But... I was jumped by a shiny new idea the other week. It ran around in my head for a while, content to be left on its own to stumble around in my subconscious.
Last night it bounced to the forefront of my brain and demanded some attention. Apparently it knows life is already on overload, but it really doesn't care. :) I'm not going to start writing it yet, but I did cave in and write some mini character bios and a general overview.
My steampunk is YA, my NaNo is an adult romantic mystery. Shiny new idea??? Neither one of these.
MG fantasy adventure with a touch of sci fi. Yup. New age level and new genre. Why should anything be easy? :)
Do your ideas bounce in from all directions, or are they more orderly creatures who know how to form a line and wait their turn? (Someone please tell me I'm not the only one with ideas all over the spectrum!)
PS - Thanks so much to everyone for your incredible support for From the Write Angle. As always, my blog buddies amaze & humble me. You are all totally awesome!! Sending virtual cupcakes to everyone!!
Today, Cat Woods talking about the surprising things she learned at SCBWI - #1 sure surprised me!
Check out Calista Taylor's great post from Monday: Introduction to Steampunk Awesome!
96 comments:
...orderly creatures?! More like disfunctional gremlins...popping up when least expected, and during the most inopportune of times.
I once needed an excuse to leave a meeting at work for no better reason than to jot down a killer idea before it slipped my mind throughout production quotas and our monthly sales totals:)
EL
Elliot - lol - disfunctional gremlins works for me!!
Love that you left the meeting to jot down the idea - that's the perfect 'I'm a writer' story!!
Yuppers, I get lots of ideas for different genres all the time! You're not alone. Writers must let their imaginations run free! :)
Good luck with your revisions and have fun with your shiny new idea, Jemi!
Things bounce around in my head all the time and I don't even write. LOL I do have ideas pop in from time to time for blog posts and I've learned that if I don't write them down, I will forget them. Your new adventure sounds interesting. Fantasy and sci fi, what's not to like? Best of luck.
Mason
Thoughts in Progress
Laura - imaginations are crazy things! They do bounce all over the place!
Thanks - I think I'm going to need best wishes to get it all done! :)
Mason - so true! If you don't write them down, they just bounce away and hide!! Then it's a nightmare to track them down :)
Thanks - it's a fun idea, but I need to do a bit of world-building before I start!
I tend to have a one-track mind, which I think is a good thing for my sanity. I only write historical fiction and so far I don't have a problem with multiple projects vying for attention.
On the flip side, that means I become totally immersed when I'm working on a project. I think I drive my poor husband banana bonkers!
Stephanie - I'm betting your sanity is better than mine!! There are way too many ideas bouncing around in my poor old brain! :)
I can see the total immersion driving you batty - does it for me too!
I like that your mind takes such big bounces. Good luck with your new idea. Sounds like my kind of genre!
Theresa - thank you! I sometimes think my bouncy brain is a little scary, but mostly it's kinda fun! :)
Mine sort of bounce around. I'm working on a women's fiction right now, but I may go back and revisit a thriller I wrote. (It needs work, for sure.)
Helen - I know what you mean about needing to revisit things - it's good to let things sit for a bit though! Thrillers would be fun to write - but I'm a bit of a wimp! :)
Yes, yes, and yes, Jemi! I've written a paranormal/police procedural (yes, all in one), and my current WIPs are a children's fantasy and an adult urban fantasy. And I got that shiny new idea a couple of weeks ago, and am also working now on a YA fantasy novella. :)
Sadly, mine tend to march in single file. I wouldn't mind a bit more bouncing around in there. :-)
Belle - yay!! You're ALL over the place - just like me - love it!! :)
I think the paranormal police procedural sounds awesome! It's so fun to twist things up :)
Shannon - it IS fun - but it's also more than a little chaotic! You've got your sanity intact - not so sure about mine! :)
Take a peek at the tab on my blog labeled My Writing...you'll note multiple genres for adults and YA. (no MGs thus far)
And I can't tell you the last time I got more than 5 straight hours of sleep. I always have some kind of writing break through (on a current WiP issue or a SNI) when I'm lying in bed trying to sleep. (and occasionally when I'm in the shower or driving) (very inconvenient timing, all)
I always keep a notebook for ideas. Bouncy, shiny new ideas.
Good luck with your revisions and with the SNI. :)
Hugs,
Lola
Lola - what is it with the SNIs and sleep??? I swear they wait to pounce on us just when we're about to drift off and get some serious REM time & they mess it up EVERY time!!!
Sounds like you've got yourself a bouncy brain too! Love it - when it isn't driving me batty! :)
Wow! Look at you go. Only shows how creative you are. You might publish in several genres and there's nothing wrong with that. Keeps life interesting. :)
ooh yay a MG :) I still haven't got into the habit of jotting down ideas when they pop up. Then when I finally make the time, the ideas are gone...forever :o(
It's so exciting when an idea become as dominant as that. Be sure to make notes now though, even if you are working full blast on Steampunk. because I've found that even the most vivid of ideas can slip away if they're not written down.
p.s. I would be delighted if you used my A to Z Everards info for your novel.
