working on more than one story at a time

[Androxine Vortex]

I am always adding details and tweaking things on all of my stories but I only actually am writing/typing one right now. Do you work on multiple stories at once? I feel like I should justfocus on one at a time. What drew your thoughts?

 

[Androxine Vortex]

*are
Not drew

And I can't go back and edit I'm on my phone and it doesn't work

 

[Xaysai]

Because I am no new to writing, I try to focus on only one work at a time. However, I have been known to be working on several chapters at once; when I get stuck on one, I move to another.

It's kind of how I read books, I usually have 2-3 going at once so I can pick up another when I get stuck on one.

 

[BWFoster78]

I generally have two or three projects in the hopper at once, usually in different stages of development. If I'm deep into 2nd draft editing of one book, it's often a relief to switch to something where I'm creating a rough draft.

 

[SeverinR]

I started writing with three stories, they all churned.
So I would write to a point then start the next, and then a third.
All three are still in rewrites and I have two others started.
But with no computer they are stewing in the brain.

 

[Epaminondas]

Absolutely. After I work on something for too long I almost get burned out on it and have to walk away for a while.
When I get to a point where it's just not flowing like it should and I think the story is doomed I'll go work on something else for a couple of days (something in a totally different in genre).
When I go back to the original story a couple of days later it seems like it comes easier.

 

[Saigonnus]

I always have several things going, a couple of actual stories that are a decent way in, world building projects and other simple concepts that need fleshing out so it keeps me fairly busy when I actually get time to write.

 

[Penpilot]

It depends on you and how you like to work. Some people work on lots of different pieces, so when they get stuck on one, they can move on to the next story and work on that until they're unstuck. Others, like me, I work on two at a time. One writing and editing, a second in the planning stages. I know of people who like to be writing one, editing a second, and be planning a third piece. Only way to find out which you are is to try.

 

[Darkfantasy]

I have five right now I'm working on and they are all in different stages. 1 is in a second draft 2 has only just been completed 3 I'm currently writing 4 is one I'm mostly done planning and 5 is just an idea, literally like a paragraph. Because I get ideas easily and they hit me randomly and play on my mind I find working on them when I get them, to get that motivation to write it out of my system, so I can continue what I am half way through writing, it helps ensure I complete novels.

 

[Philip Overby]

I'm of the opinion now after working on half a dozen things at once, that this doesn't work for me. Not to say it doesn't work for others, but my number one goal is always to just complete something. Of projects I've worked on over the years, probably since about 2005 when I started getting serious about writing, here are my results, due to working on several things at once:
1. First big epic fantasy novel: 40,000 words (incomplete)
2. New big epic fantasy novel I started writing when I got stuck on the first one: 41,000 words (incomplete)
3. Another epic fantasy novel I edited out about 20,000 words of: 26,000 words (incomplete)
4. A weird novella I wrote that I sent out, rejected two times: 30,000 words (complete)
5. NaNo Project that I quit writing after NaNo: 53,000 words (incomplete)
6. Another NaNo project that I quit writing: 51,000 words (incomplete)
7. Most recent big project: 75,000 words (still currently working on)
8. Current work in progress: 70,000 words (still currently working on)

So basically for me, I've learned to get better at sticking with novels as I've gotten older. The ones with the two biggest word counts I'm still working on. Those are good signs. But I've left a row of forgotten novels in my wake mostly because I got bored or started working on something that was more interesting to me. Juggling several projects doesn't work for me personally. Just focusing on one and getting it finished usually works. I'm breaking my own rule by trying to knock out the final bit of two pretty large novels at the same time, but I'm confident I'm going to finish them.

My thoughts are this: if you can do several things at once and complete them all, then I say go for it. But if you abandon project after project for something better, then I'd say stick with one thing until you finish it.