Under the Weight of Too Many Plotbunnies
Thanks to tellshannon815 and colourmayfade for the chance to host a discussion here at thequillstation, and on a topic that always plagues me during fanfic writing.
Here's starting with a sort of anecdote:
So, you're watching Lost, and you just had this fanfiction idea that excites you a lot, and you can't wait to start writing it…and then another plotbunny rears its head and inspires the same level of passion in you. Then another pops up. And another. And another. And--well, you get the idea.
And the worse part--sometimes there are too many ideas, you don't even get around to writing any of them down.
Personally, that's me, but the point of this discussion is to see if anyone in the Lost fandom deals with that same issue: too many plotbunnies demanding attention at the same time.
Possible strategies that come to mind, all flexible based on your own decisions:
-Prioritize. Try to figure out which plotbunny you like the best. If you really do like all your ideas equally, consider setting up your own time frame and figuring out if any one pltobunny fits it best. On this note, consider scheduling turns for writing your different plotbunnies one at a time, or structure it so that you can devote time to more than one idea simultaneously. Committing to one plotbunny can help, but balancing multiple plotbunnies is possible, if you just can't pick one.
-You can try tackling one-shots, drabbles, and other brief stuff first, stories that could be told in a shorter format, rather than multi-chapter fanfic. Looking back on completed one-shots can grant confidence and pave the road for longer, more ambitious fanfic.
-If you decide you're most inspired by your multi-chapter idea, consider outlining either beforehand or as you go along. Having a road map could possibly keep you on track, help you finish, and move on to the next plotbunny (if you decided to focus on one idea, rather that multitask in your fanfic writing).
-Feel like checking out another fandom? Consider brainstorming ideas to cross it over with Lost. I did with one fandom I was revisiting, and I came up with some interesting ideas.
Here are a couple of discussion questions, but really, this discussion is open to any thoughts related to an excess of plotbunnies:
1.This one's kinda obvious given the above, but do you have any strategies/tips to share about having too many plotbunnies at the same time?
2.If you have too many plotbunnies, do they at times generally focus on different stories focusing on one character, one couple, or a certain set of characters? Or do they generally focus on a constantly shifting cast?
Here's starting with a sort of anecdote:
So, you're watching Lost, and you just had this fanfiction idea that excites you a lot, and you can't wait to start writing it…and then another plotbunny rears its head and inspires the same level of passion in you. Then another pops up. And another. And another. And--well, you get the idea.
And the worse part--sometimes there are too many ideas, you don't even get around to writing any of them down.
Personally, that's me, but the point of this discussion is to see if anyone in the Lost fandom deals with that same issue: too many plotbunnies demanding attention at the same time.
Possible strategies that come to mind, all flexible based on your own decisions:
-Prioritize. Try to figure out which plotbunny you like the best. If you really do like all your ideas equally, consider setting up your own time frame and figuring out if any one pltobunny fits it best. On this note, consider scheduling turns for writing your different plotbunnies one at a time, or structure it so that you can devote time to more than one idea simultaneously. Committing to one plotbunny can help, but balancing multiple plotbunnies is possible, if you just can't pick one.
-You can try tackling one-shots, drabbles, and other brief stuff first, stories that could be told in a shorter format, rather than multi-chapter fanfic. Looking back on completed one-shots can grant confidence and pave the road for longer, more ambitious fanfic.
-If you decide you're most inspired by your multi-chapter idea, consider outlining either beforehand or as you go along. Having a road map could possibly keep you on track, help you finish, and move on to the next plotbunny (if you decided to focus on one idea, rather that multitask in your fanfic writing).
-Feel like checking out another fandom? Consider brainstorming ideas to cross it over with Lost. I did with one fandom I was revisiting, and I came up with some interesting ideas.
Here are a couple of discussion questions, but really, this discussion is open to any thoughts related to an excess of plotbunnies:
1.This one's kinda obvious given the above, but do you have any strategies/tips to share about having too many plotbunnies at the same time?
2.If you have too many plotbunnies, do they at times generally focus on different stories focusing on one character, one couple, or a certain set of characters? Or do they generally focus on a constantly shifting cast?