I have had writers block. It sucks, but it’s not an everlasting thing. (Honestly, I think that’s the trick to beating it–seeing it as a finite, manageable event.) But for a long time I’ve had what I consider Creative ADD.

Not including Fallen, I am currently juggling twenty-four separate novels in my head. Some of these are fully formed stories with characters, plot, conflict, motivations, and even pieces of dialogue in place. Others exist only in a vague idea form that may or may not ever turn into a book. The problem right now–for me, at least–is sticking to just one.

The ideas I get are varied, each sparked by something different. Sometimes it’s books I’ve read recently (see my earlier posts about the right way to steal ideas), sometimes it’s something I hear someone say, or a random occurrence of synapse connections that scientists have yet to explain (really, sometimes I have no idea where these ideas come from). A few of these ideas already have a strong hold on me–I love them, they’re my babies, and I will see them completed one day. Others…not so much.

But picking and choosing between the ones I love? (Anyone else hear REM in their head, or is that just me… Just me? Yeah, I was afraid of that…)

I guess I just have to be grateful for the fact that I’m not yet working on a deadline, that I can come and go between stories as inspiration carries me without worrying about how many words I’m writing per day or when the polished draft of a certain book is due to the editors. I write this down so I remember this realization and enjoy it while it lasts.

Does anyone else notice that this is me looking for a bright side to the life of an unpublished writer? 😉