Juggling more than one work...

[Mr. Funktastic]

...is something I don't do well. It is something I've found I need to start doing, though, because I keep ending up with so many things on the backburner that just end up abandoned.

Any suggestions in this regard?

[J.S Greer]

I think that working on more than one thing at a time takes the focus away from where it should be: On your main project.

On the other hand, writing something small on the side can break the monotany and get you through dry spells.

[Willowmound]

I whish I could work on more than one thing at once. I can't.

Keeps me focused though.

Sorta.

[J.S Greer]

Id rather be focused. Its hard enough as it is without balancing 2 or more projects at a time :)

[Willowmound]

Heh, true.

[travelgal]

I can't work on more than one thing at a time, either.

Decide which one you feel most passionate about, and work on it, even if you feel like you're writing crap. Just BIC and write. There's nothing like the joy you experience when you finish your first novel.

Good luck!

[seun]

I used to work on two novels at the same time but they both ended up unfocused and weak. Now I do one at a time, bash out a couple of stories when I'm done and then start on the rewrite.

[johnzakour]

I enjoy working on multiple projects. In fact my brain gets a little bored if I'm not working on at least two books, one comic strip, a short story or ad copy, and a TV show or movie at the same time.

At the beginning of each week I write down the projects I want to focus on that week. I like to mix the long-term projects (books and movies) with short-term projects (short stories, greeting cards, comic strips, ad copy) as this way I do get the weekly gratification of finishing something. I then schedule set times to sit in front of my computer to write, whichever of those projects I happen to be in the mood to write. I usually like to write between 7am and 1pm and then from 11pm until 1am, Monday thru Friday. If my comics for the coming week aren’t done then I’ll write for a couple of hours on Sunday. These times are more guidelines than rules.

Besides my comic strip, I only force myself to write a specific project if I’m pushing a deadline (i.e. an editor is threatening me.)

Oh, I also consider promoting finished work as part of my “writing time.”

Sorry for the long reply.

[Zolah]

I can't work on more than one thing at once. When I first start a project I really have to force myself to write and the only thing that keeps me going is the sight of my gradually increasing word count. If I was trying to work on more than one thing, the word count would progress HALF as quickly, and I'd probably give up.

When I reach the mid-point of a novel, I go into lockdown and start flying towards the end, getting more and more consumed by my stories and characters until I'm spending every spare moment thinking or writing about them - trying to keep that up for a few weeks with two completely separate sets of characters would drive me insane, probably.

The only time when I've done anything like this was when I got blocked in the middle of my second ms and couldn't work on it for about three months. During that time I started a completely different type of story (for younger children, set in a contemp world) to take my mind off my worry and anxiety. It did work, but when I went back to the original project the interim one was abandoned and has never been completed. I suppose its main attraction was that it WAS so different to the story that had blocked me - once I'd finished that original story, I didn't need the interim one anymore.

[PattiTheWicked]

I usually try to have one project that's my main focus, and another one that sits in the on-deck circle. The second project is what I noodle around with when my main one gets stuck, or when I'm frustrated with my own progress. I can pretty much flip flop back and forth, because they're two very different projects, but I try to put most of my energy into the main one until it's done. That way, I've always got something waiting in the wings.

[Jamesaritchie]

I always work on multiple projects. I'd get very little done if I couldn't do this.
It may be a matter of practice, or just one of those things some people do well, and others do not. Most writers I know who actually earn a living from writing must have the ability to work on more than one thing at a time.

In reality, I think I always had the ability to work on more than one thing at a time, but college honed it. It's pretty difficult to get through college, especially with more than one major, unless you have the ability to switch projects at will.

But it always seemed a natural thing, to me. I need to have several projects going on at the same time. It keeps my mind fresh, my energy up, and I'm never bored or frustrated when something isn't going well.

[PeeDee]

When I was younger, I would happily do three or four projects at once. Then, I stopped for a number of years. I've noticed over the course of this past year that I've started working on multiple projects again. usually, one large over-reaching project and then a whole bunch of little projects which are generally on tighter deadlines than the big one.

Be careful though. If you haven't a reason for working on multiple projects, don't. If it's not something you're comfortable with, then all you're getting is distracted. It's the same, sort of, as getting distracted by the TV....but there aren't any particular warning signs, because what you're getting distracted by is another writing project.

