How many projects do you have on the go at once ?

shellw

I was just wondering how many different writing projects people have on the go at once.
I have my main novel on the go which is YA, and also have an idea for a chic-lit novel too which I keep doing little bits on, and also looking at the 2500 word bonk buster story comp. Am I trying to do too much or is it good to keep moving to different things ?
Thanks :)

montholon

Good question. One of my problems is that I tend to flit around too much; short stories, articles, even the odd poem. I really envy writers who can choose one genre and stick to it.

dora

There is a link on here somewhere shell, where bored robots asked this question.

If you use search, you should find it.

At the moment, I have two short stories I am working on, plus looking for a market for one I have finished.

boredrobots

The curse of the writer! I always have multiple projects on the go at the same time. I guess it's just something you learn to get used to. It's that or jump to a new project every time you get a new flash of inspiration. I file a new novel idea at least once a week, just as a few scribbles or brief notes. So occasionally when a great idea hits I try and work on it at the same time as other WIPs.

At the moment I have three novels on the go, one is serious (34,000 at moment), and the other two are mostly notes and structural stuff but I add to them quite often. Three completely different genres as well...which is fun :S

I'm writing two short stories at the moment as well (3000 and 2000 at moment), both of which need to be finished ASAP.

I'm learning to deal with multiple projects in a much more productive way, and sometimes having another story to switch is a good way to make sure you keep writing.

Some comments on how people deal with multiple projects:
http://www.writersnews.co.uk/writers_talkback/comments.php?DiscussionID=138722&page=1#Item_18

dorothyd

five separate books, with at least three or four others started.

Chippy

I have my main project - historical mystery - that is always going along in the background no matter what else I am doing.

I have a steampunk short story, possibly novel, idea which I am working on. Then somewhere deep in the dungeons of my mind there are at least 3 other novel ideas lurking - in 3 different genres.

Then I have various short stories on the go - including any competitions I want to have a stab at.

I have 2 blogs

...and a partridge in a pear tree! ;)

casey

[quote=dorothyd]five separate books, with at least three or four others started. [/quote]

Wow. Puts me to shame. One novel finished, one at 30,000 words plus a couple of short stories. When I get stuck on the novel, which happens quite often these days, I do something with a short story. Any new ideas get noted and filed. I try not to work on more than three things at a time, but I'm very tempted to go back to novel one and improve.

forget-me-not

I have my 2 books and at least one short story on the go usually, though I can only concentrate on one thing at a time and stick with it for a few months before switching.

Carol

At the moment four different things all at various stages.

Verica

One 'Life into Fiction' type novel, which I haven't touched for three months, as I've been away for a lot of the time (only about 14 000 words so far), several poetry competition entries, editing or rewriting several poems, trying to keep up with answering several long emails . . . and still wondering where to send several articles.

LilyC

Oh Gawd, loads. The old novel is still at 54,000 words but am gradually typing it up and changing it considerably as I do. I've got one story in the GuildFest Comp, and one poem submitted. I've got four other shorts that I'm on the 3rd or so draft of - mostly horror, one historical. A few others scribbled out and waiting, and some pomes on the go too.

Then there's Magenta Shaman who is hanging around in notebooks across the house and jut waiting for her first outing to be snapped up.

Piper

Too many. I'm a Gemini.

Two novels, too many story ideas than shoes, etc etc.

Claudia

I always try to have article ideas lined up - but I do stick to writing them one at a time. The only exception is if an editor suddenly asks for something, which happens occasionally.
Otherwise, I write little bits of fiction - like talklback's owc - and occasional travel writing or fiction competitions if I think I can come up with something suitable. I like to do these bits and bobs in and around my article writing; makes the writing life more varied and interesting.

Jediya

Oh god... it's definitely in double figures. And probably work on about 5-6 at the same time (or at least the same day).

SilentTony

This is the bane. I'm working on my strongest idea for a novel, which in itself has become something of a beast, while putting others aside. Not because I don't think they have strength but because I couldn't do two at once. I write numerous stories and come up with millions of ideas during this though. I guess that's why the WIP file is always the biggest a writer has.

Of course I have my main notebook for my main work and then the ideas book for anything that comes up. But I've introduced a new book called Flow which is for anything and everything. It's like a dumping ground for ideas and I don't have to care what goes in there. There are story ideas, bits for my novel and next one, drawings, songs, musings and anything else that flows from my head.

