Do you struggle with plot bunnies?
I do. 😅 New story ideas love to pop into my head all the time. Some are better than others, of course. But frequently getting new story ideas means that I have to fight to stay focused on my current WIP. Here are some of the ways that I deal with plot bunnies.
-Write it down. I have a giant Google doc with story ideas, some as small as a line of dialogue, and others that are multiple paragraphs.
-Let it simmer in the back of your mind. If you’re like me, you think about your writing pretty often. Playing around with new ideas in your mind can be a good way to see if the idea has merit, and also to develop it before you actually start working on it. Just don’t think about it *too* much. You do have a different WIP to focus on too.
-Write a little bit of the new idea. Sometimes the idea is just so strong that you need to get some of it written. Writing a short story or flash fiction off of the idea can be a good way to take care of the burning drive of the story, and also to test how strong the concept is.
-If the idea is so strong you can’t get it out of your head, work on it. There’s nothing that says you can’t have multiple writing projects at a time. Just don’t let it take away too much time from your other WIP. Decide which one is your main project.
Finding plot bunnies everywhere, having so much inspiration, is a gift. So let yourself come up with ideas. And let those ideas grow. And someday, write another book off of that idea. 😉
What’s plot bunny is bugging you most right now? Mine is a story about fugitives, found family, food, and space.
Hailey Huntington 