need to stick to one idea.

by manasi thakur
(mumbai)

Question: How can i stick to one single idea while writing the script?

It is said whatever ideas comes to mind we need to put down. I do same, when I get a clear idea of one content I start linking it further. Then after 2-3 days i come up with new idea on that script, then I re-write it and this happens so frequent, whenever I clear one idea next day or the other my mind gets some more creative idea and because of this I am unable to move further.

I would like to get an advice on how could I handle this?

Answer: Some writers refer to this experience as being seduced by the "bright and shiny." When we get a story idea, it is like a bright and shiny object. We want to work with it. We are dazzled by its brightness, and cannot see its flaws. But when we are in the middle of writing the story and working out all the details, we discover many flaws and problems we have to solve to make the story work. Then the idea loses its brightness and becomes dull. At this point, we can easily be seduced by a new "bright and shiny" idea that causes us to abandon our first idea.

The truth is, no idea will stay bright and shiny throughout the writing process, but that doesn't mean you should abandon it. You have to push through the dull middle stage, finish the story, and then polish it so that the finished story is far brighter than the original idea.

One thing that can help is to spend some time creating an outline of your story from beginning to end, using your first idea as a starting point. The idea is to develop your vision of the story as a whole. At this point, you can ask yourself if the story idea good enough to justify writing the complete script. If so, commit to it.

When you get a new idea, write it down in a separate place. Don't immediately re-write your first story. Look at the new idea in the context of your outline. You have to decide if the new idea will improve the story you are working on, and if it is compatible with your plan. It may be that the best decision is to put the new idea aside and use it for making a different story another time.

If the new idea seems worth incorporating into the story you are working on, really look at it closely. Don't proceed with it just because it is bright and shiny. Ask yourself how it will affect the story as a whole. Try re-writing your outline to include the new idea. Then compare the new outline with the old one. Make sure you move forward with the better of the two outlines.