Writers can be a fickle lot. You start out with the best idea ever. Your story seed–that little golden nugget of an idea that bursts into a full-on, Hollywood blockbuster in your mind. You see the climax, you see the last scene. It is awesome.
Then you start writing. You’re blazing along, your mind an endless vault of creativity, inspiration, and muse.
At some point, it gets hard. And then, it gets harder. You’ve gone from brilliant epic to epic fail. You’re stuck because what’s on the page does not read like what you saw in your mind. So, you start thinking.
And a new golden nugget of an idea bursts into a full-on, Hollywood blockbuster in your mind.
Don’t do it. Don’t go there.
Jot a few notes about your brilliant new story seed in your Dream Keeper & Planner (my favorite ever tool for managing my life, my writing, and my stories).
Then, plant your bottom back in your chair and write the story you were already working on because the new story won’t be any easier. And, it will still be there for you to write when you finish the current work in progress.
I fell for the “shiny new story” temptation, too. It’s appealing and attractive because starting stories is usually the easy part. Sticking with one story through the hard, painful parts is where you’ll make your biggest gains as a writer. If you don’t stay the course, you’ll never get where you’re going. And, you know what? No one else can write your story.
