Stuck Between Ideas? How to Pick Your Next Writing Project

Drowning in half-baked ideas and “what ifs”? Here’s how to pick a writing project that won’t just keep your attention—but actually get finished.

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You know the feeling: your brain’s a crowded subway car of writing project ideas, all jostling for attention, all yelling “Pick me!” Meanwhile, your schedule—and your sanity—are begging you to choose just one.

Welcome to the creative curse: a dozen solid ideas, zero clarity on which one to pursue next.

But here’s the thing: the idea you choose does matter. The right project makes everything easier. The wrong one? It’ll drain your time, your energy, and your enthusiasm before you even hit page ten.

Let’s help you pick the one that’s worth your time.

What counts as a “writing project”?

If you’re picturing a 300-page novel or a Pulitzer-winning feature, let’s pause right there. A writing project doesn’t have to be massive—or even public. It just needs a beginning, a middle, and a goal.

For some, that might mean:

• A newsletter series or podcast script.
• A batch of student writing prompts for your classroom.
• A grant-funded storytelling initiative through your local writing project site.
• A set of reflective essays on teaching, place, or community—James Gray style.
• A nature-writing workshop in a national park with young people (yes, that counts too).

Whether you’re a freelancer mapping your next pitch or a classroom teacher supporting student creativity, naming something a “project” gives it shape. It signals to your brain: This matters. Let’s finish it.

📌 Pro Tip: Calling it a project helps with focus, accountability, and—let’s be honest—momentum. And momentum is everything when you’re balancing your writing with, well, life.

1. Start with the end: What’s the goal of this project?

Not all writing projects are created equal. Some are meant to make money. Some are meant to make magic. And some are just meant to get you out of a creative rut.

Before you commit, ask yourself: What do I actually want out of this?

• Are you trying to land a byline or break into a new publication?
• Do you need a project that brings in income now—or something that builds long-term career capital?
• Are you itching to experiment with voice, genre, or format?
• Are you chasing momentum, confidence, joy?

Defining the outcome helps you reverse-engineer the project. Want clips? Pitch faster pieces. Want to grow creatively? Choose something weird and uncomfortably exciting. Want to build an audience? Consider what serves both you and your readers.

📌 Pro Tip: The clearer the goal, the easier the yes—or no—becomes.

2. Consider the season you’re in

Not every project fits every season of your life.

If you’re burned out, in between gigs, parenting full-time, or juggling freelance deadlines—your writing project should match your current capacity, not your fantasy calendar.

That 100,000-word novel idea? Maybe not ideal during your busiest client month. That micro-essay series you can draft during your lunch breaks, however? Perfect.

Ask yourself:

• How much energy do I realistically have right now?
• Do I need a fast win or a slow burn?
• What kind of creative focus can I actually bring to the table?

A sustainable writing career isn’t built on heroic spurts—it’s built on smart pacing. Choose the writing project that fits the life you’re living now, not the one you wish you had.

3. Gut check: What do you want to work on?

Sometimes, the most strategic project is the one you can’t stop thinking about.

Yes, you could choose the one that feels impressive. The one that makes you sound “productive” in a group chat. The one that fits neatly into your professional bio.

But if your gut is pulling you toward something else—a weird personal essay, a one-act play, a short story series set in a haunted coworking space—listen to it.

Desire is fuel. The more excited you are, the more likely you are to actually show up and do the work—especially when life gets messy, your confidence dips, or your momentum stalls.

Your curiosity isn’t a distraction. It’s direction. Trust it.

4. Evaluate scope: What will this project require?

Some writing projects take a weekend. Others take two years and your entire soul.

Before you commit, zoom out. What’s the actual scope? Not the Instagram version—“I’m outlining this novella over coffee!”—but the real one: how much time, energy, research, and emotional bandwidth will this thing demand?

Ask yourself:

• Is this a short creative burst—or a long-haul commitment?
• Will it require interviews, travel, legal knowledge, therapy?
• Is it doable alongside client work, family responsibilities, or your current creative season?

There’s no wrong answer—but getting clear on the scope up front helps you avoid the mid-project spiral of “Why did I think I could do this?” (You can do it. Just maybe not all at once.)

5. What’s the ROI—creative, financial, or strategic?

Not every writing project has to be a revenue generator. But every project should give you something in return—whether that’s joy, portfolio material, long-term visibility, or cold, hard cash.

