Plot bunny hunters. Many writers are better known by their darker side- where they chase ideas and plots for potential stories, perhaps even write a little, and then abandon them for the next shiny idea.
“I am just not feeling the spark anymore.”
Translation- “I have written myself into a plot-hole that I am too tempted by the new idea to resolve.”
But…like any good love guru will tell you- commitment matters. You wanted to spend the rest of time working on that idea, girl. And now you are going to dump it like a hot potato? For what? Another idea? Bestie, that seems tempting now but what about a year from now?
When your characters aren’t listening to the plot or the love interest turns out to be the murderer and the sunshine character dies in the crossfire between them and the hero, you will miss the old idea that was so much saner.
Now, I am not saying you should stick with an idea that doesn’t make you happy…but chasing new plot bunnies rarely leads to fulfilment as a writer. And here’s the catch- you can always write down your new ideas and work on them in the downtime. Like a little break to freshen up your creative juices. Or you can finish your current WIP and get cracking on the new one…something to look forward to on lonely nights when hate letters from angry fans keep you up.
But…in this age of information overload and new ideas popping up everywhere…how do we stick to one?
Well, take it from someone who has been on both sides of the fence- I worked seven years on Siya: A Suicide’s Argument, while also writing around fifty currently on-haitus fanfictions in the same duration.
This girl’s been around the story block, y’all. And here’s the tips I have dug up for you.
Write Down New Ideas
For me, now, it’s the notepad app on my phone but once it was a Classmate notebook filled with ideas. Most of which never got developed…but better than no idea ever getting finished right?
I mean, you can have both which is develop all your ideas to fruition…or none which is just a bunch of ideas that never get fulfilled…or pick one i.e. some plots you chase and some you commit to. Life is all about choices, my young padawan.
But just because you have committed to one story doesn’t mean you need to stop looking for inspiration or turn blind. Just note down the new ideas, let them shimmer in the back of your head, and develop which ones make your heart race after you have finished the draft you are working on.
Don’t Try to Put All Your Eggs in One Basket…or Ideas in One Story
Been then, done that. Siya at point had everything. Which is again, why you need fanfiction or short stories on the side. While some new or even old ideas will eventually assimilate with the main idea of your current WIP or takeover your WIP and turn it into a subplot in the new storyline, you need to know which ones belong. Not every scene or subplot stays in the final draft. Kill your darlins and all that.
But you must kill them (or write them down for the future) to stay committed to your WIP. Just like you must be open to change.
Don’t Be A Stickler for Your OG Idea
Listen, I speak from experience here. As you grow and change, so does your story. Sometimes, even faster than you. Let alone the change an editor’s note or a beta reader’s response will get, sometimes the plot wants to go in a different direction. Maybe you thought of a wonderful new plot twist. Maybe you realized something you at first thought was crucial to the story is just dragging it down.
For instance, Siya was originally inspired by the Bollywood movie English Medium and was going to be about the struggles of Humanities or “Arts” students in India. Man, I should write that story someday. Now, it’s about familial trauma and healing with just the right dash of magic.
Or we can talk about my fellow author, Rags’, upcoming novel Hear Ye. The first chapter is out by the way and you should go read it- now. But if you are still here, thanks man, then let’s see how the story changed as she wrote it. It started out inspired by the Hobbit fandom but eventually the archetypes of the straightlaced guard and sneaky spy turned into more. Look man, original ideas are very rare, but good writing is often about taking conventions and inspirations and archetypes, only to cook them in your own unique style. Sure, Hear Ye, still has a guard but the spy is now a thief. He’s still sneaky but in his dance moves. The point is though, it’s no longer the story of a mining company’s chief guard falling for a climate activist- which is the idea I had originally given Rags. It’s a desi!fantasy murder mystery now. And that climate story? It’s going to be a great Bagginshield fanfiction by yours truly someday.
Now this, is advice that’s applicable to all genres and formats. Even poetry. If you are writing an anthology, the themes may change, some poems might get shown the door, and some become part of the final piece. Sometimes, even in the poem itself, the story changes. Or if you are writing a blog or even a dissertation, with new research and insights, your take on a piece changes- that’s growth. And that’s good. While it is important to keep in mind what you want the story to be, and what the story needs to be, it is equally critical to let the story take you where you need to be.
And that folks are some of my hacks on how to stay committed to your WIP. Let me know what you are working on in the comments below- and catch both Hear Ye and Siya on Muses_Saga.
Editor- Anuraag Chatterjee
Author’s Note: Sorry I am tow days late but periods, I tell you! Thanks for reading and if you found it valuable, I would appreciate your support in the form of a review, an anecdote, a share, or payment of your choice. You can always buy my merch as well!
Updated- 15/05/2024
