Hello, I'm actually wondering how many books we can write/edit at once. For example, I'm currently editing the second draft of one of my books and the first draft of another. Would it be okay if I began another one? Is it simply preference, or is there a reason not to? I find switching between a couple of books to write and/or edit relaxes me. What do you all think? Thanks for your help.
It's all preference. If you want to start another then you can - just be careful not to neglect your other works for this new story.
It all depends on you. Can you handle it? Will you wind up neglecting one or two of your projects because you spend too much time on another? Will you be one of those writers who starts ten novels and never finishes any of them? You can work on as many projects as you like, as long as you finish them. Don't use a new project as an excuse for not finishing an old one.
I think it would be fine to start working on another novel. Editing can seem tedious and you can only change from novel to novel for too long without wanting to let your brain relax from the analytical side. Just be careful as to not feel overwhelmed if you start to write a novel and feel like you are neglecting editing. I am currently editing a novel and writing a different novel at the same time. I find that it helps because I don't know what mood I am and want to be able to variate.
I have left things half-done. In fact when we are in the middle of a book we feel gloomy and dissatisfied. Rather than continuing with the same obsolete project we want to give a new start and that is why at times a number of books may engage me at the same time. I have a dozen of stories half worked and I may give up on most of them and am unsure how many will get finishing touches.
are you writing with a partner, haribol?... do you both get dispirited in the middle of writing a book?
It's up to you. Do what you can handle. The most important thing is that you keep yourself inspired and working. Don't just grind through a draft because it has to be done. If you feel inspired to write something else, then by all means write it!
I once heard the advice that you should always be writing two novels and three short stories. By which is meant that you pick one to work on every day. It doesn't matter which. It could be the same one start to finish. You write until you get stuck and switch to another. That's not for me and it may not be for you. I get a spark of an idea and just bleed on the page until I'm dry.
