When Inspiration Strikes..

I’ve been planning my next novel for months, and it has usually served as an escape from editing/revising Inked (you know, those moments where you just can’t read your own writing again or you’re going to burn it all?). While I had planned on starting to write the book before NaNoWriMo this year, I have been far too busy. So it looks like I’ll be going ahead with the first draft of “Jake” in November. (As a side note, I think picking a title for my books is harder than writing them sometimes.) Though, I do plan on making this book about 65-70k words. So, let’s see if I can do that this year.

So, why am I frustrated?

Because I have been mentally planning out Jake for months, and YESTERDAY I got a new idea for a story. And after having unsolicited inspiration strike, I dreamed that I wrote the new story all night. I hate having a productive dream night. I wake up so tired and worn out, but having nothing to show for it. I craft, plot and write all night, and then wake up to find out that SURPRISE – I didn’t actually do all that work.

Back to my dilemma, it seems like the smart thing to do would be set aside the new idea, and continue forward with Jake. Well, yeah, except this exact same thing happened last year and I took the new idea and ran with it, and now I have a completed, edited, revised, soon-to-be-published novel.

Ugh, I have a few days to decide, but I have to start seriously plotting the new one if I’m going to actually persue it.

Quick rundown of the two ideas:

Jake  has spent his life trying to live up to the status quo, but after his wife leaves him he moves in with his gay brother.  Through the eclectic  people who share his brother’s house Jake experiences what love, friendship,  and living life should be through new relationships.

Or

A male character has spent his life immersed in music, and when he meets the first girl of his dreams in highschool he has to come out of his shell to try to show her his feelings. The story would follow the character through his 20’s.  The style of the book would be like a written mix-tape, and the chapters a kind of verse, chorus, verse structure. I love the concept, I just don’t know if I have enough time to prepare to write this. I could make it my 2010 project, but I’m  excited about the possibilities that come with such a unique idea.

Anyhow, I should decide soon. Any thoughts from readers?