The Idea That Won’t Go Away
(and how it came about)
“No, no, go away. I don't have time for this now.”
“Well, you better write me down then, to save me for later.”
“But you’re… you’re… you’re…”
“Go on. Say it!”
“You're not my usual type of idea. You're not what I write about.”
“EXACTLY!”
“I have a lot to do at the moment. There’s an external editing client, a series of articles for a new bookazine, and I'm prepping my workshops for the upcoming Swanwick Writers’ Summer School in August and—”
“So write me down alongside all the other thoughts you've had about me over the past few weeks.”
“Will you go away then?”
“Probably not. Come on, Simon. You must have realised by now. The only way you're going to get rid of me is to write me.”
Have you ever had one of those ideas that just won't go away? Won't leave your head? You make a note of it, like all writers do, just in case it comes in useful in the future, but mainly so you can then crack on with everything else you have to do.
Only it keeps coming back. You capture the thought, then continue with your other writing work, only to have another idea connected to it. And another. And another.
Welcome to The Idea That Won’t Go Away and, in my experience, when this happens, all I can do to move on is to write the Damn Thing.
Welcome to my world.
This sounds like an issue, and it is because I don't really have time for this at the moment. That’s not just because of all the other work I'm doing, but because it’s a BIG idea.
It’s a novel idea.
See what I mean?
Bugger.
Not only that, but it's a novel idea that’s in a completely different genre from the cosy crime genre I usually write.
And because it's a different genre, I feel this novel needs to be plotted, which, again, goes against my normal modus operandi because I'm more of a discovery writer. The urge to just jump in and start writing is overwhelming. But because I keep getting snippets of ideas, I can tell these all need to be carefully plotted on a timeline.
So, not only do I have an idea that won't go away, I have an idea that requires me to work in a completely different way from what I'm used to.
Again. Bugger.
I said it last month, and I’ll say it again. This business of writing malarky can be frustrating at times.
Morning Pages
Where has all this come from? It’s all because of the morning pages exercise I mentioned in last month’s newsletter.
Yes! The dictation and AI transcription assistant are still working, and it’s working brilliantly. Which means I've not missed a day of morning pages for three months now.
And that’s where The Idea That Won’t Go Away showed up. And it keeps showing up. Which is why I feel I need to explore this.
I’ll be honest. There are days when the Morning Pages flow better than others. But there’s always at least one nugget of an idea in them, if not several more. And although The Idea That Won’t Go Away is frustrating me, I’m fascinated by how the Morning Pages technique is helping it grow.
Sometimes a thought just pops in my head and I wonder why and where it has come from, and then I realise it’s connected to an idea from a few days ago. (Being able to search through my digital copy of my Morning Pages—created via dictation—makes this SO much easier.)
So, three months on, now I’ve cracked how to keep my Morning Pages exercise momentum going, it seems I’m reaping the rewards.
They’re just not always the rewards I thought I’d be reaping!
If you’re interested in listening to another writer about how Morning Pages helps them, check in on Episode 7 of The Write Club podcast, where Amanda Marples explores the benefits she gets from undertaking her Morning Pages.
https://rss.com/podcasts/writeclub/1991318/
PLR Deadline Reminder
Don’t forget that, here in the UK, the deadline for registering any new book titles (remember to register all formats, including eBook, paperback, hardback, large print, etc) with the Public Lending Register (PLR) is the end of this month.
PLR is the system that compensates authors each time a reader borrows their book from a UK library. Readers even borrow my self-published books from UK libraries, so I get money every year from them via PLR.
Starting from 1 July 2025, the British Library will collect data from every public library in the UK. This will enable them to obtain more precise and comprehensive data for our calculations. Previously, they’ve monitored book borrowings from a selection of libraries across the UK and used some sort of algorithm to calculate national borrowings. But, from 1st July this year, every book borrowed from every library will be tracked.
Doris Gooderson Short Story Competition
The Wrekin Writers Group are running their annual Doris Gooderson Short Story competition and the closing date is approaching. (I administer it for my sins. 😁) The competition seeks short story entries (in English) of no more than 1200 words on any theme. There’s a £5 entry fee, and prizes are as follows:
1st = £200
2nd = £100
3rd = £50
We donate half the profits from the competition to our local hospice, the Severn Hospice, which operates in Shrewsbury and Telford. Since we started doing this, entrants to our competition have helped raise over £2,000 for the charity.
Full details of the competition can be found here.
Until next month, keeeeeeeeeep writing!
Best wishes,
Simon
Oh, Simon! I know exactly what you mean. Sooooo many ideas and not enough time to write them all down. Another great piece on writing.
Hi Simon
Good luck with the new novel. Will you self publish it?
I too, have a big twisty plot idea for a novel (It was going to be 3- 4 part TV drama screenplay but my chances of securing a commission are virtually nil). It's not my usual genre, either, although I've written lots of twist stories.
The thing is, I can't get motivated, as I've had a bad year with my writing.
I have the characters, the plot, every scene written out and a working title. When I've completed it, I'd be looking for a small e- publisher.
I don't feel that I'd make any money from it really, as I don't know if the story holds mass appeal. I don't want a contract for 3 book deal, as I wouldn't be able to cope with the pressure.
Well, if all my efforts fail, my hubby could set up a free website, and I could stick the entire novel on there!