Oh wow!!! I love your shiny new ideas already!! Good for you!!!!! May they grow to sparkle and dazzle and blind you with their brilliance!!!
Onwards and upwards!!!! Yay! Take care
x
way to go, jemi!
i keep getting bushwhacked by ideas from all over... i scribble them on paper scraps, then misplace the scraps....
Woowoo! Speaking as a MG fantasy writer, you're about to have a fun, playful time. I say go for it!
Mine are mg and YA and from there I decide which age groups the genre fits. I will spend time writing down ideas if I need to. I'm just glad to have a next idea - that I really like - for when I'm ready!
Kathi - what a lovely way to look at it! Thank you - I certainly love that outlook! :)
Niki - I know! That's probably the most frustrating part! I know keep a notebook by my bed because most of those ideas come at night when I should be sleeping!
Rosalind - good idea - I'll maybe keep a file open and jot down things as they occur!
That brewery is the perfect shape & feel for a factory in the story - definitely going to 'borrow' it!
Old Kitty - thank you!! You've got me energized to start RIGHT NOW! Wish I didn't have to go to work :)
Laughing Wolf - thanks! I'm kind of excited about it too :)
I lose papers all the time! I try really hard to put them on the computer so I don't lose them, but it doesn't always happen!
Amie - thanks! It really is a fun idea - just hope I can pull it off! I think it's a story my students would really enjoy :)
Laura - so true! I usually have lots of ideas zipping around (thankfully!) - I just need more time to get to them all :)
I guess I'm to the point that if a new idea appears, my first thought is "Is it marketable?" That usually shoots those down in a hurry.
Totally with you. Right now, I'm writing an adventure but there's a mystery nibbling at my brain and, since I just finished reading a fantastic steampunk, that's now teasing my brain. *sigh* At least they're all YA, I guess!
I don't know anyone with orderly ideas! If such a thing exists, I'd like to know about it. Just got with the flow - I'm with Karen!
Diane - that's a good question! I should probably start thinking along those lines too :)
I do think this story would be marketable - so that's a good thing!
Mary - YA is a whole lot of fun and it sounds like you've got some great ideas there! I get influenced by genres I read too - and I read widely so... :)
Karen - good advice! I'm not giving in to the demands of the SNI for a while though - don't need to be pulled in another direction right now :)
Talli - sounds pretty good! I'm glad I'm not the only one with a bouncy set of ideas :)
My anal-ytical mind wants to keep the creatures in order, but my creative insects want to bit their way to the front! Like the mosquito, it is a bug that shall always be pesky, I'm afraid.
You are definitely NOT the only one on creativity overload! I'm still writing ONLY on blogs (Lord knows what would happen if I ever started on books) but I had to divide it into 3 different ones because I was writing "too often" on too many diverse subjects. I almost always find time to write. But sometimes I struggle to pull myself out of my own blogs to go wander around some others!
Me too! I think it's because I spent so long not writing that now I do my muse kind of exploded. FINALLY she cried and started lobbing years worth of ideas :)
Go, Jemi! sounds like the juices are flowing!
Thanks so much for the links. Those surprising things from the conference were gold.
You wouldn't believe how many shiny new ideas I have started...or written first drafts for, only to be distracted by another SNI...
The good thing is when they re-emerge in the forefront they are even stronger. :)
Beth - you always make me smile! :) It's hard to ignore that little creativity bug when it bites!! I guess we just have to do our best!
Alexa - that's exactly it! Once the ideas start flowing, they never stop -- which is obviously not a bad thing :)
Terry - thanks!! I hope they keep flowing :)
I was surprised at several of Cat's observations! Pleased too :)
Sharon - that's so true! I find that SNIs need lots of time to run around in my subconscious brain before I try to deal with them - they somehow develop without a whole lot of help!
My ideas bounce all over the place. I'll sort them and make sense of them as I go along. At the end of the day there is usually some resemblence of coherency.
Stephen - coherency is good! I like them bouncing - most of the time - because it keeps it all fresh and fun :)
My SNIs bounce around needless of propriety -- they have absolutely no idea of the concept of "getting in line."
Emy - yay! Yours behave just like mine! So glad I'm not alone :) It's fun, isn't it?
My ideas bounce in then ricochet all over the place. The hardest part of writing is getting the squirrelly things to line up on a page! Congrats on the launch of From the Write Angle!
VR - Yup - I've got some experience with ricocheting ideas too! They are fun to try to corral!
Thank you! It's an exciting venture :)
I try really hard to keep new ideas at a distance when I'm fussing with the work in progress. If I write about the new ideas in a file, that seems to put them off for a little while. Usually. Good luck with everything!
