How does everybody choose between multiple story ideas?

[Guest]

I currently have two that I'm equally invested in, and I know that I just need to pick one and get serious about it, but I'm struggling! I am a pantser, so I've been writing scenes here and there for both, but should I just sit down and write out full outlines for them and see which one compels me more? Make pro/con lists? Any tips?

[John]

Worse mistake I made writing my first novel was using the Swiss cheese approach.

When I finished, I quickly discovered I was not! It took a considerable amount of wasted time to go back and link things and make the story work like it needed to.

[Jeremy]

No need to do that. I'm constantly working on two books simultaneously. Obviously, you're enjoying yourself tackling both so why change things? Before you know it, you'll have two works ready for print.

I never work by an outline. I love to be surprised just as much as the reader by the end results.

[Vandy]

Not sure what a panster is but I'm always writing more then one story. I can write different scenes and several times have included them in the same story.

Stories need two story lines to catch readers interest. Maybe interweave your stories.

Don't forget to take a look at: Will any reader love to read a story of a young lady with high ambitions ..?!

[Christine]

If they are short stories, just write them both. Write a draft of one quickly, then the next. When you get back to the first, you will see it with fresh eyes.

[Cassidy]

Just pick one. I don't think working on a few ideas at once is going to help because you're spreading out your time and is very inefficient.

You'll just end up with many stories that will never be completed because you're giving yourself less time for all them for every new one you start.

This is a trap I only just got out of, and I've only been making progress this past year because I've learned to pick. Start with these questions for all of them and the first one you say no or I don't know to is the one you don't write. Not the one with the most no's, the first question where one story is yes and the other is no, pick the one you said yes on.

Do you know how it ends? Do you know how it begins? Do you know what the overall theme of the story is? Am I giddy when I think about the characters (or is that just me)? If I die as soon as I finish this, would I be proud to be remembered by it? Am I willing to give up years of my life for this?

[Will]

They're equally good; execvtion is everything.

Here's a good trick: just choose one and declare it the one. If you second guess, it means deep down you really wanted the other one. Switch, but only once.

So just randomly grab one, switch if you want but only once. Do it all within 5 seconds, maybe after flipping a coin.

[Tony]

If you’re equivocal just flip a coin. Either the coin will decide or the act of flipping the coin will tip the balance in favour of one project.

Working the pipeline method helps if focusing on one project isn’t your style. Have one project in first draft, one in editing/revision, one in active marketing.

[Gary]

Believe the way I like the things I read is based on a personal reaction and is not entirely logical . when it comes to the ideas of stories I would like to write, I believe there is a personal same kind . if I have several ideas to choose from I look at the ideas try to expand any ideas a little to get some idea of how the story is going to go past the basic idea.

I can always tell different time at the time is important . I think I need to choose one idea on some basis even as an arbitrary idea deviating from it for competing tasks . to do other than to follow through on one idea with all your efforts is to be taking a path of self destruction.