Shiny New Idea Syndrome

Who doesn’t love a new story idea? Endlessly exciting, new ideas remind us there’s always something new to try, a new way for us writers to challenge ourselves within our craft. Here’s the problem: we creatives are very good at generating new ideas, often close together, often ambitious. What happens when your new idea is more exciting than your current one, again and again? Here is what I refer to as “Shiny New Idea Syndrome” (to be referred to as SNIS for the rest of this post).

In my experience, SNIS isn’t a bad thing. It can, however, be very overwhelming when you don’t have systems in place to manage your ideas and your work. Today, I’m sharing tips related to SNIS in two categories: working with it, and combatting it.

Embracing Your Shiny New Ideas

I strongly discourage you from trying to suppress this part of you that’s coming up with new ideas. Think of this aspect of your creativity like a muscle: you exercise it so that you can use it effectively. If you try to shut down this part of your creativity rather than enjoying it, there’s a chance your work could shift from self-control to creative stagnance—and that’s no fun, either!

My favorite tool for this is a new idea notebook, which is exactly what it sounds like. I use one notebook to record and develop my new ideas, for a few reasons. When I’m ready for a new project, this is an easily accessible tool that gives me story options and several jumping-off points for deeper development.

I also really benefit from scheduling as I embrace my new ideas. On any given day, I have at least one writing goal, be it writing, editing, or developing. When I plan and schedule my writing time, I can set aside time in my schedule to work through new ideas. This way, you can be sure you’re giving yourself time to work through your new ideas without burning yourself out.

There are plenty of other ways to embrace your new ideas—I’m sure each writer has their own method for things like this. However, my notebook and my highly color-coordinated calendars are my two best friends when it comes to new ideas.

Combatting SNIS

But sometimes, you’re not ready or you don’t have the time or energy to devote to a new idea. It can be an overwhelming experience! I’ve had periods in my life where I’ve been developing ideas on the side of my regular writing, and periods where I need to only focus on my current projects so I didn’t get burned out. When I was in those latter periods, the tools I used looked different.

One of the biggest mindset shifts for me was starting to see my projects as actual commitments, not just something for me to do in my free time. This mindset shift, by the way, has been very helpful to me, and not just when it comes to focusing on one project (but that’s for a different day). These days, when I get new ideas, I have a very clear idea of my writing priorities and ask myself, “Do I have the mental space and time to take on a new idea?” (Note: Idea, not project.) Ideas are just thoughts that you sometimes write down—if you’re not ready for one, you can be grateful for your own creativity and still let the thought go. Commitment exists on a spectrum, which means you can have full commitment (or however much works for you) for your projects while having no commitment to your ideas. VERY helpful for me!

Another great way I learned not to get overwhelmed by these ideas was to build my confidence in my writing itself. Sometimes a new idea is just that; other times, it’s a form of escape for your mind. I started to notice I would get new ideas when I was feeling discouraged about my project, or when I was in a slump. The more I built my confidence and my consistency, the weaker the urge to immediately write these new ideas grew. I learned to believe in myself and the integrity of my decisions; my mindset shifted from, “This story isn’t going to be good, so I should write something else,” to, “I know each of my ideas has potential, and I can choose which ones I spend my time on.” Big effort, big shift, big results.

On any given day, I might be trying to embrace or trying to combat Shiny New Idea Syndrome. Moments of inspiration and the things that you are excited about come and go, and flexibility will be a good friend to you as you navigate this. I hope these tools are helpful to you, and I’d love to hear more about the tools you use for moments like this! (And if you have any other names for SNIS.)

Happy Monday, and happy writing!