# How can I decide, which idea is the right for me?



## Art3mis (Jun 27, 2018)

I got a _huge_ problem! I always can’t decide, which idea I write now. Really. I got so many ideas. And I start to plan them first, but then, I think, “Urgh! That’s bad!”. For example, I told you about the vampire novel series, which I want to write. I still have no ideas for it. Now I got the problem. I have a new idea for a YA Greek mythology novel. Gosh! Help! How do I decide, which idea is the right for me? I love both genres. :-(


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## Terry D (Jun 27, 2018)

Art3mis, I'm going to be blunt with you. I love your passion and enthusiasm, but I'm not sure you really want to write anything. Most of your posts are of the, "tell me how to do this," or "what do you think of that?' sort, and that's just not going to cut it if you ever want to write anything (and that's far different from wanting to be a writer). You need to just grab an idea by the throat and sit down and start writing it. Ideas are nothing. Give a five-year-old a rock (a setting) and a plastic figure (a character) and she will come up with an idea for a story. It's the execution of that idea in words on a page that makes someone a writer. That's also the hardest part. The part that takes time and practice, and the part you should be focusing on right now. Write something, anything, and post it in one of our workshops and see what people think. That's when you are going to start growing as a writer.

We have far too many people here who just want to talk about ideas and ask everyone else how they should go about writing them. Those people are never going to be writers because they aren't willing to do the actual work of writing. The good execution of a bad idea is far more interesting than the bad execution of a great idea (although book sales for some junk writing would suggest otherwise sometimes). The only way you get better is by writing.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 27, 2018)

There's no law that says you have to decide. You can simply work on whichever one is foremost in your mind at that time. I often have multiple projects going on at the same time.

I'm sure there will be those who argue vehemently for the mono-project approach. That may be what works for them. And that's fine.

Ultimately, though, *you* have to figure out what works best for *you*.

Good luck!


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## Terry D (Jun 27, 2018)

The only thing guaranteed to not work is never starting at all.


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## J T Chris (Jun 27, 2018)

I agree with Terry. I recall providing you with a writing challenge in a previous thread you have yet to undertake. I'm not even sure you want to do the work of creating a story. So far all you've come up with is "A series like Vampire Academy that is different than Vampire Academy, but I don't know how" and a "YA Greek Mythology" series that will probably "Not be like Percy Jackson."

You need to start smaller. Write random scenes. Explore conflict. Develop characters. Work with language for a bit. Forget all of the other stuff.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 27, 2018)

If you're enjoying the overall planning stage, keep going. You'll write scenes when you're ready. Work according to your own schedule.


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## Terry D (Jun 28, 2018)

Jack of all trades said:


> If you're enjoying the overall planning stage, keep going. You'll write scenes when you're ready. Work according to your own schedule.



Writers write, dreamers dream.


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## H.Brown (Jun 28, 2018)

Inspiration can be found in the littlest things Art3mis, take a walk and see how people on the street interact. Look at the place in which you live, these all become factors in what we write and make our worlds believable. Every story begins as a collection of random ideas that we the writer join into one. My opinion is similar to what Terry has said if you don't begin to write you'll always have nothing.

Here is an exercise for you to try; sit down at the computer or with a notepad and just write, don't worry about punctuation, spelling or even focus too much on what it is your writing just spend a few minutes writing the first things that come into your head and then once time is up see what you've got.


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## Ralph Rotten (Jun 28, 2018)

Art3mis said:


> I got a _huge_ problem! I always can’t decide, which idea I write now. Really. I got so many ideas. And I start to plan them first, but then, I think, “Urgh! That’s bad!”. For example, I told you about the vampire novel series, which I want to write. I still have no ideas for it. Now I got the problem. I have a new idea for a YA Greek mythology novel. Gosh! Help! How do I decide, which idea is the right for me? I love both genres. :-(




You write the story that you have fleshed out best.  
I get ideas all the time, mull them over, send them to the archive because they are not fully formed.
Every so often an idea grows and shows more potential and gets to stick around.
I usually have 3-4 major stories being decrypted at any time.
I write the one that is fully formed and most marketable.
I do not write nuggets.
Right this minute I could literally sit down and write 3 books from start to finish, using only the stories already fleshed out in my head and waiting to be written.
And while I was writing those 3, I'd still be fleshing out new ideas.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 28, 2018)

Terry D said:


> Writers write, dreamers dream.