Cynthia - that's what I'm trying - I've got a few pages in a file now with character and setting info - and the developing plot (which needs more work!). Hopefully that'll keep it in control until summer :)
oh, my ideas run the gamut. I've written or started a book in every subgenre but steampunk, dystopian or paranormal. Those are all somewhat related, so maybe it's coming. But I think that's OK, yes? :o) <3
Leigh - That's awesome! :) And, yes, I think it's okay too! And I wouldn't be surprised if those ideas are indeed barrelling your way!
It's great that you've got all these ideas bouncing around wanting to land somewhere. I'm excited to see what you do with them. Good luck!
I usually get my best ideas when I should be concentrating on something else ;)
Anita - thank you! I'm excited too ... I just need a LOT more time on my hands :)
Lynda - isn't that ALWAYS the way!!! When I'm knee deep in one area, my brain is running around elsewhere!
Mine jump too! Working on a few myself--all different! But I love it. Wish I had the time and luxury to spend more time with all of my "crushes".
Jo - exactly!! I love the fresh new ideas - but I NEED a lot more time to do them all justice. It's really hard to pick favourites :)
I get all sorts of ideas and at the worst possible times! I just try to jot them down so I don't forget them.
Feast or famine, isn't that always the way??? Good luck!
Renae - I've finally put a notebook by my bed - most of my ideas attack when I'm supposed to be sleeping! :)
Stephanie - I'm crossing my fingers I have more feasts than famines!! :)
Ideas come to me like the ball in an old fashioned pinball machine.
More of those than time to fashion them into anything resembling prose.
I think it's a good thing -- good luck with this new bright and shiny!
Anne - that's a great analogy!! I wish there was more time - but until I perfect that machine, it's not looking good! :)
My ideas are as unorganized as I am. Sounds like you're working on so many wonderful projects!
That's a perfect way to describe the way my writing works. Glad to visit your blog again. It's been awhile.
Saumya - thanks! I don't know if they're wonderful, but they sure are a lot of fun! :)
Clarissa - nice to see you again! :)
It's surprises me that so many writers have bouncy ideas - I thought I would be in the minority! :)
I hate plot problems!
Good luck with the rewrite.
Al - me too! This one's driving me more than a little batty too! Thank you - I'll need all the luck I can get :)
I am made of bounce, I swear. But I've learned to corral those ideas and make them wait (while succumbing and writing some notes so I don't forget them). I recently started a WiP I've waiting about 9 months to start! It feels oh-so-good!
Susan - I bet it does!!! I've never written this many notes before starting a project (I'm up to 3 or 4 pages which is a LOT for a pantster like me!!) so I'm hoping the idea is still fresh when I get there!
Yay for shiny new ideas! I think it's awesome that you are so varied in your genres. I had a new idea attack me a little while back. I started it, even did a mini outline even though I never do that, but I haven't had a chance to work on it yet. Can't wait to dig in. Maybe in the next week or two..
Lisa - SNIs sure are fun! But they're very distracting too!
That's kind of what I did - & I'm a pantster all the way usually! I'm still working out the plot but I'm excited! Good luck for yours!!! :)
Yes, my ideas are disorderly creatures. But I only work on two wips at a time. No more. I write down my ideas and move on, or I'll drive myself crazy.
Medeia - that sounds like a very good plan. I've only jotted down titles or a line or two before, but this one has me up to a few pages or ideas. I'm making it wait though - otherwise I'll lose my mind completely! :)
I bounce around, too, and don't always land in a place where I get something finished. I need to keep my seat belt on in this bumpy ride of writing.
Buttercup - perfect analogy! I'm trying hard to stay buckled in!!! :)
I am a fantasy only writer at the moment. But I've read other blogs where they describe their writing in terms of multiple genres.
Nancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium.
Nancy - I guess it's not to off the wall - seems like there are other people who like the chaos of multiple genres and age groups! :)
My ideas and writing never seem to be orderly. Probably why I struggle at times. Lately I haven't even had much time to devote to my writing. : (
I'm hoping that after Easter I will have a few less distractions.
Susanne - Me too - both with the struggling and with the time. There's just always something that HAS to be done. I'm hoping for lots of time in the summer! :)
I'm always getting so many ideas that it interferes with my sense of focus.
Lee
Tossing It Out
Twitter hashtag: #atozchallenge
Lee - exactly! Too many sends me over the edge! Alhtough not enough would probably do the same! :)
Shiny ideas all over the place. That's why I keep a file. Then I go back to my main project.
Notes - shiny ideas are fun! :) I'm getting better at writing them down in a file - it's a good plan!
I think I'd give more head space to shiny new ideas if I didn't have a day job :-) At the moment, it's all I can do to steal time from life for the main novel... Shiny ideas so exciting though, aren't they, when they pop into your head?
Deniz - exactly!!! The dayjob is lots of fun & it certainly is important ... But it does keep SNIs at bay!
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