My problem is that I have too many ideas and not nearly enough time to write everything. I was hoping to get eight books out this year, but it looks like I’ll only have seven, maybe even six.
I get why writers hire ghostwriters. They have a ton of ideas in their heads and not enough time to write them all. Today I was watching the movie “Mirror, Mirror”. I don’t know if anyone saw it, but I rented it because it looked like it would be a fresh take off of “Snow White”. I don’t know why, but I thought it would end up with the queen turning into the good guy. Then I thought, “I’d love to write a book where the queen was misunderstood and ended up with the prince who was older than he was in the Disney movie.” Then I came back to reality and reminded myself that I can’t write this story because I’m already booked up on more story ideas than I’ll ever write.
I’d love to write everything that’s up in my head. I really would. But 80% of my ideas end up in the “never” pile because there’s not enough time in the day, and even though I write as fast as I can while trying to make each story the best it can be, I know I’ll never get to write everything I want. So I have to pick and choose, which isn’t easy but necessary.
*sigh* It’s so frustrating. I just know that idea for a different viewpoint on Snow White could be a great story.
And yes, I know I need to make a post where Dave Larson gets on the witness stand, but my mind is blank so I have no idea on how to handle it. I keep hoping inspiration will strike, but so far I can’t get anywhere. I’m tempted to have him take the 5th and not say anything on the witness stand. Is that a tacky way out?
Okay. I’m going to see if I can get anything written. Today hasn’t been a good one at all for creativity, minus the idea for a twist on Snow White. LOL
Ruth Ann Nordin's Author Blog 
Do you keep all these ideas written down somewhere? If so, maybe you WILL get to them someday. Just think of all the years you have ahead of you. Most authors are lucky to publish two books a year. As I’ve said before, you really are prolific! 🙂
I have a private page on this blog where I keep my ideas. If I can’t do an idea because it doesn’t fit the genre I write, what I hope to do it modify the plot to fit one of the books I know I’ll write. I’d love to use the Snow White idea, and a Regency might be a good fit for a future book. A misunderstood step-mother who is keenly aware that the world values beauty over all else and tries her hardest to fit in, especially after the death of her husband. There are angles I could go with it. I’ll have to think about it. This would be one of those times when being able to write a novella would come in handy. Part of me says go for it. Not every book has to be done for the sake of selling but can be for my personal enjoyment as long as that’s not all I do.
Your lament reminds me of an interview with the late, great Steve Allen. He was a prolific writer of songs, comedy, tv shows, books, etc. He had ideas come to him all hours of the night and day. He would write the ideas down on what was available (napkins, scraps of paper), and put them in a designated file cabinet. The file cabinet was stuffed full. He had a never ending supply of ideas and never quit writing! You will always write as long as you have inspiration. Don’t impose time restraints on yourself, or anything that has the word restraint in it! Will it matter really, in 10 years, if you published 8 or 7 books this year? Your fairytale idea sounds interesting, and it will be so next year, too! You sound like a young mother of 4 sons, whose husband has returned from the service, and is sometimes overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done in a day. Your books are worth the wait, and I love seeing the creative part of writing on your blog!
Thanks, Mary. 😀 You’re right. Years from now, it won’t matter how many books I publish in a year. What matters is that I relax and have fun with it. I should change the number of books in my goal list and just title it “Books I Want to Write in 2012”.
I think what is making this week worse is that it’s too hot to go outside, so we’ve been cooped up in the house. Last week, I took the kids out every day to do something, and in that time, I could do some writing. When the kids are bored and getting into fights, it makes it harder to focus. And I don’t know if it’s me or what, but for some reason, I feel more tired than usual when it’s too hot to go out and do anything.
I think you should write what you enjoy as well as what sells. You never know when something you like will take resonate with readers.
True. It’s why I tried the Regency. I didn’t know if I’d enjoy it or if others would and was pleasantly surprised that both worked in my favor. 😀 I think I’ll try that fairytale idea but expand portions of it to fit a romance theme. I like the idea of making the queen mourning the death of her husband and Snow White being the one behind it all. But I need to do it as free writing exercises to see if it’s worth completing and I need to stop forcing the full-length novel in. If it’s to be a novella, I need to give it that freedom.
im sure if you get around to it it will be an interesting take on it
I’m reading the Brother Grimm’s version so I can use that instead of Disney’s version as a foundation for it if I go through with it. 😀
yeah very true
Not enough time in the day. LOL