Idea management - too many ideas! how do you keep track?

Iright · Apr 18, 2008

Okay, i guess this goes here. So off we go.
I write, well duh. However, i hatve this problem whereby my ideas generally out weigh my word count on many of my partially written pieces. I tend to have so many ideas that i feel i need to get them down before they evaporate into the ether. I doing this i find myself moving from one piece of writing to another very quickley, never really completing anything fully. Just curious if others have had this problem and if so what advice or tips could be useful.

... and breath out.

BlueLucario · Apr 18, 2008

I know, I'll empatize with you. Ideas can be annoying. I think you should just write your ideas down and stash it away. If you want, you can try writing the first 500-1000 words of your idea and then hide those. Forget those ideas until you finish the first story.

Mr Flibble · Apr 18, 2008

What you need is The Notebook ( or word doc) Everytime you get a groovy idea, jot it down so you don't forget, then get back to your WIP.

I've got about 5 notebooks stuffed to the gills. When I finish a project, I rifle through till I find one that makes me go 'ooooh I can do something with that' and viola, the next WIP is born.

kristie911 · Apr 18, 2008

I usually just start a new Word document, jot down whatever is banging around in my head and close it. I also have a .doc labeled Ideas to write a couple of sentences in when I get an idea...but then it's back to the original WIP. It's easy to start but if you're constantly jumping from one project to another, you'll never finish anything. You have to have the discipline to continue a project even when you get another idea...it's not easy though.

Phaeal · Apr 18, 2008

Ideas are story-seeds, not stories. Put them in a cool, dry place for safekeeping while you tend the one plant that's already sprouted and struggling toward the light.

JanDarby · Apr 18, 2008

I love the seeds analogy.

Also, I sometimes find that the seed I have isn't enough for an entire book, and it actually takes two seeds to make a well-rounded story. If I have the spare seeds on my hard drive (or hand-written file or notebook or wherever), I can go through them to see what I can add to the original story as a secondary plot or a theme or a character or whatever. Kill (or give life to) two stories with one stone, so to speak.

JD

aka eraser · Apr 18, 2008

This is a pretty common issue, particularly with younger writers. I still jot down more ideas than I'll ever get around to. You've received some good pointers in this thread already.

There comes a point in every would-be writer's life when the joy and zest of creation runs smack dab into the realization that completing a sizable project is a heck of a lot of work. Those who do that work are the ones who drop "would-be" from their title.

Keep at it. Good luck.

Dawno · Apr 18, 2008

You could use 3x5 cards. Put one idea per card. Now and then sort them into general categories, make a tab (a small postit note would do just fine, but there are blank tab 3x5 cards available in most office supply catalogs if you want to get fancy) for the categories to keep them organized. BTW, Holly Lisle has a tutorial on using note cards for plotting on her site.

If you want to use something on your computer that you can cut and paste from, there's a cool little program called WikiPad that is simple to install and use. Your notes can be internally linked to each other using WikiWords once they start shaping up into categories.

ishtar'sgate · Apr 18, 2008

aka eraser said:
There comes a point in every would-be writer's life when the joy and zest of creation runs smack dab into the realization that completing a sizable project is a heck of a lot of work. Those who do that work are the ones who drop "would-be" from their title.

Exactly. For most of us, story ideas pile up constantly. Record and catalog your ideas in a way that works for you. I keep mine in folders because ideas are often accompanied by newspaper clippings or photographs. In my last book I incoroprated a vivid dream I'd made notes on and filed away for later use along with a newspaper clipping about a pair of unusual twins. The key is not to think you have to act on every idea you have as you have it but to put it away and let it marinate for awhile until you find the perfect fit.
Linnea

DWSTXS · Apr 18, 2008

If you write on your computer, you could put each idea into an e-mail, and e-mail it to yourself. Keep a folder in your e-mail server for 'Ideas' and pop them into there.
I have a folder for ideas for each WIP, and also one for agents (rejections etc).

Also, when doing research, you can set up a Google alert, to send you e-mail alerts of stories that correspond to the alerts. You can store these in your folders too.

Dawno · Apr 18, 2008

You could also just put each idea into a Google Doc file with a descriptive title. You can add to it from your mobile or any computer anywhere.

blueobsidian · Apr 18, 2008

I like to use a spiral bound notebook for mine instead of a computer file, simply because I don't handwrite my fiction so this discourages me from writing too much. I give myself a page for each idea and then set them aside.

I love the seeds analogy too! That's perfect!

Iright · Apr 18, 2008

Thanks for the pointers. I shall continue onwards with the piece im working on and any ideas that may come to me will be stored in a word document. Although i fear this documents word count may actually surpass my WIP lol.

DWSTXS · Apr 18, 2008

Dawno said:
You could also just put each idea into a Google Doc file with a descriptive title. You can add to it from your mobile or any computer anywhere.

what is a Google doc file? and how do i set a trap to catch one?

Dale Emery · Apr 18, 2008

I use a program called EverNote, which I love. EverNote 2.2 has a free version with all the features I need.

EverNote allows you to tag your ideas with keywords. I tag my ideas using Michael Rabiger's CLOSAT scheme: Character, Location, Object, Situation, Action, Theme.

Dawno · Apr 18, 2008

Doyle, go to Google.com - at the top where you can choose from:

Web Images Maps News Shopping Gmail more

hit the drop down on 'more' and select Documents from the list. Google Docs is an online word processing application. You can share, store, collaborate all in one app. Kinda cool.

L M Ashton · Apr 18, 2008

This has been discussed many many times in the past, and at least three times in the last couple of months, complete with ideas of software to use for this. You might want to do a search on it if you want software recommendations.

Brutal Mustang · Apr 18, 2008

I carry a little notepad everywhere with me. In the evening, I sort and review what I'd written during the day, putting the ideas onto a bigger better notepad (or computer file). Doing this almost always gives me even more ideas.

As far as sticking to one story: you may find that with a little tweaking, many of your ideas can be condensed into one spectacular story, instead of a whole bunch of mediocre stories ... does that make sense?

Idea management - too many ideas! how do you keep track?

Iright

BlueLucario

Blood Elves FTW

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

kristie911

Happy to be here

Phaeal

Whatever I did, I didn't do it.

JanDarby

aka eraser

Fish Whisperer

Dawno

Shiny!

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

DWSTXS

Mr Mojo Risin...

Dawno

Shiny!

blueobsidian

Iright

DWSTXS

Mr Mojo Risin...

Dale Emery

is way off topic

Dawno

Shiny!

L M Ashton

crazy spec fic writer

Brutal Mustang

Loves interplanetary chaos.