Once I was a dreamer. Now I am a writer. For everything there is a season.

Life is not static. Change is the only constant. There is no reason to believe that not starting the writing process now will mean the writing will never begin.

Keep the dream alive. When the time is right, you'll know and get started.


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## JJBuchholz (Jun 28, 2018)

Art3mis said:


> How do I decide, which idea is the right for me?



Normally I would answer with, "There are no easy choices." 

In this case, I would say write both. You seem to want to delve into both of them, so why not? Or even better, combine vampires with some Greek mythology. They are going to be YOUR stories regardless, and only you can decide how to write them. Aside from that, the sky is the limit!

-JJB


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## Annoying kid (Jun 28, 2018)

> So far all you've come up with is "A series like Vampire Academy that is different than Vampire Academy, but I don't know how" and a "YA Greek Mythology" series that will probably "Not be like Percy Jackson."



Of course that's all so far. Art3mis only joined this month. It is very early days for the OP. Too early to be making such statements as you don't think she even wants to write anything. Alot of us here have trained our brains over the years to quickly generate ideas and know what to do with them, but it's unfair to judge new writers by that standard. Hell if Artemis posted writing here, it'd probably get shredded to pieces judging by the harshness in this thread.


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## JJBuchholz (Jun 29, 2018)

Annoying kid said:


> Of course that's all so far. Art3mis only joined this month. It is very early days for the OP. Too early to be making such statements as you don't think she even wants to write anything. Alot of us here have trained our brains over the years to quickly generate ideas and know what to do with them, but it's unfair to judge new writers by that standard. Hell if Artemis posted writing here, it'd probably get shredded to pieces judging by the harshness in this thread.



I'm always of the opinion that we, as a community of writers, should be helping one another no matter what. We're all in this together.

-JJB


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## Terry D (Jun 29, 2018)

Annoying kid said:


> Hell if Artemis posted writing here, it'd probably get shredded to pieces judging by the harshness in this thread.



Honesty is not harshness. And I've never seen a piece of work submitted here for critique -- particularly by an inexperienced writer -- ever be "shredded to pieces". That's unfair to all the good folks who donate their time to read and critique in the fiction areas. 

Writing is a craft and, like any other craft, it requires practice to improve. Those here who are advising Art3mis to 'wait until you are ready' are giving terrible advice. Would you advise someone wanting to learn to play the guitar to not practice on an actual guitar? Or a carpenter to not apprentice and get experience building? Or a cook to read cookbooks and ask question after question without ever trying her hand at a recipe? Such suggestions are not support, they weaken new writers, or, at the very least, delay their development.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 29, 2018)

JJBuchholz said:


> I'm always of the opinion that we, as a community of writers, should be helping one another no matter what. We're all in this together.
> 
> -JJB



Should be helping each other, I agree. The reality is often another story.

I have seen pieces attacked here. I have, on multiple occasions, sent PMs to the writers, encouraging them to stay longer and give the rest of us a chance. Sadly, only one is still active.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 29, 2018)

Terry D said:


> Honesty is not harshness. And I've never seen a piece of work submitted here for critique -- particularly by an inexperienced writer -- ever be "shredded to pieces". That's unfair to all the good folks who donate their time to read and critique in the fiction areas.
> 
> Writing is a craft and, like any other craft, it requires practice to improve. Those here who are advising Art3mis to 'wait until you are ready' are giving terrible advice. Would you advise someone wanting to learn to play the guitar to not practice on an actual guitar? Or a carpenter to not apprentice and get experience building? Or a cook to read cookbooks and ask question after question without ever trying her hand at a recipe? Such suggestions are not support, they weaken new writers, or, at the very least, delay their development.



Learning can and does take place, even without "practice". It has been true in my life for a few different things.

To use cooking, one of your examples, reading about ingredients, understanding how they contribute to a recipe, what job they actually perform, enables the cook to not only follow a recipe, but modify it, personalize it, and create one of his or her own. Another way to accomplish the same thing might be to go into the kitchen and throw things together, creating inedible messes for a period of time, wasting food, time, and the money it cost for the ingredients. The person may then assume he/she just can't cook and give up. That is a risk.

There is not one path to success. We must each find our own way. And this community is supposed to be a place of encouragement. Not kick anyone who doesn't take the same path I took.


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## Terry D (Jun 29, 2018)

Jack of all trades said:


> Learning can and does take place, even without "practice". It has been true in my life for a few different things.



