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Multiple Projects-Do You Vibe?

C

Chessie

Guest
Hi, fellow Scribes! I know this topic has been brought up before but I'm looking for something specific. As of the last few years, I've only been a one project kind of gal and believe it's time to step up the game so that I can finally get serious about publishing.

What I'm asking is: if you work on multiple projects, how do you balance them out? Do you have a weekly schedule set or word count goal? How do you go about balancing them? Edit, plot, write at the same time?

As of right now, I'm doing a rewrite on my main WIP and plotting two other works (a novelette and novella). I'm trying to figure out how to balance these and want to get ideas for what other writers do just to get my brain fired up. Thanks! :cool:
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
I use to write one novel, edit a second, and plan a third. In between I'd try to write a short story or two. But now, I'm writing one novel, I'm planning/brainstorming another. I'll try to fit in editing/writing short stories in between. Though, I may go back to my previous model as demands dictate.
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
I recently (in the past year) made the switch from a one-at-a-time writer to a multi-project juggler.

However, I bit off more than I could chew by skipping through the addition of two, and even three more projects, deciding instead to crash headlong into four plus. That presented some challenges I wasn't prepared for, and I'm still recovering. Lesson learned.

The first thing I did was shelve my NIP and put it on the back burner. At the time it was 72k words completed to the midpoint of the story. I figured I would keep working on it as time allowed on the other projects. It didn't work out that way though. The reason? All the other projects involved other people in some fashion so they always took priority.

The first added project was a collaboration work with a couple other scribes. We're still working on it, but it's been slow moving as none of us had done any collaboration work before. We realized, after slogging through several months, that beyond the introductory chapters, we'd have to write and organize very differently. You just can't "pants and figure it out later" when there are other writers depending on your material. After some time, we decided we needed a detailed outline. And that's where we are now...finishing the outline for Act 3.

The second addition was writing a novella for the Trials of Job anthology being published by Ankari's start up publishing house, Cracked Anvil. The writing and revision process, working with Ankari as an editor, took more time than I thought it would. That's not a bad thing. The story is better for it after the 7th revision (2 after editor comments). However, that project had to take priority for a good while since I was working to a deadline not imposed on the other projects. Further, 6-8 other writers, plus the publisher/editor, were depending on my efforts. So, at that time, I had something like this as a priority list:

1) Trials of Jobe Novella
2) Critiques for live crit group and on-line partners
3) Mythic World Project (Scribes collaboration)
4) Solo NIP

Shortly after the completion of the novella's rough draft, I decided to take part in my first Iron Pen challenge. The prompts wouldn't let go of me and the idea that resulted demanded I write the short story "Benediction". As my first challenge entry on Mythic Scribes, I wanted to put my best foot forward so it took considerable time and several revisions. It won the challenge, and afterwards, I shared it with one of my live critique groups. They liked it so much, they convinced me to expand the story into a novella or novel. During that same period, I joined a second live critique group, started the Paint a Thousand Words challenge here on MS, and started the planning of a Post-apocalyptic novel. I wasn't even thinking about working "Benediction" into a novel before this point, but I suppose flattery from my live critique partners pushed me in that direction. As a result, I added a 6th and 7th project, both in the planning stages (my planning stages are extremely detailed in terms of structuring and outlining key points).

Another thing, the critique groups, on-line partners, and hosting/judging a challenge take up a considerable amount of time. They account for approximately 15 critiques I'm obligated to perform every month. The Paint a Thousand Words challenge is only a 1k word maximum, but the others range between 5k-7500 words. If you've ever seen my critiques they're detailed and take a good chunk of time. I've had to shelve the challenge for a few months while I clear some projects off the docket. It will return, but when I have more time to contribute. So the critique requirement has been whittled down to 8 to 10 reviews of 5k-7500 words each. That is in addition to the revising I do before each of my submissions to these groups/partners.

