When You Have Too Many Ideas

Anyone that is creative on some level, whether through music, painting/drawing, writing, or anything else, can tell you that there are many times when an artist we have too many ideas. I was talking amongst peers and a question came up on how as writers we balance all the different ideas we have. For some, their solution is to shove as many of their ideas into one story as they possibly could, hoping that the end product is a great story that doesn't confuse readers. While this may sometimes work, more than not, the story will become convoluted or too confusing to the reader. Not to mention all the plot, subplots, relationships, and information that you as the writer need to keep track of.

So what do we do, as artists, when we have too many ideas? For myself, I love to keep a notebook. It's usually a cheap journal and when I get a new idea I will jot it down. That's easy, you say. Well, it shouldn't just stop there and that's what happens to SO many writers. You see when I get an idea, I don't just jot a couple words down onto a paper and hope when I come back to it years later, I remember what it was I was thinking of or wanted to do with the story. Instead, I spend days, sometimes weeks, researching, writing plot points down, and even creating Pinterest boards for ideas. I use a program called Milanote. This is one of the best-paid programs I use and it allows me to create mood boards, character profiles, and everything else under the sun. So yes, this can sometimes take a lot of extra work and time. The time when I should be working on a WIP or growing my craft, but ideas are part of that. Without ideas what good are we?

Balance is the key component to capturing all the ideas that float around in our heads. And the cool news... sometimes after I've spent weeks plotting a new idea, I scrape it deciding it would be better in a current book I'm working on. But Ashley, how is that good news? You've wasted so much time. But you see it is good news, because not only does it allow you to continue to be creative which so many of us know can be hard sometimes, but if it's better suited to our current WIP then it will only enhance our story because everything has been flushed out. If we just simply add one idea after another to a current piece we are working on that piece becomes messy and that isn't what we want.

I guess the point of this, is don't be afraid to spend time exploring a new idea to your craft. Even if it pulls you away from what you're currently working on, it's a vital piece of artistry. And it will only enhance your craft and continue to force you to grow.

After all, that is what art is right?