Hey everyone! 

 If you’re like me, then you frequently have plot bunnies popping up out of nowhere. If you don’t know what plot bunnies are, basically they’re story ideas or concepts that pop into your head and refuse to leave unless you do something about it. And if you’re already working on a project (or more), it can be tempting to abandon your current story and try to chase after said plot bunny. So when do you know whether or not you should chase after the plot bunny that won’t leave you alone? Here’s some tips that I’ve picked up from my experience of constantly being plagued by plot bunnies: 

 When to chase after a plot bunny 

 If you’ve just finished a project or you haven’t had anything to work on in a while, now’s definitely a good time to try out your plot bunny! There isn’t really anything stopping you in this case, so there’s no better time to start something new. 

 If you’ve been stuck on your current project or just lost motivation to work on it, it may be a good idea to take a break from it. And if you don’t want to stop writing completely during your break, then what better time to try out a completely new idea? It’s a good way to get some excess creativity out when your normal outlet isn’t working. And you can always go back to your original project when your motivation for it returns or your excitement for the new one runs out. 

 If your plot bunny is just an idea for a short story (or even a series of short stories), there’s no harm in taking the time to write it! It can be fun to have a small side project for you to work on without it taking all of your attention. (Though be careful just in case your plot bunny decides to multiply and your short story ends up becoming a full fledged novel. Definitely not speaking from experience…)

 When not to chase after a plot bunny

 If you’re like me and you’re already working on multiple projects, it’s probably a better idea to save your new plot bunny for later. As tempting as it can be to chase after a shiny new idea, it’s probably best to set it aside for now and work on the growing pile of projects you still have to get through. (I say, as I ignore the hundreds of times I’ve neglected my giant pile of projects for another plot bunny that spawned in the last week. If y’all have problems focusing on all your projects, much less one project, believe me you’re not alone.) 

 Even if you’re only working on one project right now, trying to start a separate project while you’re making good progress on your current one is not a very good idea. It may cause you to lose motivation for your current project, and when the excitement of starting a new project starts to disappear, then you’ll just be left with two projects that you don’t have any motivation to work on. So if you already have a project that’s doing really well, it’s probably better to save the plot bunny for later. 

 If you already know how your plot bunny’s story is going to play out, then it may not be a bad idea to start writing it. But sometimes your plot bunny doesn’t even have a plot. It may just be based off of a certain vibe or aesthetic (that you may or may not have found on pinterest), or it could just be a concept for a world, character, or plot twist that doesn’t have a story yet. If this is the case, it might be a good idea to just let it sit until you have an actual plot. Unless you’re a pantser (unlike me, because in case you couldn’t tell I’m very much a plotter,) in which case it’s probably not that hard to start a story with only a few ideas in mind. In my opinion though, if you already have other things to work on and the plot bunny doesn’t give you much to work with, it’s a better idea to leave it be for now. 

 What now? 

 So what if you shouldn’t chase after a plot bunny, but you still really love the idea? What do you do now? 

 Write down the concept for your future self to come back to. Maybe even write a scene or two so you can get it out of your brain for the time being. Make a pinterest board so that you have the vibes and aesthetics to go back to later. (You might as well make the pinterest board now, right?) Then go back to your current project and keep working on it! Once you’re done or once you feel like you need a break, then you can try and tackle your plot bunny. Or forget about it only to find it a few months or even years later (like I totally haven’t done on multiple occasions). Plot bunnies may have a bad reputation for being distracting— which, let’s be real, is 100% true— but they don’t always have to be if you know how to handle them well! 

 So that’s my advice for how to deal with plot bunnies! How do y’all usually deal with your plot bunnies? (And how often do you have to deal with plot bunnies? Please tell me I’m not the only one who has like a thousand a year.) 

 Thanks for reading! – Em