Hello all, I am a long timer lurker of this site and now after a bit of advise.
I have a few ideas in my head of what stories I want to do, some are screenplays, some are novels, however I am finding it hard to sit my self down and write. Then when I do write, I find it hard to pin my self down and concentrate on one story. Do any of you have a structure to your writing? Or a routine in which you do write? With working etc. I am finding it hard to sit my self down and when I do I feel like I am spinning some many ideas in my head that my fingers aren't able to keep up with my mind. I may be asking in the wrong place, but I generally want to sit my self down and create something other than half written notes. Any advise greatly received.
You're giving in to the inability to settle, Joanne. You want to write, but not enough, it seems, to make yourself do it.
No-one can do that for you, just as no-one can write your stories. It's down to you. You're putting everything else first - which, when you work, is natural: but there's a difference between not being able to write because you're at work, and not being able to write because you fancy a pizza or to watch TV. You have to prioritise.
In the same way that you know you are going to work from 9am to 5pm, or whatever, you need to set a time when the only thing you do is write. 8-9pm; 7-8am; choose an hour and make a quiet corner and sit there and write.
Your mind is racing, but you need to take one idea at a time and focus on it. Try tackling a different story a day, and write the plot for each. See which one works best, or which one you really want to focus on, and then next week, maybe you'll have a workable situation, as opposed to the current chaos.
It is the easiest thing in the world to procrastinate, and very hard to make yourself sit down and face that screen - and that goes for seasoned pros as well as novices. The difference between them is that the pro actually sat there and forced themselves to write, over and over again.
Bottom line: you have to choose; no excuses are acceptable. A writer writes.
Lorraine
From my time on this site I have found so many different ways that people write, some plan, some map, some have cards with different ideas. Some just write, no plan. others research before hand, others research as the need in the book presents itself. But what everyone has in common is that need to write, you have to need it. just to want isn't enough, you might want a Bentley but you probably don't need one, but if you did NEED a Bentley, you would drive yourself until you fulfilled that need. I don't know, maybe you have other things in your life that take a lot of your time, writing is time consuming, but a wonderful way of life, because it does become just that, a way of life. you have to have the patience to let it happen, and then keep on writing. Don't let your own ideas crowd each other out so nothing happens, pick the one you think about the most, the one that needs to be told, get excited about going back to write some more, and finding out what is going to happen next. it's great, but don't expect to become rich, it might happen but don't expect it. Best of luck but you have to make that luck. Regards and best wishes with your writing. Paul G
Usually if I have too many ideas spinning around in my head I find the best thing to do is write them down manually in an A4 pad. Work your way through each one separately and jot either bullet points or part script/story to get it out of your head.