I see things like this every day on Threads, Reader. “I wrote 5K words today. But for something I’m not even working on.😭 ” “Supposed to be working on my WIP but I started another new story. Again.” “Brain you’re being SUPER unhelpful! We’re supposed to be working THE book! You should not be feeding me boy/boy fanfic for the anime we just watched!” Does any of this sound familiar? If it does, then you know we’re talking about plot bunnies, side quests, or those new story ideas that seem to come out of nowhere. And a quick scroll through Google will show you there’s plenty of resources out there about how to turn those plot bunnies into fluff but… What if you didn’t? What if you treated those plot bunnies like a little creative walk around the block for your brain? An afternoon off every so often? A Saturday staycation? Maybe then your creative brain would be less inclined to plot an escape. Sometimes an afternoon or a weekend of creative freedom is all you really need to get back on track with what you’re “supposed” to be working on. After you’ve given your brain some time to frolic, you can put that plot bunny away in the hutch for later use. Remember, nothing you create is ever truly wasted. These stray fluffy-tailed ideas could form the base of a short story for an anthology or contest, become bonus material for readers, or serve as writing samples to gain you representation. And who knows, that little plot bunny could become your next great series if you’re not running after it like a crazy person with a hatchet. Case in point, one of my plot bunnies popped up while I was working on a project in 2018. I spent an afternoon writing down my ideas in my Story Alchemy Log then went back to working on my project the next day. Then in the summer of 2019 when it came time to work on something new, I pulled out that idea and wrote 200K words between July and November. There’s also those plot bunnies that dig holes in your well-laid plans because you’re stubbornly refusing to see something you really ought to. Like…you might be writing in the wrong genre. You should feel at home in the genre you’re writing in. It should feel natural and easy. So if it feels more like yanking out a tooth or climbing up the Greenwich steps all the way to Coit Tower, your brain might be trying to escape the discomfort in the form of a plot bunny. There’s a reason I have 20+ partially done stories waiting in queue to be completed. It was my creative brain’s way of saying… “Hello, Kat, brain here. You’re in the wrong genre, so I’ll just hop on over with these ideas until you get a clue.” So if plot bunnies are plaguing you, Reader, ask yourself: What is my brain trying to tell me? And also, next time instead of being frustrated, give your plot bunnies a little space to frolic. Well, I better get back to working on Predestined, Reader! Now that final edits are complete I get to do the fun parts like interior layout and final cover design. Hope you have a wonderfully creative week! Your cohort in storytelling, Kat Vancil 🐱 PS 👉 Predestined will be coming out around the second week of September so remember to join the prerelease list to get your free bonus story 😸 PSS 👉 I’m serious about those Greenwich steps. I made the mistake of climbing them with my husband for our anniversary back before the pandemic. Never again. Never again. 😳 |
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