Knowing when a Story Idea won’t work

I know, I know…you might be wondering why a writer would write about such a sore subject. There is always a point (sometimes even before we write the story idea down in a quick summery) that we just know. Honestly, I have so many story ideas but I know a lot of them won’t pan out. Here in my blog I try to talk about all aspects of writing…even the stuff hard to talk about.

Let’s start with where we get story ideas. I’ve talked a little about where I get them before.

For me…

• Dreams….
  Most come from dreams. I know after some (hopefully most of you) read my book someday in the not too distant future, you will probably wonder what kind of messed up dreams I have lol. But in all honesty I keep a notebook or something on my nightstand for just that reason. It’s not always how you would think though. I don’t have full flashes of the story in a dream. Mostly it’s a moment, a feeling, a scene or a conversation. Like a fly on the wall seeing people going through something that I feel like I have only just fell in on and they don’t know I’m there. Sometimes they are reoccurring dreams, other times it’s the one and done kind, there’s even the dreams inside of dreams where I think I wake up. I am a storyteller by heart that’s why I love to write because I feel like I have so many story’s to share with the world, and that’s also why I believe I have such vivid dreams. My brain writes even when I’m sleeping lol.

• An idea…
  When I get an Epiphany, (Every time I use that word I am reminded of the fact that my name is Tiffany and how many times I’ve heard ‘Tiffany had an epiphany’ in my lifetime. Let’s just say I’d be comfortable financially if I got a dollar for every time lol.) it can happen anytime anywhere. An idea just strikes where I’m like ‘Wow that would make a great story’. Whether it’s a word that was said, a topic I was discussing with someone, a movie I saw that inspired it or etc. Those moments can either be at the perfect writable moment where I can take a few minutes to write it down or at the worst when I have to repeat trigger key words in my head until I get to a point to write it down, there is no in between. Of course I can’t rely on remembering the whole thing. That’s why I hope to be able to write it down because I need to be able to go back to it in a month or even a year or years from now when I am ready to write it and know what the heck I was thinking lol.
  
• When I’m waiting…
  There’s the moments when I don’t have a book, don’t feel like playing on my phone and I just zone out lol. You’ve seen those gifs, where the writer stares into the distance but that’s still a form or writing. It may make us look a little crazy; even though sometimes we get our best ideas from those moments. Sometimes I just feel like I need to write even though I’m not in my writing habitat lol.

• Forced writing…
  • This probably sounds odd to some but do you ever have those moments where you just sit down and tell yourself, ‘OK now is my time to write so let’s get it together brain, and write’? Lol…Yes, there are the times when writers block seems unbreakable but then there are those other wonderfully executed moments. Where you, your brain and time are all in sync and everything just starts to flow. (This is one of those moments for me as I write this blog). The need to write was there both because of a busy weekend I was unable to post on Saturday like I normally do, and also on account of it being difficult for me to go too long without writing something. Although time isn’t really on my side; I should be sleeping but I needed to write more the I needed sleep…I may not feel like that in the morning though…

Now that we know how I get my story ideas (hopefully some of you agree with a couple and I’m not just crazy, lol). Now, is the big reason for writing this post…How to tell when it’s not a worthy story idea, I have several indicators that help me decide.

(Don’t worry I’m not talking about my current novel that my beta reader is reading over…that is one that made the cut and will continue to come to fruition.)

I am talking about the many I’ve had over the years that I either didn’t waste my time writing down or ones I start but I don’t finish.

These are my indicators to stop the story while it’s behind…

When I repeat it in my head	When I say it out loud	When I start to write it	When I come back to it later
Meaning that I think on it.	I’ll repeat it to my husband.	Oh the time I’ve wasted writing down notes for an unwritable story.	Sometimes I write an idea, then read it again when I am looking through my notes.
Try to work out where I could take it.	Or if while I’m saying it, I find it extremely hard to piece together because it stops making sense.	My hand writes vigorously in my notebook or on my tablet, then I realize the plot was over before it started.	This doesn’t always end well because I realize in my unbiased state from being separated from the idea for awhile, that I wasted time writing it.
If it fizzles out quickly then I know that it’s no good.	It unravels and I know that I can’t advance a plot or even come close to a beginning middle and end.	I find an issue with where I am taking it and that it’s ultimately not good or entertaining to even me.	This is the most frustrating because I spent more time on it, but ultimately it’s the right choice.

Alright, so basically I try to break it down. What scene did I dream about or create in my head? How many characters in that scene? What’s the ultimate goal? What’s the conflict? Does it make sense? Can I write it to where others would actually understand where the story is going?

Feel free to leave a comment down below and let me know…have you ever been brave enough to admit when a story won’t work out?

I know It can be difficult but sometimes you have to admit when a story won’t work, so you stop wasting time that you could be spending writing that amazing story that will. Consider that, every time you come up with a new story idea. Can you take it past the first scene you had in your head or is it doomed to fail? Sometimes we have to clear our minds of all the static to get to the clear picture that we are trying to create.

Thank you for reading my blog…Until Next Time…JUST KEEP WRITING.

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