How do you deal with the distraction of other story ideas while working on your current project?

[Katzalcoatl]

I work on 2 main projects at the same time. One is really dark and the other is fluffy.
The dark project can usually fit any type of new idea.
It will be a long project like really long so I made it possible to fit any new idea with the power of plot armor.
As for my first novel it has a clear end.
It has korean influence so it will end in around 200 chapters or so.
Basically a 100 chapter webtoon in length give or take.

I focus on the first novel by reading romance stories and comedy.
To get in the mood for the second story all I need is music. Darks or an anime with gore (won't have gore but it has plenty of violence). Already mapped out prequel story for second story plus started mapping a sequel.

If I had to say my first story is harder to map since it has a clear ending. I had an idea but each day I am slowly changing the end result.

I am essentially working on 5 stories at once but 4 of them are from the same universe.
Already have the covers designed just need my artist to finish some other things first.
I also need 2 more covers for my first novel.
(The last cover is for a book version with extras I will release on amazon.)

I also finished designing multiple characters for different stories. Still designing more just waiting for inspiration.

Even though I only have 2 main projects they all connect in a sense so I am making merch plus social medias.

All I can say is if you enjoy it, it doesn't feel like work. If you are organized ideas don't get mixed up. I only focus on 1 story when I really need to advance the story by a lot. I will probably focus the next 6 months on my first novel instead of multi tasking as I am now. But once I finish I will re read my other novels to continue.

[RedLenai]

I kick down the other ideas to the bottom of my interest, of course I took the time to write them down a bit and keep them in a google doc or keep a few sketches in a tiny journal, as if to don't get too invested on it.

Since I don't get paid for my own personal ideas, I don't have much of a motivator to get distracted.

[InfiniteLine]

Do you still get satisfaction/enjoyment out of doing the things that are commission rather than your own ideas?

[RedLenai]

Yep, because

1. I can take care of my health
2. I can collaborate on the expenses of the apartment with my partner
3. I can buy nice things for myself or my pets
4. I can pay my roof and continue being an independent adult

Of course, I do draw things for myself, mostly on the weekends be it fanart or original artwork. The commissions, including the webcomics I draw for are things that I enjoy at it's very root: Drawing and without having to burn my brain thinking too much.
I'm not a very picky person nor someone who wants too much in life, so for as long I can have a comfortable life doing what I like, that's enough for me. I know, a lot of people would and had already told me.

"If I were to have your talent I would be making my own stuff! I'll be doing things with genuine love!"

I already spent most of my childhood and teenage years making personal content enough to be satisfied, so switching to something that allows me to live freely is more than enough.

Personally, the world is not gonna be so thrilled over what ideas come from my mind, I'm not desperate to tell stories, nor I think they are important enough to put time into them, an 1 hour drawing is enough for me. I put lots of love on everything I do.

[LunarScyphozoa]

Who’s to say the one I’m currently working on isn’t the distraction?

[simonitropunk]

Here's my solution:

I have PLENTY of ideas and would love to go all out but I have to be aware of my time at home/work/hang-outs/life etc... So, I prioritize ONLY ONE!!!! Which is "Lyza's Sandstorm".

Sometimes, I throw in sketches here and there for other ideas and sometimes posting them on FB/Insta... whatever but I can be disciplined enough to just work on ONE project. It's best to have that one project done well vs. having multiple projects and some can be subpar. Now, if you still wanna do more than one, it's best is have minimum 2 at a time.

One project has the MOST focus on and the other can still have focus but given it more time to work on. Also, you have your personal life to deal with... keep that into consideration. Life, itself, can distract you even if beyond your control.

That's my tip... and try not killing yourself... your health needs priority as well.

[GumshoeComix]

for me its just time management
I spend a certain amount of hours on my current project,
and a few hours writing my side project
I don't consider it a distraction if I'm enjoying myself and i plan to get my side comic done eventually though I'm sure its different for everyone.

[bulgariansumo]

I think it's partially a blessing and a curse that I'm much farther along in one of my series than the other. There's an incentive for me to keep up momentum, especially since I'm nearing the end of the first section and only chapters away from writing scenes I've had in my head for years.

The other, I haven't started yet, and figuring out how to do so has been kinda tricky. It's easier for me to focus on the series I'm currently doing. Ironic, because the one I haven't started on is more planned out in the long run.

When it comes to ideas within one of those two stories, that becomes a little harder for me to ignore. Sometimes an idea for something in the future resonates so strongly that I end up fixating on it instead of making progress. But I have fun doing it, and it often leads to interesting ideas I can use in the future.

[powerplantanimations]

I do as many projects as possible while finding ways to sneak in future story projects into my current one. Basically planting the seeds and creating a connected universe. That way I'm expanding those stories while I'm working on my current one :v

[TheLemmaLlama]

I think for me, I manage it by writing these ideas down when I feel struck by inspiration, but allowing the idea to sit, knowing it'll be years until I properly work on it. Allowing myself to outline and script them when i feel like it gets out that creative energy, and also means that when I do get to that project, I'll be able to start illustrating/ refining the story earlier!

Basically this - or as I'd like to call it, 'just freaking let myself be distracted' I think it's a good thing though; I'm glad I'm getting ideas for my future projects this early on because the main one is a very lore-heavy series that kind of needs years of behind-the-scenes development for it to really feel alive; it wouldn't be possible for me to pull that amount of lore out of my backside on the spot when I actually intend to start writing/drawing it

The fact they all take place in the same universe eases the pain a little.