[badducky]

I always work on multiple projects. I'd get very little done if I couldn't do this.
It may be a matter of practice, or just one of those things some people do well, and others do not. Most writers I know who actually earn a living from writing must have the ability to work on more than one thing at a time.

To further elucidate this excellent point: I'd be willing to bet money (not much, I'm poor... but a few good quarters) that Jamesaritchie does do some form of note-taking and/or prewriting.

If you want to work on more than one project at a time, prewriting and note-taking are essential tools for those of us who are neither geniuses nor idiot savants.

Me? No savant, I'm just an idiot. Good look diving into any of my files labeled "Notes_WiP" or "WiP_Outline" wherein WiP could be any number of projects I have in the air.

[PeeDee]

I don't know. I bounce around projects a lot, and I almost never take notes.

The only time I DO do any notes is if I dont' know what I'm writing about. Even then, I'm mostly just re-capping what I already know about the project, while my brain spins out the rest of the what I need to know.

It's been a lot of years since I wrote "character note" at the top of a sheet of paper.

[Jamesaritchie]

To further elucidate this excellent point: I'd be willing to bet money (not much, I'm poor... but a few good quarters) that Jamesaritchie does do some form of note-taking and/or prewriting.

If you want to work on more than one project at a time, prewriting and note-taking are essential tools for those of us who are neither geniuses nor idiot savants.

Me? No savant, I'm just an idiot. Good look diving into any of my files labeled "Notes_WiP" or "WiP_Outline" wherein WiP could be any number of projects I have in the air.

No, I never make notes of any kind for any reason. And certainly no pre-writing, whatever that is. If I can't remember something, I figure it's best forgotten. But I've found I'm able to juggle three novels, eight or ten short stories, and a few articles without losing track of what I'm doing, and when I should be doing it.

Then again, I don't make entires in my checkbook, either. I just remember how much I deposit, mentally subtract how much I withdraw through writing checks, and what the bank's fees are. Isn't this all that's involved in balancing a checkbook? I've never been off by more than a few pennies, but my wife, who writes down everything, and who spends hours working on her checkbook with pen and calculator, seems to overdraw at least twice a year.

Nor do I write down phone numbers, birthdays, appointments, etc.

I've always believed that memory is something you either use or lose.

And I hate making notes. They always seem silly later on. And I swear a note means I WILL forget something. Writing a note means I'll forget everything, including where the heck I left the note, if I even remember that I wrote a note, which I probably won't until I find it six months later.

Once upon a time, scholars were expected to be able to memorize a thousand facts in a single day, and many could do much better. I really do believe that writing it down is the worst enemy of a good memory. People have lousy memories because they make notes. Whether those notes are made with pencil and paper, or with software, they damage a good memory. Calulators do the same thing. Who even tries to memorize math of any kind these days?

I'm afraid old age may be slowly eating away at my memory, but I won't start taking notes until I can't remember how to get to the store and back.

[Del]

I've always believed that memory is something you either use or lose.



Unless you never had it. Actually my trouble is in recall. I'll usually remember, but way late. LOL, the looks I get when something is rolling in my head for days and I suddenly shout it out enthusiastically. If I were rich I'd be eccentric. :)

Now I have forgotten the topic.

OH!! (Had to refer to previous posts) I used to work on several projects at once but found they progressed slowly. I finally decided ONE PROJECT AT A TIME and then soon adjusted it to one big one and one little one. So I'll work on the novel and break occasionally to the short story. I find the break restful and the novel tends to progress nicely.

[ChunkyC]

Right now I have two novels I'm working on. One is 1/3 of the way through and I've caught up to my outlining, so I'm working on the next batch of chapter outlines.

While I'm doing that, I'm reading over the other novel which is a completed story, but only 50K words. Obviously it needs to be bumped up by about 30 or 40K if it's to be a full length novel, and so I'm going through a printout and making notes to see if I can get it there without just padding it.

While that's going on, I'm still jotting down ideas for short stories and other novels (I have in mind sequels for each of the current WIPs plus another independent one in a different genre), and doing my weekly newspaper column.

