How do I know which story to save?

There are a million stories to write about in one’s lifetime, and about ten of those every day. It only takes the question ‘what if?’ to turn the simplest idea into a full-fledged story. Similarly, if a certain character grips my attention and I want my world to contain someone just like him; I’ll probably get all excited and find a way to make it happen.

The question is which story should I decide to pursue?

At this point, I normally ask myself what I really want to write. Is it a short story or a novel?

Some ideas lend themselves very well to short stories- that sudden twist, the fast movement of the characters, the possible unity of time and place and the revolving of the story around very few characters who adequately share the space you give to them in the short story.

Some ideas are meant for novels- where characters need to be developed slowly to reveal complex motives and the story takes place in multiple locations with multiple characters having different stakes in the various events of the narrative.

If an idea really gets me excited but is meant for a novel that I don’t see myself taking the time out to write, then I have to discard it. If the idea for a short story really excites me, I have to focus on the fact that it’s going to be a short story and not go overboard writing it.

The story I choose to write depends on the time I have and the sort of project I want to get involved in. Certain ideas suit certain forms and trying to bend the rules will lead to a dehydrated and condensed novel or a short story with false extensions.

How Do I Pause Writing When Life Comes Calling?

One of the most painful things to do when I’ve begun to write is to stop. The flow of thoughts is so incessant that I think to stop them must surely be a sin.

I have to remind myself that I have a life outside of the story that I’m creating and if that doesn’t work, remind myself that in all probability, the story will definitely have rough edges that have to be worked out in the light of day. 

Many a time, have I ignored this advice, ignored that I have a life and gone on writing anyway.

So do I deliver a killer story that way?

No. I mostly have to discard the pieces immediately after, or discard the very parts I’ve forced myself to write after giving myself that warning. 

When I immerse myself into my imaginary world, then take a breather and come back again, I find the world I’ve created lacking. Then I can infuse those elements the real world has inspired me with into my writing.

But after I get back, how do I know I will have the same connection with the story, the insanely strong connection I felt the previous day? I don’t. Just like I don’t know if that guy I had the one amazing date with is going to call me or not.

If I do find that connect, then it’s awesome, I can continue writing immediately. If not, I see if changing anything about it will make it work for me. Maybe an idea is buried in the gibberish. Maybe changing a character or a character’s decision can help. Maybe changing the plot elements will do the trick.

But if I try all of that and it still doesn’t work, then it’s time to move on without looking back. After all a good story like a great love, affair simply can’t be forced.