Ask yourself:

• Creative ROI: Will this stretch your voice, explore a new format, or reconnect you with your own writing after too much client work?
• Financial ROI: Could it lead to paid opportunities, licensing potential, or future projects that bring in income?
• Strategic ROI: Will it grow your audience, deepen your niche, or position you for the kind of work you want long-term?

📌 Pro Tip: There’s no shame in choosing a writing project because it lights you up or because it pays the rent. Ideally, it does both.

6. Do you have the skills—or room to learn them?

Some writing projects push you to the edge of your comfort zone—in the best way. Others ask you to do what you already do well, just at a higher level. Both are valuable. But the real question is: what kind of stretch do you have capacity for right now?

Maybe you’re refining your voice through personal essays. Or maybe you’re building writing instruction modules and realizing your “content strategy” brain is kicking in. Either way, the use of writing evolves with every new project.

• If the project demands new skills (SEO, narrative structure, dialogue, pitching)—is that a challenge you’re up for? Do you have the bandwidth for a writing program or professional learning at this stage in your career?
• Does this support your professional development in a way that’s aligned with your long-term goals?
• Will it deepen your writing experiences or just overwhelm you?

Growth doesn’t require a degree program. But it does require awareness—of your gaps, your goals, and your willingness to fumble through something new.

Staying motivated mid-project

It’s easy to fall in love with a writing project in the beginning—when ideas are flowing, deadlines feel far away, and everything smells like possibility.

But the middle? That’s where most writers get stuck. The novelty has worn off. The ending is nowhere in sight. And suddenly, even folding laundry feels more productive than opening your draft.

Here’s how to push through the murky middle:

• Sprints beat marathons”: Set a timer for 15 minutes and commit to just that. Then do it again tomorrow.
• Accountability helps: But only if it’s kind. A trusted peer, a co-writing date, or even a Slack check-in can do wonders.
• Zoom doesn’t have to mean torture: A quick virtual session with a writing buddy (or five) can get you back on track—especially when everyone’s showing up with bedhead and low expectations.
• Let the project evolve: If your idea no longer fits, shape it into something that does. That’s not failure. That’s growth.

Whether you’re drafting a novel, teaching writing in a high school setting, or knee-deep in professional development programs that once felt shiny and now feel like sludge—remember: hitting a wall doesn’t mean the project isn’t worth finishing.

It just means you’re doing the work. Keep going.

What to do with the ideas you don’t pick

Just because you’re not choosing an idea right now doesn’t mean it’s lost forever. In fact, setting aside an idea is often the most strategic thing you can do.

Here’s how to treat the “not now” ideas like the gold they are:

• Create a home for them: A notebook, Google Doc, Notion board, voice memo folder—whatever works. Just make it easy to revisit.
• Make it part of your writing process: Idea parking is not procrastination. It’s how you make space for the right project, at the right time.
• Recycle and reimagine: That rejected essay angle? Might become a podcast pitch. That abandoned course idea? Could turn into a panel at an upcoming event or a continuing education partnership.

The best writing programs—and the most productive writers—know that momentum comes from focus. Choosing one project means temporarily setting the others aside. You’ll come back to them sharper, more experienced, and with a clearer sense of purpose.

Let them wait. You’re working.

Final questions to ask before you commit

Before you dive in, pause and gut-check your next writing project with these questions:

• What’s the real reason I want to work on this right now?
• Does it align with my current creative or professional goals?
• What will it require of me—emotionally, logistically, financially?
• Am I choosing this because I want to, or because I feel like I should?
• Will I need to learn something new to pull this off—and am I excited to?
• How will this fit alongside my other responsibilities (client work, family, teaching)?
• Is this a short-term sprint or a long-term slow burn?
• Do I have the support, structure, or accountability I need to finish?
• Is this the best use of my energy at this season of my career?

And one final filter: If your writing life were the kind of retreat you’d actually want to attend—no panels, no lanyards, just you and the work—what would you come home proud of?

That’s the project to pick.

One project. All in. Let’s go.

You don’t need to write everything. You just need to choose something—the project that matches your season, your skills, and your spark.

Because when you stop spinning and start building, everything changes: your focus sharpens, your voice deepens, your progress actually happens.

Word by word, project by project—you become the writer who finishes things.

Need support choosing, starting, and sticking with your next writing project?

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