Do you have a huge list of novel ideas? My list totals about 100. I’m assuming that is a normal amount for most writers. I’ve spent my life accumulating ideas for books of all genres. I don’t mean a one-line snippet about a setting or character or a what-if; I mean semi-outlines of a book plot with key scenes, characters, plot twists, world background, etc. Typically, mine run from a half page to ten pages, with 1-2 pages being the average. That’s normal, right? I have them gathered into paper folders, word docs, text files, and all anally indexed in a spreadsheet.
The good thing about this resource, is that I could write a book every year for the rest of my life, simply pulling from my files. Over the years, I’ve weeded out most of the terrible, amateurish ideas, though I’m sure many still remain that aren’t tenable for a published book, but I still think I have a pretty solid collection. I’ve probably been lucky in that it’s much easier to generate ideas for fantasy and sci-fi than say, a political thriller, which no doubt is a dozen times deeper and involves considerable research. That’s the neat thing about speculative fiction: almost anything goes!
The bad thing, is that I’ve given myself too much choice. I started writing in my teens and it’s only in the last 10 years (I’m 46) that I actually finished a full novel draft. I have files and folders full of half-finished first drafts. For a long time I was convinced this was because I had too many ideas. Halfway through a manuscript, I’d get bored and want to write one of the other “great” plots in my portfolio. Now I’m wise enough to realize that I simply lacked discipline. I still yearn to get started on the next book, but I know now that published authors stay the course and spend as much time editing as writing, often more.
As I put the finishing touches on this manuscript and send it out for representation, I’ve been agonizing over which of my many ideas to write next. How do other authors handle this? I’ve narrowed it down to five with a current favourite. I’m sure they’ll all prove fascinating to write and I hope of course that all five will eventually see print. I feel safer knowing that whichever one I choose, I now have the discipline to complete it. To misquote Edison:
Writing is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration.
Am I alone in this dilemma? Do other authors make the same choice, or am I just making it hard on myself? Comments please?