You are halfway through a story.
Maybe you have already written 20,000 words. Maybe you are deep into revisions. Maybe you finally figured out what your characters are supposed to be doing.
And then it happens.
A new story idea appears.
Suddenly, there is a new character standing in your imagination. A new world starts forming. You can already picture certain scenes. Maybe you even know exactly how the romance begins, what terrible secret one character is hiding, or how the story ends.
Meanwhile, your current story is sitting there waiting for you.
I struggle with this myself sometimes, especially with ADHD. Staying focused on the story I am currently writing can be difficult when my brain suddenly decides that a completely different idea is much more interesting.
The temptation is usually to tell myself:
I’ll just write a little bit of the new story.
And sometimes that really does mean a few notes.
Other times, I look up and suddenly I have characters, worldbuilding, several scenes, and another unfinished project.
So how do we give new ideas room to exist without constantly abandoning the stories we already love?
First, Stop Treating the New Idea Like the Enemy
A new idea isn’t necessarily a distraction you need to get rid of.
It might actually be a really good story.
Trying to force yourself not to think about it can sometimes make you want to work on it even more. Instead, give the idea somewhere safe to live.
Create a document, notebook page, folder, or note for it.
Write down whatever is currently demanding your attention:
- The basic premise
- Character names
- Important scenes
- Bits of dialogue
- The ending, if you know it
- Worldbuilding ideas
- The romantic pairing
- The conflict
- The overall feeling or atmosphere
You don’t have to develop everything.
You’re simply telling your brain:
I haven’t lost this idea. I can come back to it.
That alone can make returning to your current project easier.
Give Yourself Permission to Write One Scene
Sometimes notes aren’t enough.
There may be one particular scene that refuses to leave you alone.
Write it.
Seriously.
You don’t have to start writing the entire book just because you wrote one scene.
Capture the moment while it’s exciting.
I especially like this approach because I am more of a discovery writer. Sometimes I don’t fully understand a story idea until I actually let the characters move around on the page.
Writing one scene can tell you a lot.
Maybe you discover that the idea has potential.
Maybe you realize it isn’t actually a full novel.
Or maybe you discover something wonderful that you can save for later.
Once you’ve captured it, however, try returning to your current story.
The goal isn’t to forbid yourself from exploring.
It’s to keep exploration from quietly becoming abandonment.
Create a “Next Stories” Folder
If you regularly get new ideas, give them their own home.
You could create a folder called:
Next Stories
Inside it, every new idea gets its own document.
That document can contain anything you want—character profiles, random scenes, titles, aesthetics, magic systems, relationship dynamics, or completely chaotic notes that only make sense to you.
Now your new idea isn’t competing with your current manuscript.
It’s waiting in line.
And honestly, having a folder full of stories waiting for you can be exciting.
When you finish your current project, you don’t have to wonder what you’re going to write next.
You already have options.
Figure Out Why the New Story Feels More Exciting
This part can be uncomfortable, but it can also be incredibly useful.
Sometimes we jump toward a new story simply because novelty feels good.
The beginning is exciting.
Everything is possible.
You haven’t reached the complicated middle yet. You haven’t discovered the plot holes. You haven’t had to rewrite a scene six times because something isn’t working.
But sometimes wanting to escape into another story is telling you something about your current manuscript.
Ask yourself:
Why don’t I want to work on my current story right now?
Maybe you’re bored with the scene you’re writing.
Maybe you don’t know what happens next.
Maybe the characters aren’t behaving the way you expected.
Maybe you’ve lost your emotional connection to the story.
Maybe you’re overwhelmed by how much work remains.
Or maybe you’re simply tired.
Those are very different problems.
If you identify the actual problem, you may be able to fix it instead of abandoning the manuscript.
Skip the Scene You’re Stuck On
One thing I think writers sometimes forget is that we don’t have to write everything in order.
If Chapter 12 is making you miserable but you can’t stop thinking about something that happens in Chapter 16…
Write Chapter 16.
You can come back.
Put something simple in your manuscript like:
[FIGURE OUT HOW THEY GET TO THE CASTLE]
Then move forward.
Sometimes the desire to start another story isn’t really about wanting another story.
We just want to write something exciting again.
So find the exciting part of your current story.
Write the kiss.
Write the betrayal.
Write the monster attack.
Write the magical disaster.
Write the argument you’ve been imagining for three months.
Give your brain something interesting to chase.
Borrow the Energy From Your New Idea
Think about what is making the new story so appealing.
Is it the romance?
The atmosphere?
A character dynamic?
A mystery?
A particular trope?
A new kind of magic?
Then look at your current story.
Is there something you’ve been neglecting?
Sometimes a shiny new idea can actually show us what we’re craving creatively.
Maybe you’ve been writing plot-heavy chapters for weeks and suddenly you’re imagining an incredibly emotional romance.
Perhaps your brain is asking for more character intimacy.