I can't speak to that as it regards writing because I've never seen you post any writing to show your skill level.



> To use cooking, one of your examples, reading about ingredients, understanding how they contribute to a recipe, what job they actually perform, enables the cook to not only follow a recipe, but modify it, personalize it, and create one of his or her own. Another way to accomplish the same thing might be to go into the kitchen and throw things together, creating inedible messes for a period of time, wasting food, time, and the money it cost for the ingredients. The person may then assume he/she just can't cook and give up. That is a risk.



I'm trying to stay in the real world here, where a person who likes food and wants to become a better cook isn't afraid to grab a recipe and start mixing ingredients (maybe even without a recipe!). You can create all the fantasy scenarios you want, but that still doesn't change the fact that people get better at what they choose to do by practice. And telling a new writer to "wait until you are ready" is just bad advice. I really can't make it any more clear than that. 



> There is not one path to success. We must each find our own way. And this community is supposed to be a place of encouragement. Not kick anyone who doesn't take the same path I took.



Some paths lead to your destination, some lead off cliffs. Not practicing your chosen craft is a cliff.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 29, 2018)

Terry D said:


> I can't speak to that as it regards writing because I've never seen you post any writing to show your skill level.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



And yet I'm a living example of how you're wrong.


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## Terry D (Jun 29, 2018)

Jack of all trades said:


> And yet I'm a living example of how you're wrong.




Okay. Show me. Links to your work you've posted here or have for sale somewhere else. It's easy to say you've done it.


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## SueC (Jun 29, 2018)

I've come late to the discussion, but this caught my eye.



> Alot of us here have trained our brains over the years to quickly generate ideas and know what to do with them, but it's unfair to judge new writers by that standard. Hell if Artemis posted writing here, it'd probably get shredded to pieces judging by the harshness in this thread.



I think we are assuming a lot here. Not everyone who signs on here is a "new writer," although I would guess that may be the case with Art3mis. I also think we assume that members who are here, posting their work or just asking questions, deserve and can expect an honest answer. I believe the answers that have been posted in response to Art3mis' question, have met that expectation, and are not at all harsh. No one has said anything unkind or in any way attacked Art3mis for his question. In fact, I am surprised at how much actual energy others are willing to spend on his question, which is basically only answerable by Art3mis him or herself.

Art3mis, the process of becoming a writer begins by putting pen to paper. We currently have one competition which provides a prompt, and this may be helpful to you as a way to get started. This will begin for the month of July very shortly under Literary Maneuvers (https://www.writingforums.com/forums/44-Literary-Maneuvers-Fiction-Competitions). Whatever prompt is selected, you can make it your own.

Good luck.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 29, 2018)

Terry D said:


> Okay. Show me. Links to your work you've posted here or have for sale somewhere else. It's easy to say you've done it.



I have some stuff posted here. If you want to see it, go look for it. I won't do your work for you.


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## Terry D (Jun 29, 2018)

We're taking this thread way off track and I have no interest in arguing any further. The point is, Art3mis isn't going to get better at writing unless he/she actually writes. Until then, it doesn't matter how the ideas are chosen.


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## Jack of all trades (Jun 29, 2018)

SueC said:


> I've come late to the discussion, but this caught my eye.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Keep in mind that time spent writing for contests is time NOT spent writing a novel.


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## Terry D (Jun 29, 2018)

Jack of all trades said:


> Keep in mind that time spent writing for contests is time NOT spent writing a novel.



But it _is_ time spent practicing one's craft instead of just thinking about it.


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## J T Chris (Jun 29, 2018)

This topic really went off the rails. The OP asked how to solve his problem of not knowing what story to write, which I suggested he tackle by actually, you know, writing something, and somehow accusations fly around of people attacking him. By all means, if he wants to ignore me and not write a single word of anything, that's up to him. Kind of defeats the purpose of posting on a writing forum for advice though.


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## Darkkin (Jun 29, 2018)

Twelve threads in a week, all posted by one member discussing a potential supernatural YA series...Having seen these and posted to several, it seems like the OP needs to take some time and make some decisions of their own instead of polling the forum about every aspect of their story idea.  As it is their story, only they can write it.  Half of the members are going to say one thing, half another.  Akin to ironpony, these threads seem to be more of a way to avoid writing than actually determining what should be written...

