What will you do when you find a new idea after making a complete outline?

[Zenftiy]

Okay, so I came up with this new idea that I think is pretty cool and I really want to add it to the story.
But the outline’s already done, and trying to fit it in now would mean reworking a lot of it.

Honestly, it just feels kind of draining.
If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

 

[RainyLiquid]

I think this is something literally every writer goes through. Like you come up with an idea and you either write it down or expand it and get it all finished and then sometime later you come up with a different idea, and it involves something new or different and you're convinced that it is better but you can't get it to fit into what you have because that stuff is already done, so you get all frustrated and consider reworking everything, or just moving forward with what you have, but you know deep down that the new thing you came up with is good and it's unique and most importantly you really like it.

So... What do you do?

Well, not really anything. The main options you have are giving in and reworking everything for this new idea, or scraping the new idea and just being happy with what you have.

Alternatively what if you can have the best of both worlds. Instead of figuring out how to shove this new addition into your plot now, and rework everything why not save it for a later arc. Maybe the next segment of your story could benefit to use it instead of another part.

The other thing you need to consider also though is if more is better. It's easy to think a new idea is the best because it's new, but is it really better?

Why not make two drafts. One as they are now and one with the new cool idea and see what turns out better by having a friend or something read it.

You'd be surprised how many 'cool' or 'new' ideas aren't actually as good as what you had before, and it's just your brain tricking you.

Anyway, probably didn't help, I sort of just rambled, cause I'm stuck at work lol.

Good luck.

 

[Alfir]

Either you post it or let it sit.

 

[Ai-chan]

If it can fit, it will be fitted in. If it can't fit, write it down and throw it into a folder somewhere.

A romance and post apocalyptic world? Uh! Post apocalyptic romance.

A sweet romance and an evil mother in law? Uh! Revenge story of love that transcends social class.

A kind protagonist in the modern world and an embattled ancient empress from the ancient world? Uh! A modern world protagonist who helps a beautiful ancient empress with supplies through a two-way time portal.

 

[Our_Lady_in_Twilight]

Write it down and then slip it away into a folder somewhere. I think every writer should cultivate a folder of half-baked ideas. Eventually future works will be able to draw on a catalogue of semi-developed character ideas and story beats to help augment the main idea.

 

[Hans.Trondheim]

Okay, so I came up with this new idea that I think is pretty cool and I really want to add it to the story.
But the outline’s already done, and trying to fit it in now would mean reworking a lot of it.

Honestly, it just feels kind of draining.
If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

Once I made the outline, I would do my best to avoid changing it so I can insert the new, cool idea I have in my head. Take a bit of self-discipline, but it is possible.

Unless, of course, I was looking for better ways to progress the story.

However, even if such idea won't be used in the current work, I would still write down that stuff; maybe I can use it on later works, or apply it to later chapters.

 

[Leti]

You guys make a complete outline?

 

[Dec]

You guys make a complete outline?

Some like to cage themselves unnecessarily

 

[Puji-Maki]

Keep it as an outline or write it into a story.

 

[Representing_Tromba]

Save the new idea in a doc of ideas and stay with the one I'm on.

 

[CharlesEBrown]

This is why I never do a complete outline.

 

[Fairemont]

Tell it to fuck off.

Unless it is a good idea, then I tell it a little more politely to desist tantalizing me and remove itself from my vicinity.

If it is particularly good, Ill poach stuff from it and add it to my main project like combining the best things in the world: my dog and my daughter!

 

[Aurimaz]

It depends on which stage I'm on and if the idea is compatible with a current project. If I'm writing the first chapter, then I can recreate the whole thing with a new idea in mind.
If I'm in the middle of a novel, then I leave the idea for the next project.

 

[Zenftiy]

I think this is something literally every writer goes through. Like you come up with an idea and you either write it down or expand it and get it all finished and then sometime later you come up with a different idea, and it involves something new or different and you're convinced that it is better but you can't get it to fit into what you have because that stuff is already done, so you get all frustrated and consider reworking everything, or just moving forward with what you have, but you know deep down that the new thing you came up with is good and it's unique and most importantly you really like it.

So... What do you do?

Well, not really anything. The main options you have are giving in and reworking everything for this new idea, or scraping the new idea and just being happy with what you have.

