Well I am glad to know I am not the only one that needs to do one thing at a time when it comes to writing.
I generally have one project that I am working on, and if it is in the initial writing stage, the only time I turn my attention to anything else is if I hit a dry spell or just feel I need a change of pace, in which case I'll turn to some other ideas I've set aside or perhaps start to brew up a new one for future consideration. If I'm either researching for a future project or editing a current one, I will take regular breaks to feed the need to be creative.
I usually write a project and if I get tired of it, I'll move onto something else for a while. If ideas come up for other stories I'll write them down and maybe even start a sketchy fish-bone map for what I have for the story.
i've always been working on several major projects at a time... but not everyone can do that, so don't feel 'inferior' or whatever if you can't focus on more than one... just makes you [and i] 'different'... hugs, m
I have a friend who is typically working with the editors of her latest accepted book, editing the latest finished book, writing the latest WIP, and planning the latest idea. I hate her.
In the long long ago I used to try to do a novel and short stories at the same time. I ended up finishing nothing. It took me 4 years before I realized I needed to focus in on one thing and drive it to completion. It only took me another few months before I had a finished first draft. Using that same discipline and focus I produced 3 more first drafts over the next two years. So it looks like one thing at a time is the way that works best for me. Problem is, I keep getting new ideas. So now that I know I have the discipline I think I'm going to try 2 novels at a time. I'm about 50% sure it'll work. We'll see how it goes. But it's all about figuring out what works best for you. All that matters is finishing--if you don't ever finish anything, you have to regroup and work out a new strategy. Finishing takes discipline, and it's easy to get distracted by a fresh, new idea when you've been working on the same old same old for months. The key is knowing that you'll eventually come back and finish that old one. For me that took a lot of time and practice.
Thank all of you who have replied. I think for me, I will stay writing one at a time. I get distracted to easily.
Recently the past couple days my imagination has been firing on all cylinders. That's to say, I'm coming up with plenty of good ideas. Just wondering from everyones experience what you do with all those ideas. I'm torn between writing down a quick synopsis of each, or getting a page for each down, so the general form of the story remains when I come to it later. Perhaps I should be focusing on a singular story, giving that my attention until it, or a rough draft is finished. Then after one thing is done, go to the next ideas. My method so far, has been the splash one, or write every idea down, and focus on whichever one holds my attention as the best possible to develop atm.
I take down every idea I get. Not in great detail, but you never know when you might use it. You could even end up integrating it unto your current story.
When I'm working on a writing project and I get an idea or ideas for other projects I write them down in a MoleSkine notebook then when the current project is done I review the idea or ideas that I wrote down and see if any of them are suitable for a full fledge story or book.
I work on whichever idea I'm currently most interested in. Lots of times I'll completely ignore one story for months and then bounce back to it and get a ton of work done. I find it's better to work on whatever's interesting me at the moment then force myself to try and get through one while working on another would be done with a lot more interest and care. If I have an idea I think could really work but find I'm not in the mood at the moment, I'll write a half a page for it or so and it becomes added to the list of things I'll come back to when I'm in the mood.
When I'm working on something and a new idea springs up, I open a notebook or a word doc on my computer and jot down everything that is coming to me concerning the idea. I try to flesh it out as best as possible, even to the point of writing a few pages so that when I come back to the idea I can slip into it. In the past I've jotted down ideas in such a flimsy way, that I have no idea what I intended for the story or what made it special enough to jot down.
I go with the notebook/journal too. If something bugs me to the point of distracting me from what I'm working on, then I know it's important so I make a note of it in the journal. Once I've finished (or gone as far as I can) with what I was working on, I go back and review the notes. If the time is right, I'll work on that, if not, I'll leave it for another day and move onto something else.
If you are getting a bunch of ideas, unless you have a great memory you should write down all the details that make it a good idea to you. At least enough so you know where the story is going to go and any other key points that you think help with the story line. If you are asking what I do, unfortunately I don't get a bunch of ideas flooding in, one is enough to challenge me. I like to think about the story and the little bits and pieces that would develop the story before moving on to another idea, so go 'solo focus' as much as possible.
I write the ideas down, in pretty sketchy form. Interestingly, when I come back to them later, I find that probably at least half of them are crap. Things that seemed good at the time, but that don't really stand up to much scrutiny. Makes me glad I didn't spend too much time on them when their glossy newness was disguising their lack of depth.
Imho stick to one project/book at a time. Your behaviour comes out a a fear that you will run out of ideas. You won't. You are clearly creative. Have confidence and finish this project. Then move on and new ideas will come.
I was just wondering how many stories do people work on at one time. Is it better to focus on just one or do you flit between them. I currently have eight on the go, which I think sounds crazy even to me. They are all in various stages. One is nearly complete while some I have barely started. I just find that some days I wake up with one story in my head and the next day it is a different one. What do you suggest?
Work on eight, peak on one, foam, post it away. Return to other stories, agonize over previous story posted to Granta/Tin House. Rewrite it, post elsewhere. Juggle eight stories, turning to fifty stories, that over a lifetime becomes one coherent mass. Post plob to literary agents, start again.
I'd say the more the merrier. Like @matwoolf said, whenever you get stuck, rigid, with a story, put it down. Pick up another that hasn't been touched in a while. Just don't stop writing! your voice will develop and your stories can avoid becoming overused themes and ideas. By stepping away from them every once in a while, to let your mind get away from the bias of it's own creation, you give your stories the complexity and originality to stick out from artist who don't take the time to do this to their work.
Two at most for me. One novel, one short story. Anything else is logged into my column of "novel ideas" or "short story ideas" and put away. It's easy for my mind to wander. I have to force myself to stay disciplined.
I'm still working on my first book, so right now I'm only working on one. I do have ideas for other books written down and I think about them when I'm out and about. I'm not sure if that counts as working on a book, though.
Write whatever you have inspiration for - the best writing happens when you're in the mood anyway As long as it works for you, which it sounds like it is, then keep doing exactly what you've been doing and let no one tell you otherwise. What works for me may not work for you. The key is finishing - if you are able to finish your projects and you are happy with the pace you're going at, then awesome. Don't worry about it. There's more than one way to write, and don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. For myself, I work on one project at a time as I prefer to focus and get really obsessed with it lol I believe a lot of people like to alternate between 2-3 projects so when they get bored or stuck on one, they can go work on another and always keep writing, so they never hit a block.
I've got two in the works right now. One that is undergoing massive draft 2 changes, and a new project I recently started up. I used to be like you, Gladiatrix, where I had six or so works going. I found, though, that for me that ended up being too many at a time. One would get way more attention than the others, and some I hardly ever got any ideas for. So I dropped them and focused on one, and now two. As for your working on 8 at a time. I say there is nothing inherently wrong with that as long as you can keep everything straight between them. Good luck with it.
Do you have trouble completing your projects? If you do, you might want to cut down on the number. If you don't, great! Keep going!
I can start working on the story, left it in the middle by switching to another one and then complete it in 1-2 years. My max is 4 stories "in progress". The question is all about my insparation.