I probably wouldn't be bouncing around like this if I hadn't bogged down in the 1/3 finished novel. But when I hit the wall, what got me going again was switching to the other book. Looking at #2 for ways to build up the story sparked ideas for #1, and so now here I am working on two at once.

[UrsusMinor]

No, I never make notes of any kind for any reason.

Yikes.

[UrsusMinor]

I find it very hard to mix fiction projects, because for me, the voice of the project has to permeate my life. If I try to work on two fiction pieces at once, their voices tend to merge--and for the sort of thing I write, where each work has a distinctive voice, that is bad news.

On the other hand, I have no problem working on nonfiction and fiction at the same time. Ridiculous as this may sound from a neurological point of view, they seem to use different parts of my brain.

[jpserra]

Currently I'm working on a rewrite, a new novel, a new script and a reference book.

I occasionally have trouble keeping my mind straight, but work when the inspriation is going. As for notes, I keep notes at the end of the work, so I can easily pick them up when I begin working on the given piece again.

It's an individual skill. When I'm dealing with family members, then it all goes out the window.

John

[PeeDee]

I find it very hard to mix fiction projects, because for me, the voice of the project has to permeate my life. If I try to work on two fiction pieces at once, their voices tend to merge--and for the sort of thing I write, where each work has a distinctive voice, that is bad news.

If I found that happening, I would probably take notes. Mostly, I keep the voices seperate. Hell, I keep the moods and writing styles seperate. I can write a short story that's luxeriant and melodic (if it's called for) and then turn around and do five stripped-down rough pages of a manuscript. THat's just me, though.

[WildScribe]

I am a writer-for-hire as well as a fiction writer, so I am constantly working on non-fiction. I think I could pump out some poetry as well if I wanted to, and I know that I can do essays. Two stories at once, though? I'm not sure about that.

[Mr. Funktastic]

Hrm. I thought I was something of a minority for not juggling more than one fiction work very well, but it seems I was wrong. That's a bit comforting.

I've been spending most of my time on a short story, which isn't my main project, but it has to be finished by the end of next week. I don't really want to stop working on my main project, though, so I've been trying to shuffle the two between days. It's not too bad so far.

Thanks for the input everybody.

[johnzakour]

The bottom line for me is that currently in order to do this as a living, I need to have at least four projects going at once. Or else, I just don't make enough money to eat, pay rent and buy fun things. (Luckily, I enjoy doing multiple projects. Still if one project made it really big I would gladly cut down on a project or two.)

[jchines]

The bottom line for me is that currently in order to do this as a living, I need to have at least four projects going at once. Or else, I just don't make enough money to eat, pay rent and buy fun things. (Luckily, I enjoy doing multiple projects. Still if one project made it really big I would gladly cut down on a project or two.)

I think that's a big part of it. If the writing is your full-time job, you pretty much have to have multiple things going on at once. Both for the money, and because I imagine that working full-time on a single project could lead to burnout...

My writing time is pretty limited right now, and I've found that for me, I really can't split that up between multiple projects. Not if I want to get any of them finished.

[bsolah]

More than one project?! Are you nuts?! I'm struggling with one project!

Ok, I admit it; when my muse was more active (like actually alive) I worked on multiple projects. I'd just work on whatever I felt like writing at the time. But I'm no success story. I haven't finished any of those manuscripts, except for a few of the short stories.

[Cav Guy]

I have to work on multiple projects. It's just the way my brain works. I take some notes, but not tons. I've found frequently that if I'm stuck on one project working on another allows that dark corner of my brain to sort out the "stuckness" and I can return to the other project with things sorted out.

[Ms.Write]

Great topic - and something I often wonder about myself. My goal is to get started on a full-length novel and write at least one short story a month. The novel will likely take me over once I'm into it, and I'm not sure how easy it will be to tear myself away long enough to come up with short story ideas and focus there.

A lot depends on how much time you have to write, and how distracted you are by the other demands on your time. If you are already juggling a full-time job and have a busy home life, it may be difficult to work on more than one piece of fiction at a time. Though some people are more adept at this than others. I don't think I'm one.

[johnzakour]

I take some notes, but not tons.

I find the older I get, the more notes I take.