Run the Complicated Poo out of Town

I think if you've been a writer long enough, you've had this happen to you. You're sitting down to write, fingers poised over the keys, and a great idea comes to you. Whether it's an incredibly realistic character, a quiet little town you're already in love with, or a plot to assassinate the president, it's great, and your fingers are flying over the keyboard, pouring out your idea. But here's the catch: you can go anywhere from here. What if you don't go the right way? Your "great idea" could be the death of your novel. As the realization comes over you, your fingers freeze. That one idea has suddenly sprouted into two or three or a dozen, and all of them are going to make it even better...except that there's no way to untangle them and weave them smoothly into the story.

My last NaNoWriMo started out great. I had an outline, an amazing idea (it was going to be symbolic of the Holocaust, and--let me tell you--epic), and I knew where the story was going. Weeks 1 and 2 came and went, and the small details and subplots I was putting in, I liked, and they boosted my word cout. I guess this is why NaNoWriMo is so dangerous. As week 3 passed by I realized that my story didn't reflect the Holocaust at all, and absolutely nothing important to the plot had happened. What really woke me up was a thread someone posted where people could critique others' synopses. I tried to write mine...and I couldn't. Because I didn't have a story. It was, yes, a load of complicated poo. Well, by then it was too late. I'd passed the 50,000 word mark and after going on two camping trips, I had no desire to write. My story was dead. I wish I'd known then what I know now.

As it turns out, going outside and running clears your mind. If you run long enough, it's impossible to think of anything but how tired you are and inexplicably, when you're finished, it's next to impossible to be stressed out. It's a great way to sort out your ideas and even get some fresh ones. While you're outside or at the gym you might hear a conversation or see something happen that will inspire you in a whole new way. Once you're no longer confused and you can see the blinking arrows under your feet leading you down the right path, WRITE IT DOWN. Not the whole story, obviously, just a list of the basic things that you want to happen. If you like to use outlines, go ahead and make one. I don't, mainly because I never stick to mine and they don't normally allow much room for creativity. It steals away the fun part of the process: the creativity.

Of course, some people just aren't runners. I didn't consider myself one until recently, but now I get out and run a mile almost every day. If you really just don't think that that's you, take a walk. Go somewhere beautiful, peaceful and quiet if there's somewhere like that available to you. A nice, easy walk allows you a chance to think and sort things out.

And hopefully, when you get back home, you'll know which path will take you to the sewers and which one will take you into the beautiful sunset of a clear, unforgettable novel.

Writing Prompt: Write for ten minutes about what is happening in the image below. Post what you have after your time's up in the comments if you'd like.

And lastly, we have the Word Pyramid. Choose either the four words on the bottom (the easy ones), the three above that (the medium-easy ones), the two above (medium-difficult), or the one on top (the hardest) and use every word in a five hundred word story. Post the finished product in the comments if you want to.

Translucent

Avatar & Budget

Moisture,  Brutal, & Identity

Stable,  Abandoned,  Scars, & Stunned