So, for a time, my writing priorities list looked like this:
1)Trials of Jobe Novella
2) Paint a Thousand Words Challenge
3) Critiques for the members of two live groups & online partners
4) Mythic World Collaboration
5) Solo NIP
6) Benediction planning (and revising the short story based off live critique group comments)
7) Aftermath planning (Post-Apoc working title)

What I learned:
1) I can't spread myself that thin again, unless I'm someday lucky enough to quit my day job and write full-time.
2) My word count goal (usually 500 per day, but adjusted up/down depending on work and family needs) must apply to the project in the top priority spot only. Anything else that gets done is cream, but I can't work on them unless the top goal is met or exceeded. The goal may not be strictly word count either. It may be revision/editing, outlining t o a certain point, or any number of other tasks. I try to focus toward actual writing as much as I can. but the days task really depends on the project in the top priority spot.
3) I learned how to say "No". I really should have stopped at three projects, keeping the rest in the back of my mind until the others were completed (That's where they are presently). One of my live partners is a film editor by trade. He wanted me to work with him on a screen writing project. As flattering as that was, and as interested as I am working with him in the future, I had to decline until I completed my solo novel.
4) An active, but passive, back burner is a good thing. Number 6 & 7 on the list above are the next things I'll write, when those listed before them are done. I'm not actively planning them anymore, but I am keeping notes, passively brainstorming, and chronicling ideas. The stories are getting better as a result. Taking this time to stew on the character and plot has made the stories richer and far more intriguing than it would've been if I rushed the planning.
5) Projects where others are depending on me, push me to work harder and on a timeline. It's my nature to place them ahead of my own projects. That may not always be a positive.

So, now that you have a history of my jump from single-project to multi-project...my system has developed into a priority list where the word count goal (or work goal if not drafting) is focused on the primary project. Once that is completed, and if I have extra time available in the day, my attention shifts to the secondary project, and on down the line. Rarely do I have time to work beyond #4, but it does happen on occasion and always on weekends.

I also constantly shift my priority list as things develop. For example, I turned in my last editor revisions on the novella about 4 weeks ago. While waiting for the editor's notes to come back, that project has fallen off the list. I've also returned my solo NIP to the top of priorities. What is already written for the novel is going through my 2 live critique groups now. The submissions are all on a timeline (5k-7500 per week maximum) so I need to keep it moving forward. I'm glad for that though, it felt good to get back on track with the novel, and I now know I work better with a deadline.

My advice.... add on incrementally, not all at once like I did. Learn what you can handle (and complete) piece by piece. Also, overestimate the expected time requirements. It's better to err in that direction than thinking it'll take less time than it actually will. Lastly, and this is something I did right (and completely by chance), vary your projects in terms of length and subject. Working on shorts, novellas, and novels, all with different styles, POVs, and topics made each one fresh as I moved from one to the next.

I hope this helps. Good luck.
 
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buyjupiter

Maester
Right now I'm in the middle of:

-one novel (mostly planning/world building at this point and realizing that it may be more of a trilogy...oops)
-one novella set within the novel's world (supposed to be a way of figuring out a bit of my world, has become its own thing now)
-one SF novella
-one SF short story, not related to the novella
-editing one SF story, one fantasy story, and one spec fic story

I've got several things that I've recently finished, that are waiting to be added into the editing mix, once I've got the three I'm editing cleared out.

As for balance? I work on the novella first, once I've gotten my word count cleared out for the day, I move onto another project. Mostly editing, though, as I rarely can switch gears enough to work in a different style very quickly. If I wrote on the novella early on in the day, and then did other stuff for the majority of the day and I happen to have some extra writing time at the end of the day--then I can move to a different project.

If I open up the novella and it's just not happening today, I open up the other projects and start writing in those. On the very rare days that I can't seem to get anywhere on anything, I switch my focus to editing as that's a completely different mind set to be in.

I really need to move my world building stuff up in the queue again, as that's suffered over the last couple of weeks, but my focus on the novella means its working and I'm getting stuff done in it...and I don't question that. Ever. I just go with the flow. Luckily I'm not on deadline for anything, so I can be more loosey-goosey with my approach. (But when I am on deadline for something, I can focus on it to the exclusion of just about all else until it is done. I do not like working to deadline very often, but when I have to I will.)

I will say this: if I don't have multiple irons in the fire, I feel like my one project is dragging me down. I don't feel as creative, I feel like I'm making cruddy story decisions, I feel like my character arcs have plummeted because they're wearing concrete shoes. I need to be working in as many different types of SFF, in as many different voices, in as many different narrative distances, in as many different styles as I can to feel like I'm a) being productive and b) keeping my creative juices flowing. By bouncing back and forth between the projects I can take one element I like from one and bring it to another--especially if it's not a commonly done thing in the genre/subgenre I'm working in--and hopefully add something new and exciting to my narrative.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
My balance resembles a teeter-totter. I have a novel that I've been working on for years. It goes on long enough that every once in a while something lands on me out of the blue. A short story. What was supposed to be a short story that turned into a novella. Another short story.