You don’t necessarily need to transplant the new idea into your current book.
Instead, use it as information.
What am I excited to write right now?
Then see whether your current project can give you some of that feeling too.
Try Having One Main Story and One Side Story
I don’t think every writer needs to work on only one project.
For some of us, that might actually make writing harder.
Instead, try having:
One main project + one side project.
Your main project gets most of your writing energy.
Your side project is where you go when your brain absolutely refuses to cooperate with the main one.
The important part is setting boundaries.
For example, you might decide that you work on your main manuscript first. Once you’ve written 300 words, revised one page, or spent 20 minutes with it, you’re allowed to play with your side story.
On a particularly low-energy day, even opening the main manuscript and writing a few sentences might count.
This doesn’t have to become another productivity system where you punish yourself for not doing enough.
The purpose is simply to keep your main story alive.
Define What “Not Abandoning” Actually Means
This is especially important if you’re a writer who struggles with focus, energy, chronic illness, ADHD, work, school, family responsibilities, or simply life happening.
Continuing a story doesn’t mean you have to work on it every single day.
You might not touch it for a week.
Or two weeks.
You might spend several days playing with another idea.
That doesn’t automatically mean you’ve abandoned your manuscript.
Instead, create a very small rule for keeping the story alive.
Maybe you:
- Read the last page once a week.
- Write 100 words.
- Add one note about what happens next.
- Edit one paragraph.
- Spend ten minutes brainstorming.
- Write down one piece of dialogue.
Tiny contact still counts.
You’re keeping the door open.
Leave Yourself a Trail Back Into the Story
Before you stop writing for the day, leave yourself something for tomorrow.
I love the idea of ending a writing session with a small note such as:
Next: Kael realizes the mark has changed. He hides it before Adrian sees it.
Now you don’t have to reopen the manuscript tomorrow and stare at the page wondering what you were doing.
You already gave yourself a starting point.
You can even leave yourself several possibilities:
Next scene possibilities:
- Kael hides the mark.
- Adrian notices he’s acting strangely.
- The bond reacts when they touch.
- Someone interrupts before Adrian can question him.
Your future self doesn’t have to invent the entire next chapter.
You just have to pick up the trail.
Make Returning Easier Than Starting Over
New stories are seductive because beginnings are clean.
Returning to an old manuscript requires remembering things.
Who knows the secret?
Where is everyone?
What was that magical rule you invented six chapters ago?
Why is this character angry again?
If you’ve been away for a while, don’t force yourself to immediately start drafting.
Spend a writing session reconnecting.
Read your last chapter.
Look through your notes.
Write a quick summary of where everyone is emotionally.
Then ask:
What does my character want right now?
You don’t need to remember your entire novel.
You only need enough information to write the next moment.
And Sometimes…Maybe You Should Follow the New Story
There is another possibility we shouldn’t ignore.
Sometimes the new story really is the story you need to write.
There is a difference between repeatedly chasing novelty and realizing you’ve genuinely lost interest in a project.
You are allowed to change your mind.
You are allowed to put a manuscript on hiatus.
You are allowed to realize that you’ve outgrown an idea.
You are even allowed to abandon a book.
The goal isn’t to force ourselves to finish every idea we’ve ever had.
It’s to recognize our patterns.
If you have fifteen unfinished manuscripts because every exciting new idea replaces the previous one, then it may be worth practicing staying with a story after the initial excitement disappears.
But if you’ve genuinely fallen in love with something new?
Explore it.
Just make the choice intentionally instead of waking up three months later and realizing you accidentally abandoned another book.
Your Current Story Doesn’t Have to Be Your Only Story
I don’t think writers need to stop having ideas while they’re working on a book.
That would be impossible.
Our imaginations don’t wait politely until we’ve typed The End.
Mine certainly doesn’t.
And with ADHD, sometimes my attention wants to sprint toward whatever feels new, interesting, emotional, or exciting at that moment.
I’m still learning how to work with that instead of constantly fighting against it.
For me, I think the goal isn’t necessarily perfect focus.
It’s returning.
You can wander into another idea.
You can write down the strange character who appeared in your head at midnight.
You can draft that scene you suddenly can’t stop imagining.
You can create a folder full of stories you desperately want to write someday.
Then you can return.
Again and again.
Because maybe finishing a story isn’t about never becoming distracted.
Maybe it’s about learning how to find your way back.
Writing Check-In
Do new story ideas constantly appear while you’re working on something else?
What usually happens when they do?
Do you write them down and return to your current project—or are you like me sometimes and suddenly realize your “quick new idea” has become an entirely new WIP?
If you struggle with this too, you’re definitely welcome to share your experience in the comments.
And if you’re currently trying to return to an unfinished story, here’s your gentle reminder:
You don’t have to finish the whole book today. Just find your way back into the next scene.
Happy Writing ^_^
Sara's Writing Sanctuary 