Ideas have never been a problem for me. I have an entire file cabinet full of them. The problem is, I can’t write books as quickly as I get new ideas. And I love, love, love so many of my ideas. To keep from having a brain meltdown, I make folders for the ideas I love and file them for later. That frees up my mind to stop worrying that I might forget my shiny new light bulb, and it allows me to keep working on what I’m supposed to be writing.

Confession: I’m not writing anything right now.

I should be. I was supposed to be writing my Regency fantasy story. I’ve done a ton of work on it. Wrote 90,000 words. It’s a mess.

Another Regency fantasy idea attacked me from out of nowhere at a Barnes and Noble author event. I loved this idea so much, it began to overshadow the previous Regency fantasy idea. I went ahead and set it in the same universe, thinking that would make me excited to finish both, but no. I’ve got 30,000 done on this one.

And then there is Onyx Eyes. I started that shiny gem back in 2013, set it aside for several years, then got it back out last year and worked really hard on it. It’s at 50,000 words, and I’m just not feeling it.

I owe my readers a new Achan and Vrell story that I’ve been talking about for years. The sequels to RoboTales have been patiently waiting their turn. All the Thirst duology needs is a rewrite. And ever since I started substitute teaching, I’ve been dying to write a middle grade fantasy. I’ve got three middle grade shiny light bulbs blinking at me from the sidelines, trying to get my attention.

This is, frankly, not working at all.

Part of the problem is that I worked very hard for ten years straight. I wrote book after book after book, back to back, without a break. And I’m plum worn out. Another issue is that I’ve decided to apply to grad school to earn my master’s degree in teaching, and I’ve been writing a lot of essays and studying for exams. And I’m still substitute teaching a couple days a week too. I’m just busier than I want to be, you know? But the biggest problem is that I’m struggling to commit to one idea all the way through to completion. I love all of my ideas. I hoard them all in a big pile in my brain. And I want to have written them all yesterday.

Do you ever struggle with this? If so, here are some ideas to help you move forward, but I’ll be honest. I haven’t moved forward yet, so I have no proof that any of these will work. My grad school application is due next Monday. Once I turn that in, then I will be able to write fiction again, so here is hoping that at that point, I’ll commit to one of my ideas and start making some progress. I’ll keep you posted.

  1. Pick one. I honestly don’t care how you choose. It could be the idea that is the most complete or the one that you haven’t started yet. It could be the idea with the highest concept or the one that you just can’t stop thinking about. Just pick one and commit to finishing it. At this point, you need to start writing again. Anything will do to get you going. Tell your other ideas to hold on. You’ll be back later.
  2. Make a character board. Having something visual to inspire you will help keep your story on your mind. Use the internet or magazines and print or clip some pictures of your characters. Hang this by your computer where you can see it as you write.
  3. Write at least five days a week for a half hour a day. When I’m on a deadline, I usually write 2000 words a day, minimum, and that often takes me three-four hours. I’m not ready for that kind of word count yet. I’m off my game, so I need to ease back into this writing thing. Once I start getting into it, I’ll be eager to write for longer periods of time. For now, I’ll set a timer for thirty minutes and that’s it.
  4. Tell a friend. Tell at least one friend about your daily writing goal and ask them to hold you accountable.
  5. Write until you finish the book. It doesn’t have to be great. Just finish it. It will be good practice for your frazzled brain. And who knows? You’ll very likely start getting into it along the way, loving this story so much you’ll start to want to finish it. At that point, change your goals and write longer each day.
  6. Set a deadline. This one, I’m not sure that I’ll do right now. Like I said, I’ve been writing like crazy for the past ten years. I think my brain needs a deadline break. At the same time, I know that my lack of deadline isn’t helping me get anything done. There is just something about a due date that lights a fire in me. So if my “take it easy” approach isn’t getting the words in, I will set a deadline, and I know it will help.

This is my plan. Again, I don’t know that it will work. The shiny light bulbs are always calling, trying to distract me from getting any work done. And should I succeed in my attempt to enter grad school, I will have grad school classes to attend starting this May. (!) So I want to take things easy until I know what life is bringing my way. Then I can make plans. For now, I’m going to take it slow with one idea until I finish it. Then I’ll pick another idea and finish it. And so on.

How about you? What do you do when you have too many shiny light bulbs?

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.