When beginning a new novel, writers are often faced with one of two initial problems that hinders them right from the get go. \u00a0One \u2013 sometimes you have a story concept but can\u2019t think of what to do with it. \u00a0In other words, you know what you want to write about, but the characters and plot elude you. \u00a0Two \u2013 sometimes your head is swimming with so many ideas that you haven\u2019t got a clue how to pull them all together into a single unified story.<\/span><\/p>\n Fortunately, the solution to both is the same. \u00a0In each case, you need to clear your mind of what you do<\/span> know about your story to make room for what you\u2019d like<\/span> to know.<\/span><\/p>\n If your problem is a story concept but no content, writing it down will help focus your thinking. \u00a0In fact, once your idea for a novel is out of your head and on paper or screen, you begin to see it objectively, not just subjectively.<\/span><\/p>\n Often just having an external look at your idea will spur other ideas that were not apparent when you were simply mulling it over. \u00a0And at the very least, it will clarify what it is you desire to create.<\/span><\/p>\n If, on the other hand, your problem is that all the little thoughts, notions or concepts that sparked the idea there might be a book in there somewhere are swirling around in a chaotic maelstrom\u2026. \u00a0well, then writing them all down will make room in your mind to start organizing that material by topic, category, sequence, or structural element.<\/span><\/p>\n For those whose cognitive cup runneth over, the issue is that one is afraid to forget any of these wonderful ideas, or to lose track of any of the tenuous or gossamer connections among them. \u00a0And so, we keeping stirring them around and around in our minds, refreshing our memory of them, but leaving us running in circles chasing our creative tales.<\/span><\/p>\n By writing down everything your are thinking, not as a story per se, but just in the same fragmented glimpses in which they are presenting themselves to you, you\u2019ll be able to let them go, one by one, until your mental processor has retreated from the edge of memory overload and you can begin to pull your material together into the beginnings of a true proto- Whether you are plagued by issue one or two, don\u2019t try to fashion a full- Sure, before you write you\u2019re going to need that overview of where you are heading to guide you to \u201cThe End\u201d. \u00a0But that comes later. \u00a0For now, in this step, just write down your central concept and\/or all the transient inspirations you are juggling in your head.<\/span><\/p>\n In the next step, we\u2019ll look at what to do with what you\u2019ve written down\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/storymind.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/get-out-of-my-head-300x224.jpg\")
In this step, we\u2019ll \u00a0explore how to clear your mental\u00a0decks to make room for all the story development to come.<\/span><\/p>\nNeed personalized story help?<\/em><\/h2>\n
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