I guess my point is it doesn't matter how much or how little you have going on as long as you record it and work on it when you can.

montholon

I think the traditional term for Silent Tony's 'Flow' would be 'a common place book' and I have one too. It's becoming quite a fascinating collection of bits and bobs.

Phots Moll

Couple of novels in the early stages, one I'm editing, a lot of short stories at different stages, a file full of ideas and research. I break off from that lot to do an article or work on competition entries occasionally.

Maybe I should learn to concentrate?

dorothyd

butterfly mind often works better, PMK, it's going where the muse takes you.
For me, it is where spirit take me. There is a serious WIP going on here, plus the revival of a 20 year old novel that is finally going someplace, Elizabeth and Mary's book is under way, Katherine of Aragaon's is under way, Paul of Tarsus has one chapter done already, the new one, The Road To Calvary is building. But ...I am scanning books into the computer to put back out in the market place, one of those occupied all of yesterday evening's work session. 65 pages done and counting. They are part of my writing pension, I need them done.

Helen

I am only working on one novel! :-) I did take a short break from it and wrote a short story a few months ago. For me, I like to devote all my attention on the novel. But I would love to have more than one project on the go, not sure if I could handle it. I know it has its advantages and I always think to myself that I need to be more active in my writing, and do more. I do make notes whenever I make an observation or an idea comes though. I may give it a go and see how I go, I might be pleasantly surprised.

dorothyd

everything is worth trying, Helen. The thing is, if one project is temporarily stalled, writing something else often releases the subconscious and you find the answer to the block of the first one.

Helen

Hi Dorothy, yes that's true. Thinking back now, I think I got bogged down when I was writing the novel, and that led me to write a short story. I remember enjoying working on something new, and when I got back to the novel, I was more refreshed. So good things do come out of working on more than one project at a time. :-)

shellw

It's interesting to know how different people do things and what works for them, Thanks everyone really appreciated :)

Carol

I really consider I've made some sort of breakthrough this year. Usually by the time the school summer holidays come round my brain has usually gone into temporary hibernation, but has been stimulated by considering something new.

Helen

Thanks Shellw for starting this thread. I found it very interesting too, and everybody else that has replied is doing more than one project. It has really made me think that I should give it a go. Maybe 2 projects then, not lots. :-)

dorothyd

if you start with two, I guarantee you'll move on to more ... it really works.

shellw

Yes thanks for all your imput, I didn't know if I should be doing more than one thing at a time but now I'm glad I am
As always you've all been great :)

pbw

Wow you guys are all so prolific! You know where I'm at (see my discussion 'First Draft'). I'm knackered, I haven't done any writing for last week or so, but I am posting to my blog and that is quite demanding. Actually, I have started researching and outlining the plot for my second book with my same characters, so I suppose that does count. However, I find it very difficult to work on more than one thing at a time. I need a week by a warm pool somewhere...

Red

I just counted all the writing stuff I'm doing at the moment and I've counted 5 short stories, 3 articles and the OWC stuff, plus other odds and ends and more research going into the second novel. Enough to keep me out of mischief.

PaulaH

there's a novel I keep going back to, plus short stories that suddenly appear in my head. loads of notes for all different projects scattered around too - I need to be more disciplined

Kangaroo

At the moment, I'm working on one short story but I do have the seed for the next one in the propagating shed.

dorothyd

PBW, it works to keep several projects on the go, saves you getting so immersed in one that you can't see the wood for the trees. By coming away from my current book and spending time scanning and editing, when I went back to it (yesterday) the revisions were clear, to my eyes, anyway, quite a few sentences were cut in half, others truncated, made for better reading. Tomorrow we will work on, (if my voice recognition is working, we will get a lot done, if it isn't, back to typing...)

Chippy

When I first decided to start writing I read a number of books on writing.

One of them said that when you finish your first draft you should put it away for about a month [or 3!] and then get on with something else i.e. another novel.

At the time I laughed at this - I wouldn't have anything else to work on while I left the first draft. However now it looks as though the only problem I'll have when I finish my first draft and it is 'maturing' is trying to decide which of the other projects I have, to get on with!

robin1

Well, I must be the freak then, because I tried doing more than more than one writing project and it didn't suit so I am concentrating on my novel, which is progressing by leaps and bounds at the moment.

Helen

I think it probably depends on the type of writer you are. :-) But I guess there's no harm in trying new things and go back to what you usually do if it doesn't work.