Sneaky side project!

Following on from last Monday's post . . .

You may remember I mentioned that I need a spark to pop in my head to get me to concentrate one projects?

Well, every now and again when I am trying to concentrate on particular projects I suddenly find myself hit in the head with a new idea. Is that a bad thing? No, not at all, but it is bad when I suddenly want to write this new story and therefore continue to ignore the project I am trying to concentrate on. It's very annoying.

It happened with She-Wolf. Don't get me wrong I love the stories, and characters, and had a seriously awesome time writing the story, but I was in the middle of writing my sweet contemporary novel "Stepping Stones," which is to be released sometime soon.

Obviously, I eventually got around to continuing and finishing Stepping Stones, but this situation - and I am sure it happens to many authors - is very frustrating, because it causes fractures in concentration. But it does make me wonder if "there is a time" for particular projects. Are certain ones supposed to come first?

That sounds like an insane question since I am in charge of what I write and the order I write these stories in . .  then again, no I'm not. My crazy muse is in charge, and she is all over the place that it does surprise me that I can actually finish projects sometimes.

But has this actually happened to anyone else? Have you been trying to concentrate on a project and been side tracked from it; and a few times?

I mean, the project I'm trying to work on is two interlocking stories of a new series. I plan to self-publish this series, and I love it, but I have been working on it for a year now. I started planning this book last Spring, but I kept tossing plots etc. in the bin because I didn't like them. I finally had the plot idea and everything in place by the end of the year, and started writing the two stories at the same time at the beginning of this year, and then I hit a wall. So, I backed off . . . and got hit with two other ideas, which I just dived into and finished. O_o

Now I am back to concentrating on this particular project - and I have ordered my cover. My god, I am so excited to see what it looks like!! - trying to get my head back in the game, and "bam" sneaky side project jumps on me. Thankfully it isn't a big story idea. It will be a short story, but grrrrr! Why does my muse do this to me?

Am I a little crazy, or is this making sense? Do you authors get sneaky little side projects creeping up on you that you suddenly have to write?

P.S. I know it sounds like I'm moaning, and I guess I am in a way, but I'm not ungrateful for any ideas that come to me, or for being able to sit and write with no problems. I just get very frustrated when I desperately want to finish a project and I'm having trouble, and I don't know why I am. Grrr, very annoying.