Alternatively what if you can have the best of both worlds. Instead of figuring out how to shove this new addition into your plot now, and rework everything why not save it for a later arc. Maybe the next segment of your story could benefit to use it instead of another part.

The other thing you need to consider also though is if more is better. It's easy to think a new idea is the best because it's new, but is it really better?

Why not make two drafts. One as they are now and one with the new cool idea and see what turns out better by having a friend or something read it.

You'd be surprised how many 'cool' or 'new' ideas aren't actually as good as what you had before, and it's just your brain tricking you.

Anyway, probably didn't help, I sort of just rambled, cause I'm stuck at work lol.

Good luck.

I think this is something literally every writer goes through. Like you come up with an idea and you either write it down or expand it and get it all finished and then sometime later you come up with a different idea, and it involves something new or different and you're convinced that it is better but you can't get it to fit into what you have because that stuff is already done, so you get all frustrated and consider reworking everything, or just moving forward with what you have, but you know deep down that the new thing you came up with is good and it's unique and most importantly you really like it.

So... What do you do?

Well, not really anything. The main options you have are giving in and reworking everything for this new idea, or scraping the new idea and just being happy with what you have.

Alternatively what if you can have the best of both worlds. Instead of figuring out how to shove this new addition into your plot now, and rework everything why not save it for a later arc. Maybe the next segment of your story could benefit to use it instead of another part.

The other thing you need to consider also though is if more is better. It's easy to think a new idea is the best because it's new, but is it really better?

Why not make two drafts. One as they are now and one with the new cool idea and see what turns out better by having a friend or something read it.

You'd be surprised how many 'cool' or 'new' ideas aren't actually as good as what you had before, and it's just your brain tricking you.

Anyway, probably didn't help, I sort of just rambled, cause I'm stuck at work lol.

Good luck.

Thanks a lot for the advice, it really helped.
To be honest, I might’ve done something similar to what you suggested before. Not an outline, but when I first started writing a novel, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be more interesting if I changed this and that?’ So I ended up overhauling everything and rewriting from chapter one.

But to my surprise, the new version wasn’t as great as I imagined. Readers actually complained about the changes and said the story got more boring.

That seriously made me depressed for like a whole week.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Procreate, and then you'll be too busy to write anything at all.

 

[LiteraryWho]

Okay, so I came up with this new idea that I think is pretty cool and I really want to add it to the story.
But the outline’s already done, and trying to fit it in now would mean reworking a lot of it.

Honestly, it just feels kind of draining.
If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

The great (not so secret) secret of writing is that ideas are all mostly worthless, it's only the execution that really holds any weight. Given this, it's best to evaluate ideas not in terms of "good" or "bad", but rather in terms of how they will affect the execution, and one of the most under-looked aspects of writing (especially by new authors), is the art of the cut. Most first drafts/initial outlines would benefit more from the removal of ideas, rather than the addition.

Given this, and the fact it feels draining rather than fun to add it, the best bet is simply to drop it. You might even consider taking the time to go over your outline and think about what doesn't need to be there at all. If this is a new experience for you, you might even enjoy it.

Tell it to fuck off.

Unless it is a good idea, then I tell it a little more politely to desist tantalizing me and remove itself from my vicinity.

If it is particularly good, Ill poach stuff from it and add it to my main project like combining the best things in the world: my dog and my daughter!

Picking up some real "Sewing-Life Alchemist" energy from this post.

 

[Mx.Author]

I don't outline, i mostly day dream.

 

[Xcalibur_Xc]

Add mini arcs

 

[Zagaroth]

See this file over here? it has a list of over 20 story ideas.

And that's just the ones I decided were worth keeping. If it doesn't fit into my current story, then it can fit into a future one.

 

[SurfAngel_1031]

Okay, so I came up with this new idea that I think is pretty cool and I really want to add it to the story.
But the outline’s already done, and trying to fit it in now would mean reworking a lot of it.

Honestly, it just feels kind of draining.
If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

Find the best place in the outline and work it in. There's always space in an outline to add new concepts. That's part of an outline anyway. Of all the things you can change on the fly, the outline is the easiest and best. You don't want to be in the middle of writing a chapter and go into a tangent that makes no sense to the story.