Every time it happens, the novel gets pushed aside and the new project gets all the attention. When it's done, the totter teeters.

This leaves aside getting ideas, of course. I have those. They go in a corner, where they sulk and cast evil glances at my novel. I come by once in a while to admire them and throw them cookies.

I cannot say it's the best way to work. I really wish things would not fall on my head, but when they do I can't bear to shove them into the corner with the others. I somehow know the story will get lost if I don't tell it. So I tell it, get it out the door, and return to the novel.

Working on two things at once doesn't make any sense. At best, I would take turns, writing a hundred words for A then a hundred for B. At which point, why not just stay with A or B until it's done? It's still taking turns, they're just longer turns.

I do stay away from writing challenges, contests, etc. No sense in distracting myself deliberately. I'm a big believer in monotasking. Do what you are doing, as the old saw has it.
 

ThinkerX

Myth Weaver
Ugh...

I used to intersperse short stories with the Novel-In-Progress - which added up to a hefty pile of short stories and a NIP that is somewhere between 'months' and 'years' behind schedule. While wrapping up a long, boring non-fiction project this winter, I decided to set some priorities, make up a sort of writing schedule.

First, was my 'Trials of Jobe' Novelette, which like T Allen Smiths, has been through a couple of rewrites. I had some 'stop and think about it' bits with those rewrites, so that turned into rewriting the easy stuff - obvious name / grammar / timing issues, followed by a week or two of nothing, followed by aha! - that's how to resolve this bit. I'd hoped to finish that in March, instead it dragged on into April.

The second project was a top to bottom rewrite of a novella I'd tapped out a few years ago - shortly after coming here, in fact. That project was slated to be finished about the end of March, but there were so many issues I didn't finish until a full week into April.

Way back during the holidaze, I told myself that the next Camp NaNoWriMo would be spent turning out a solid first draft of a second novella, a sequel to the first. That happened in April, and because I chose to finish rewriting the first novella before starting the second, that put me a week behind right there, which also means I'm still not finished. Getting blindsided by a couple of giant plot-holes didn't help matters either. On the bright (?) side, the expected total word count for that project has dropped from 30-35,000 words down to 25-30,000. I am hopeful I will finish this in a week or two.

On top of all this, I had some ideas that were too interesting to completely ignore during the course of the nonfiction project. So, every now and again, I'd dedicate a writing session towards turning out initial story drafts of sorts based on those.

So, yep, for a time, I was juggling three projects, which was a serious pain. I found that as far as original composition went, I had to choose one project per session and focus on it. If I finished quick enough - or if I hit a block - then I could go and do a bit of editing/rewriting on the other projects.

And for me, 500 words a night is the norm for new creation. If things 'click,' or I put in some extra time, that could hit 800-1000 words, but if distracted or at a tricky point, it can drop to like 300 words.

Moving ahead...well, once I finish this novella draft, its back to rewriting / editing the NIP. Editing bores me, and I have some short story ideas, so I may try tapping out a couple of those when I start getting lost in sentence diagrams. Past that, there's this rumor of another Camp NaNoWriMo come July, and I have another novella to tap out.

Overall - yes, multitasking is feasible, but as far as original creation goes, one per session.
 
When I started my main project a few years ago I planned to work on it and have it at least drafted before moving on to another. I found that working on one project only was sapping up my creative ideas and interrupting my flow of writing so I began to write short stories set in the same world as my main body of work to mix things up and from there I moved on to planning other works of different genres. I found that juggling work like this helped my creativity juices flow again.

Now, a little while later I juggle writing my main project, drafting out ideas on two other projects and writing short anthology comic scripts. I set small personal deadlines which help to add some sense of structure to working and when something is fully completed (usually the scripts first ) I submit or have them appraised before submitting. As a side note, I haven't had anything published as of yet.
 
The advantage of multiple projects is that they let you jump around if you get stuck, so you aren't sitting there doing nothing. The disadvantage is you never complete any of them!
 
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