what, but i'll write a few pages, stop, move onto something else. I often share the pieces on my blog and people will say, oh, you really should finish that, i wanna know what happens. You'd think that would motivate me but it never does ;)
xx
I think to a certain point it's great to let the mind wander and discover all sorts of different stories in different genres. I tend to believe in letting the creative mind follow its passion. Of course, you know at some point you have to leave behind the thrilling part of discovery for the hard slog of finishing the story. That's the work side of creativity, but also where the reward is. :)
ReplyDeleteYep it happens to most of us, I think. Sometimes I start a project and have to stop when a more appealing idea takes hold of me. Nothing wrong with that. Better than being a writer without ideas!
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be sad to have only ever had ONE idea for a great story? And wouldn't it be REALLY sad if our minds never ever wandered into paranormal scenes of an adult nature?
ReplyDeleteBefore I found the blogs, I had a hard time starting a story. Seems I got ideas in the middle, or more often the end, and had to struggle to fill in the details.
ReplyDeleteNow I participate in so many blogfests and story prompts that I have loads of starts that go nowhere. And some really excellent half written stories - that go nowhere cuz I haven't got back to them.
*sighs*
I guess having too many story ideas is better than having none?
Which reminds me; we're good to go on the 16th. I'm looking forward to your post. Can I have it by the 12th?
.......dhole
Yep, that's what everyone is saying. I'm glad to still have ideas after so many years, even if they are filed away for later completion. I'm still good for the 16th and should have no problem getting everything to you by the 12th. A caveat though, please check my work closely for misspellings and weird words. I'm having some vision problems right now and can barely make out the words I've been writing. I guess it's time to see a doctor about this ... again.
DeleteA wandering and wondering (both apply IMHO) mind is the trademark of a passionate writer. I know of writers who juggle 3 or 4 projects at the same time. They say that they are NEVER bored and ALWAYS have something to work on. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteMichelle
September co-host for the IWSG.
Writer In Transit
Thanks to all of you for your comments. I guess I am kind of susceptible to the 'crack' that is blog-festing. It does make me feel better to get responses to my posts. Maybe I'm not just a rock rolling among the others in the vast river of life after all as long as I bubble and surface once in awhile.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty good at keeping it to one idea at a time...ish. Right now I'm finishing up one ms, but CANNOT stop thinking about the NEXT and have to keep reminding my brain to chill the cuss out ;)
ReplyDeleteAlso, when I have multiple ideas, if I allow them simmer, more times than not, I'm able to combine a few for a more exciting, more well-rounded story.
Best of luck to you and your 'mountain of crap' - which I doubt is near as large as you claim :)
Sometimes you have to run with the story that pulls at you the hardest. And sometimes you have to pull that story along.
ReplyDeleteThanks for joining the IWSG!