My ideas don't all take place in the same universe, but the vast majority of them do fall into my 2 main ones and I totally feel like that eases the pain quite a bit, though possibly for different reasons than you XD It makes me feel like I'm not scattering my attention into a billion different projects, but rather building upon my existing projects, creating depth rather than breadth

Doesn't that make things actually harder? : D at least, it does for me, as all of my stories, even if in different universes, are in some way connected. They all make sense on their own without knowing other stories, but there's an additional part of planning which is 'which story should I go for first so it creates a better experience if someone wanted to read them all' cx

Ye I basically don't think of reading order experience; I figure that if I'm going to complete them all anyway, they're all going to exist and at that point, readers can read them in whatever order they like (and I can recommend the optimal reading order after the fact :P)

Besides that, my brain would probably draw me into a particular order of creation anyway; if I actually make a deliberate choice to create story X before story Y, that's just tempting fate and making my brain want to do story Y first just to be difficult XD

[TedGravesArt]

Yeah there's nothing wrong with feeling inspired to work on another project, that inspiration can be really positive! I second the part about just writing those ideas down somewhere and then moving on.
For me the thing that keeps me laser focused is my long range planning. I know about major dramatic plot points that haven't happened yet, and thinking about them makes me excited to put those pages to paper and see how it unfolds. Something that has been static for me through the comic making process is that I'm primarily doing it just for me. I'm telling a story I want to see told. I'm making the comic that I want to read. Getting to craft it in a way that gets me excited is more than enough to keep me focused.

[igneriss]

Ye I basically don't think of reading order experience; I figure that if I'm going to complete them all anyway, they're all going to exist and at that point, readers can read them in whatever order they like (and I can recommend the optimal reading order after the fact :P)

Haha true though for me it's important because I have to keep asking myself if the story as I planned it makes sense, OR it makes sense in my head only because I know that other story that is not drawn/written yet

[river121693]

story ideas?
I even get distracted by other art forms >_> I have music I want to record and paintings I want to make.

For me, it's wondering whether or not this one art work will be successful or if my other unfulfilled ideas are actually better. What's keeping me focus is knowing that life is short and I just gotta trust that the current work Im doing is good. I'm sure I'll always be wondering regardless of what project I take on anyways.

[TheLemmaLlama]

For me the thing that keeps me laser focused is my long range planning.

I too am excited about upcoming events in my story, but sadly it isn't enough to keep me laser-focused when I'm just as excited about upcoming events on other stories :'D

OR it makes sense in my head only because I know that other story that is not drawn/written yet

Oh yeah, that's always a concern Even if they're supposed to make sense on their own, it's like what if they don't actually end up making sense on their own and you never find out, maybe put them in a specific order just in case :'D

I even get distracted by other art forms >_>

Same! Though at least with me the other art forms still relate back to story ideas (e.g. music I wanna compose for a future story) XD

For me, it's wondering whether or not this one art work will be successful or if my other unfulfilled ideas are actually better. What's keeping me focus is knowing that life is short and I just gotta trust that the current work Im doing is good. I'm sure I'll always be wondering regardless of what project I take on anyways.

Ye basically I figure it's more to do with the execution anyway, right? So if my current project isn't successful it's probably got to do more with my current skill level than the idea I chose; if I worked on a 'better' idea with the same skills, I'd probably get a similar result

[tarraxahum]

I am currently suffering from a new idea persistently nagging my brain while I'm stubborny continuing my work on the ongoing comic, so I guess that's my answer - I don't deal, only endure xD

The idea of doing two things at the same time has occured, but that would require serious reconfiguring of my current release schedule and such (especially since I actually have to, you know, WORK on a completely different job in the meantime, too)

I guess we'll see for how long this new idea will stick around. If it's still relevant to me once I finish the current chapter, I may see what I can do.

For now I'm doing the "If I ignore it, it will go away" strategy.

[Samael-il-Ifrit]

slap yourself while you go read the original draft and see if that idea can actually improve the story or is just a random thought.
usually works for me.

[ladyofthedarkwoods]

If it’s a brand new idea, I just let it play out in my head and maybe write it down if it’s actually good.
I actually let myself get distracted anyway, it does wonders for my main story to take breaks

[Jam_J]

See, my problem is it takes me a while to come up with a fully realized story for the comic I've been working on for what feels like ages now lol. Then when I think I really have something mapped out, I come up with a WHOLE new direction in which the story could go and theoretically could be better? (Typically, at the expense of the narrative I've already set up.)

I've found the best way to cope with this is to just remind myself that letting go of the story I've already set up and worked on a lot will just leave me unsatisfied in the end. Rather, I should just expand upon that story and make it better instead of completely switching it up by means of, let's say, time-jumping or switching to an alternate reality or something like that.

In addition, I still like to keep alternate story ideas in mind for future reference, just in case.

[rajillustration]

For me, what stops me from starting new projects is I'm just sick. I got long covid, I'm an adult who has to work. Like I ain't got energy for distraction anymore, so I have a lot of projects on the shelf that I know will never be realized, and I'm at peace with that. You don't need to make everything. Some things are just for my brain.

[system]

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