If you like both genres, then write them both.  Why limit writing to a single project?  Talk to other writers, you might be surprised to find out that most have more than one project in the works at a time.  By having several projects in motion at the same time, it allows a writer to shift gears if a current project hits a snag, or the writer needs a change of pace.

There is nothing wrong with asking questions, but for a story to work baseline decisions need to be made and actual writing needs to play a part.  Planning every last detail based on the specifications of other people's opinions is not writing, as it does nothing to bring an idea to fruition.

Just some thoughts.

- D.


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## Theglasshouse (Jun 29, 2018)

If you have a good idea maybe you could work at both projects at the same time since that is what some writers do.  If you reply to this thread, you could get some feedback on the ideas if people like them enough to write about them. Good luck.


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## Annoying kid (Jun 29, 2018)

Terry D said:


> I can't speak to that as it regards writing because I've never seen you post any writing to show your skill level.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Not diving straight into writing after less than a month isn't going to do jack. Art3mis has the excitement that exists before the constant and testing routine, before the hard work and before the answers are revealed. Or as Red puts it: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYmL_RAO8Wg

You could stand to give it another month at least before questioning other's motives. You didn't even wait till this month is over. You really can't give a writer one month to settle in? 



> Honesty is not harshness. And I've never seen a piece of work submitted here for critique -- particularly by an inexperienced writer -- ever be "shredded to pieces". That's unfair to all the good folks who donate their time to read and critique in the fiction areas.



Honesty to one is harshness to another. Perception becomes reality in situations like these, and saying:



> Art3mis, I'm going to be blunt with you. I love your passion and enthusiasm, but I'm not sure you really want to write anything.



Tells people you're the "brutally honest" type. So people might well think their writing will be torn down. Regardless of the actual state of affairs in the workshop forum.


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## Phil Istine (Jun 29, 2018)

Art3mis said:


> I got a _huge_ problem! I always can’t decide, which idea I write now. Really. I got so many ideas. And I start to plan them first, but then, I think, “Urgh! That’s bad!”. For example, I told you about the vampire novel series, which I want to write. I still have no ideas for it. Now I got the problem. I have a new idea for a YA Greek mythology novel. Gosh! Help! How do I decide, which idea is the right for me? I love both genres. :-(



Although it's fine to have more than one piece on the go, if it must be a choice then follow your gut.
Something I do:  If I'm writing a longish piece and run out of steam for a while, I write shorter pieces about something else - sometimes even poetry; it keeps the creativity flowing until I return to the main piece.  I'm not offering that as a suggestion, but it's what _I_ do.

If you really can't decide which to start writing, start on one and see how it goes.


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## luckyscars (Jun 30, 2018)

Terry D said:


> We're taking this thread way off track and I have no interest in arguing any further. The point is, Art3mis isn't going to get better at writing unless he/she actually writes. Until then, it doesn't matter how the ideas are chosen.






Jack of all trades said:


> Once I was a dreamer. Now I am a writer. For everything there is a season.
> 
> 
> Life is not static. Change is the only constant. There is no reason to believe that not starting the writing process now will mean the writing will never begin.
> ...



Both of these viewpoints are more or less equally and simultaneously valid. It is the inability of the two opinions to be reconciled that is the problem. A problem that ultimately means the original poster learns nothing but confusion. Writing a story is a craft. Coming up with an idea is not. Anybody can come up with ideas. Not everybody can put their ideas into words. Fewer people still can do it well. 

The only way to develop the alchemy of idea to story and to learn to do it well enough to be commercially successful _is _to practice and the only way to practice is to do. There are more or less zero good writers who do not write frequently, just as there are more or less zero professional skateboarders who do not skate. You will not find a professional anybody who sits around dreaming for 10, 20, 30 or more years before committing themselves to learning the skill(s) through practical application. There is no reason why writing is different.

It could well be that the original poster has no real intent of publishing anything or of being a professional writer. Plenty of people enjoy writing for the sake of it. Plenty more enjoy the idea of being a writer but not the actual heavy lifting. A very large number of writers don't really care to be even moderately prolific. Some would rather spend their entire lives whittling away at one magnum opus as a kind of hobby and feel no compulsion to achieve anything financially or receive any kind of critical acclaim. Of course this will most likely mean that barring some incredible stroke of genius they will probably not carry a living as a writer. And there is no money to be made in dreams.


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## ContemplativeWordsmith (Jun 30, 2018)

Go with your passion.  Your art will follow.


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