How Do I Juggle Story Ideas?
Q: I have a hard time staying with my stories. Every time I start one, I think of another story plot and I never get back to the other one….
Q: I have a hard time staying with my stories. Every time I start one, I think of another story plot and I never get back to the other one. What should I do? —Rachel T.
A: Buy some index cards, and keep them next to you while you work on story No. 1. As ideas that don’t relate to story No. 1 pop into your mind, write them on the cards, put them in a shoebox and hide that shoebox somewhere it can’t be reached without a stepstool. Aside from putting new cards in it, don't open it until story No. 1 is finished.
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Jane Friedman is a full-time entrepreneur (since 2014) and has 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. She is the co-founder of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and is the former publisher of Writer’s Digest. In addition to being a columnist with Publishers Weekly and a professor with The Great Courses, Jane maintains an award-winning blog for writers at JaneFriedman.com. Jane’s newest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press, 2018).
