Well hello there, Reader,

Last Friday, we picked our friend up at BART for another friend’s day-long birthday party 🥳 the next day.

After a good 15 mins of her meandering through a wide array of topics, she finally ventured into what she really wanted to talk about. Her struggles with project paralysis.

A struggle that I—and many other storytellers—have suffered from. Where you have too many great ideas and partially drafted stories, and you’re unsure which one to devote your time to.

So, Reader, if you’re currently in the same predicament as my friend, paddling in circles, unsure of which idea to work on first…

Here are 3 surefire questions to pick the best project for RIGHT NOW

1) Which story can I finish the fastest?

Ask yourself: Which story do I have the most content for?

People too often focus on what they haven’t accomplished or achieved. Or what they haven’t created. They’re like a little mouse running on a wheel squeaking more, more, MORE!

They never stop to look at all the things they’ve already created. Or how close they might be to the finish line.

This is where doing a Creative Assessment can be extremely valuable. And the added benefit of doing an assessment like this is that you can see at a simple click of a button how close a project is to being completed. Or if a project should be placed on the back burner to tackle another day.

To perform your own Creative Assessment, simply follow this link to view the example and download the FREE Google Sheet template I made for you.

2) Which story is the simplest?

Ask yourself: Which story is the easiest to complete?

Let’s be honest, Reader, some stories are just more complicated than others.

Some stories have straightforward, simple plots with a single POV. While others are complex epics like Foundation, Outlander, Game of Thrones, or The Witcher.

A historical Murder Mystery with intricate plotting like Murder on the Orient Express will require far more hours to craft than a fun and flirty Contemporary Romance novella.

So do a quick assessment of all your stories’ plots. Are they simple? Complicated and intricate? Do they feature a single POV? A cast of a dozen over the span of several decades?

3) Which story will make me the happiest?

Ask yourself: Which story am I most passionate about?

Be honest with yourself, Reader, out of all your current story ideas, which one are you most passionate about RIGHT NOW?

Because the story that sparks your interest is the one you’re most likely to finish. Especially during the long hours of revisions and edits.

Trust me on this one.

If a story is boring you, it’s going to bore your readers. And you really don’t want your writing time to become something you dread. Or for it to start feeling like work.

Sure, writing IS work. And it takes time. It’s a learned skill you have to study to improve upon. But if what you’re creating doesn’t delight YOU, you might as well be folding laundry. Because to make it to the finish line, you have to have that passion fueling you.

So, Reader, if you’re ever stuck paddling in circles, unsure which story to work on, remember to ask yourself those 3 questions. And until next time, this is your friendly neighborhood storytelling Kat wishing you a wonderfully creative week.

Your cohort in storytelling,

Kat Vancil

🐱

PS 👉 Missed a past Storyteller’s Saga Quest? No worries, Reader, you can check out the past 130 quests here!

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Write and finish your damn (good) book! Claire L. Fishback, Certified Book Coach & Author Hi! I'm Claire! An enthusiastic and imaginative book coach who uses way too many exclamation points, talks too much about my beloved pittie mix, Kira, and is fueled by inspiring and motivating fellow writers! I'm an Author Accelerator certified book coach and Writing From the Top of Your Head certified facilitator. From first spark to final page, I help fiction writers ditch the rules, fall back in love with writing, and finally finish their damn (good) stories! Sign up for mini-book coaching in your inbox, subscriber only specials, and general shenanigans. Subscribe​

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