{"id":10738,"date":"2026-03-21T17:22:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T17:22:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/?p=10738"},"modified":"2026-03-21T17:25:51","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T17:25:51","slug":"how-do-you-choose-between-multiple-story-options","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.novlr.org\/the-reading-room\/how-do-you-choose-between-multiple-story-options\/","title":{"rendered":"How do you choose between multiple story options?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“I’m stuck on my story and I don’t know how to continue. I have a few continuations in mind and don’t know which one to pick. Every continuation works. I am a writer of a kind where if I write something, in my mind I’d be thinking ‘why didn’t I go with the other one?'”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

There are two really common ways to get writer\u2019s block. The first is to run out of ideas and not know how to progress your story. The second is having too many ideas and\u2026having no idea how to progress your story. Both come with their own sets of problems and their own techniques to push through. But thankfully, both problems are completely solvable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having multiple paths forward through a story might seem like a luxury to someone who is struggling to come up with ideas. But it can be just as frustrating as having no ideas at all. The problem with too many ideas is that every choice you make starts to feel like a compromise, and it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid questioning yourself and your artistic choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience, indecision comes from a fear of committing to an idea, and not a genuine inability to choose. All your options could conceivably work, which means that technically speaking there is no wrong answer. The only thing that will change is the story that you\u2019re telling, so it\u2019s all about finding the right direction that will speak to your readers the most. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Know your audience and your genre<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When you embark on any piece of writing for an audience, it\u2019s important to understand their expectations and desires. When you\u2019re struggling to find the best path forward, having a good understanding of the readers who enjoy not only your work, but read a lot in your genre can be the tiebreaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every genre carries expectations<\/a> that the audience shares, which can help you narrow down your options. For example, a romance<\/a> reader will expect an emotional relationship to stay at the centre of the story. If you follow a subplot that sidelines your leads, no matter how interesting it is, your audience might not gel with it. A thriller<\/a> reader, on the other hand, will expect fast pacing and tension, so a path that keeps up the story momentum would be a stronger choice than one that moves the plot in a direction that explores the more emotional moments of its characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This doesn\u2019t mean that you need to be constrained by genre conventions or write a book by committee. What it does mean is that if all your potential plot directions feel equally strong, thinking about who will ultimately read your work can help you narrow down the potentials into a workable plan. What option would be the most satisfying for your readers, and which option will deliver best on the promises your story has already made up to that point?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s okay to try multiple approaches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While you feel like you have to commit to one idea right away, there is absolutely nothing wrong with trying out different options to see how they fit. I experiment all the time when I have a few ideas in my head. Often, one ends up feeling right, or sparks more ideas as I go, which means it\u2019s the one I stick with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have lots of ideas for how you might continue a story, jot them all down and try them out. Set yourself a time target and write down each path. 30 minutes might be enough to get a feel for how each direction flows and whether they feel right for you. Often times giving yourself the space to try out different options will make it obvious which ones work and which don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some options might end up feeling boring when you write them, so you can safely abandon that thread. But some might give you a big creative push. They might excite you, or reveal something new about your characters. One might just be more fun to write. Ultimately, it\u2019s about moving you forward, so the option that helps push furthest rather than pulling you back is probably the right choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trying out multiple options isn’t wasted time. Even if you abandon two out of three drafts, you’ll have learned something about your story that you couldn’t have discovered any other way. You may use those ideas somewhere else, but ultimately, if all you get out of the exercise is clarity on how to move forward, it\u2019s time well spent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions you can ask yourself<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t want to spend the time actually trying out an idea, you can sit down and ask yourself some questions about each potential story direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Which option best raises the stakes of my narrative?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Which path creates the most interesting conflict?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Which option best serves my story’s theme?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Which direction surprises me the most, and do I think that will translate to readers as well?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Which options conform most to reader expectations for my genre, and do I want to push the boundaries of those expectations?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Which one am I most excited to write about?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    That last question matters more than you might think. Your enthusiasm (or lack of it) often reveals something important about where your story needs to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Strategies for committing to a choice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Follow the energy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Pay attention to which option you keep thinking about when you’re not writing. The path that occupies your mind at times when you\u2019re not writing is usually the one your subconscious has already chosen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Consider your characters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Ask what your protagonist would actually do in this situation. Sometimes we get stuck because we’re trying to impose a plot direction that doesn’t align with who our characters have become. Let them guide you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Think about consequences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Which plot option creates the most interesting ripple effects for the rest of your story? The best choice often isn’t the most dramatic in the moment, but it might open up the richest possibilities further down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Set a deadline<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Give yourself permission to explore, but set a limit. You might decide to spend one writing session on each option, then commit to whichever feels strongest. Without a deadline, exploration can become procrastination, so make sure you give yourself a healthy amount of time to explore, but keep it limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Dealing with “what if” regret<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Even after you choose, that nagging voice might persist: what if the other path was better?<\/em> So how do you deal with that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Remember that the other options aren’t gone. If you finish your draft and genuinely believe you chose wrong, you can revise. Nothing in writing is permanent until it’s published, so if you went down a path but want to try another, don\u2019t be afraid to redraft.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Recognise that doubt is normal. Every writer second-guesses themselves. It\u2019s all part of the process, and not a sign that you’ve made a mistake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • No matter what path you take, it will generate new ideas, complications, and new possibilities. Those discoveries belong to this version of your story, and any other paths can be saved for later use. Just because you choose another path this time, it doesn\u2019t mean that the others aren\u2019t open for exploration in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      “I’m stuck on my story and I don’t know how to continue. I have a few continuations in mind and don’t know which one to pick. Every continuation works. I am a writer of a kind where if I write something, in my mind I’d be thinking ‘why didn’t I go with the other one?’” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":10739,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[108,24],"tags":[58,28],"class_list":["post-10738","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ask-novlr","category-writing-tips","tag-plotting","tag-writing-tips","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nHow do you choose between multiple story options? | The Novlr Reading Room<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Stuck between multiple story options? 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