by Cindy Sproles @CindyDevoted

One. Two. Three, four…five. Yep, Five. And that’s just the ones I’ve written three chapters of. You’ve heard it said to keep a notepad by your bed. This way, when you wake up in the middle of the night with an idea for a story, you can write it down and not forget it by morning.

Not me. When an idea hits, I generally have to write at least one chapter to jog my poor memory, but more often than not, it’s three. This is just me. Other folks are different, but for me, I need more than a line.

The question that follows is, why?

The short answer. I’ve learned that it’s time to move ahead when one project is complete. The long answer is that any writer needs a back pocket file filled with possibilities, and those possibilities need to be developed enough to make sense if a publisher requests them.

I keep a file on my computer labeled “Back Pocket Finds.” Even when I’m working on a contracted book, I’m forever perusing this file and looking for ideas that move me. I also have a file of titles because titles come to me long before the story. Again, this is just how my mind operates. The point is, when you have a file of additional ideas, you never run out of things to write. And honestly, as you grow your writing career and have an agent, there will be times you’re asked for a second idea.

The request may come from a publisher who likes your work but needs a specific piece. Or it may be that your current publisher loves your books, but the one you’ve submitted doesn’t fit their shelf at the time. Having a backup file ready gives you quick access to additional stories or ideas that may suit the publisher’s needs better. Don’t you think having a second chance ready behooves you? I sure do.

For example. My agent presented an entire novel and proposal to my publisher. They liked the work but didn’t see that it was a current fit. “Does she have anything in the back pocket?” My agent was happy to present them with a second project “idea” that the publisher then contracted. That novel became Coal Black Lies, a novel I’d written seven years ago. It was released in 2024. Are you seeing the importance of working on more than one idea at a time? 

The next idea is there. It may not be complete, but it’s enough for the publisher to get a strong idea of the project. Back pocket work is valuable, and every writer needs several.

Even if your back pocket projects are uncompleted, you still have a nice synopsis and three chapters that you can present when asked. A completed project is not necessarily crucial at this point because publishers are simply looking at a style twist they like, and if there is a project that can develop into a work that fits their needs.

I frequently see writers with one completed project who continue to pitch that same manuscript year after year. I know what they are bringing to me before they sit down. There is a time when an author must accept they have done their best on a project and then move ahead. Stop spinning their wheels. It doesn’t mean you give up on the project. Instead, you lay it aside and begin a new project while you wait for the opportunity to finish the first one. As my grandmother used to say, “Loosen your knuckles and see what other candy is in the pouch.”

Start project two. You’ve learned to write even better in project two, and maybe that story will land you an agent. Your agent may ask if you have any back-pocket ideas. Project two may be great, but it doesn’t fit the publisher’s needs. Still, they love your writing and your twist on things – it’s fresh and unique, so do you have any other projects? It would be a grave disappointment if your agent said no to the publisher. When you hear conference teachers, agents, and publishers talk about moving ahead, understand this is why.

Work on new projects. Entertain the new ideas that arise as you work. Take a day to write one to three chapters while the idea is fresh in your mind. Put a brief synopsis together that describes the plotline brewing. Name the characters so that you will remember. Title it. Save it in your back pocket file. Take a break from the original project and let it percolate. Work on a back pocket chapter or even a new idea in the interim. Build that reserve. Too often, we have an idea that slips into la-la land because we don’t give it enough respect to develop it into something usable.

When you develop back pocket projects, you expand your writing career. It may not be a novel or a non-fiction book, but it may be an article or a children’s story idea. Give it life and allow it to brew.

It’s easy to write one work and then get hung up on “the one,” never making an effort to move ahead. I’ve heard, “God told me to write this” a zillion times. And though I never doubt that God has placed that story in your heart, it doesn’t mean that this is a story He will move into publication. It may be cathartic for you, or maybe be a tremendous series of articles instead. It could be a subject dear to you, and you’ll stick to it to completion and “learn the craft.” The point is to continue moving. God may tell you to write something, but don’t put words in His mouth as to the use. Depend on His timing, not yours. Write. Turn your projects over to Him.

Keep those back pocket projects growing. You may be pleasantly surprised by how your career begins to grow.

Cindy K. Sproles is an author, speaker, and conference teacher. Having served for a number of years as a managing editor for Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas and Ironstream Media, Cindy now works as a mentor, coach, and freelance editor. She is the co-founder of Writing Right Author Mentoring Services with Lori Marett and the director of the Asheville Christian Writers Conference. Cindy is also the co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and www.christiandevotions.us, as well as www.inspireafire.com. Her devotions are in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and her novels have become award-winning, best-selling works. She is a popular speaker at conferences and a natural encourager. Cindy is a mountain girl, born and raised in the Appalachian mountains, where she and her husband still reside. She has raised four sons and now resorts to raising chickens where the pecking order is easier to manage. You can visit Cindy at www.cindysproles.com or www.wramsforwriters.com.