Working on two (or more) projects at once?

[ProfessorBrainfever]

Do you do this, or forbid yourself?

I'm at the point that I have one major project at a time (my stage play or my novel) and then go back and edit the previous one while writing the first. I also have some smaller projects going at the same time (my podcast).

Right now, I'm outlining my next novel.

Is that a no-no? Should I concentrate solely on one thing, and wait until I'm finished with at least the first draft until moving to the next? What do you prefer to do?

 

[ALB2012]

I am editing book 2 and writing book 3

 

[Steerpike]

I currently have five or six going. I dislike working on a single project at a time, though at some point I'll force myself to stick to one of them to finish it. On the whole, I like to have multiple projects in the works.

 

[Devor]

I am currently:

Outlining, Worldbuilding and Character Mapping for a novel.
Writing a set of short stories to set up characters for that novel.
Writing a series of articles for Mythic Scribes.
Writing entries for various Mythic Scribes Challenges.
Considering a side-project to showcase my writing talents.

At the same time, though, if I was pushing myself to write and finish a novel, I'd probably cut some of the others to help with the focus. It'd probably be more along the lines of "I'm working on six or seven chapters at once" or something.

 

[Ireth]

I always have multiple projects on the go. Currently I have two original novels, one original short story, two fanfictions (and ideas for many more) in progress, and that's not even getting into my long-running RPs or my stage play adaptation of the Silmarillion. (The latter is purely for fun, unless I can actually get the rights to have it performed.)

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

As long as your actually completing projects then I don't think it matters.

I usually commit to one project at a time until the 1st draft is completed. Once that's done I put it away for awhile (a couple months or so). During that time I will start working on something else.

When the time comes to start editing & revising the 1st draft of the project that's been sitting in a drawer, the writing seems a bit strange. This is a good thing. It doesn't feel fresh in my mind. It doesn't seem like my writing. I find this really helps experience the book more like a reader would and aid in good revisions.

If I can keep enough good ideas in circulation (not always the case) it's a constant cycle.

 

[Christopher Wright]

I am currently working on three things if you count just stories. If you split them out into various forms of media (i.e., text vs. podcast) that goes up to 5.

Oh, and my day job. 6.

*whimpers*

 

[SeverinR]

When I started I had 4 books going at once, I thought it was just an explosion of writing, but now I have two going with a third in thought process.
I think I might just like having several stories at once to keep from getting bored or becoming a machine/robot to the single piece.

I think you do have to limit what you work on, rather then just starting 15 stories at once and never getting more then a few chapter in to any single one, stick to a workable number, keep the ideas fresh, and still be productive.

 

[BeigePalladin]

Its really up to what you feel comfortable with, but I do feel that if you have ideas - no matter what your currently working on - you should at least jot them down somewhere. they may come in useful later even if you don't follow said project through

though I don't think its a bad thing to work on more than one thing at a time; if you throw yourself purely into one thing and dedicate all your time to it you run the risk of burning yourself out or killing your enphusiasm for it, making it a chore and probablty causing you to drop it/put it on hold and work on something else anyway.

so i say start something new if you feel you want to - if you want to finish the previous thing, you still will, but also remeber theres no shame in putting something on hold to focus on one thing if you need to

though as for what projects I have on the go right now (litterary and other):

Designing a full Sci-fantasy universe, including visual graphics and history for a game I'm working on
Working on three main litterary projects (two urban fantasy, one hard superhero sci-fi*) with a further three in the works at various stages of completion
Improving my artistic portfolio and finishing off a few series
Working on a comic book
Working on a DnD 3.5 addaptation of Bleach

so i might be a bit baised towards multi-project XD

* Yes, you read that right

 

[writeshiek33]

i am working two projects at once tghen again one is being done through ghost writer

 

[Caged Maiden]

I can't function without multitasking. Perhaps its just habit, but I am always working on multiple things.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Since I started writing my NIP, I was only working on that for the subsequent six months or so. Then in January I wrote a couple of short stories, then I went back to my NIP. So I'm really only working on one, maybe two things at a time.

I have lots of ideas but they'll keep. The only way I'm going to finish something as large as a novel (and it's creeping ever closer) is to focus on it.

 

[Devor]

I have lots of ideas but they'll keep. The only way I'm going to finish something as large as a novel (and it's creeping ever closer) is to focus on it.

The way the human mind works, another writing project can sometimes take the pressure off, help your mind relax, give your subconscious time to think, and actually help with the first project. I don't mean to suggest juggling - that has all it's own problems - but it might be worth trying something like the prompt of the week and to see if it might help or not.

 

[Sheilawisz]

In my case, working on three different stories back in 2009 and 2010 had an awful, devastating and nearly crippling effect on my writing energy reserves... It left me so exhausted that even today, two years later, I am still suffering the consequences: so burned-out as a writer that I am advancing in Queen Eternal with a speed far slower than the speed that I used to have before =(

I agree that working on two different projects at the same time can be beneficial (that's what I was doing all 2011) but writing three novels of three different worlds at once is too much, at least for me!!

I never want to do that again.

 

[Will]

Currently working on two projects, constantly getting ideas and thoughts which don't fit either one, I just have to scribble down and leave for later. Also getting a vague idea developing for a third project.

 

[lawrence]

As long as your actually completing projects then I don't think it matters.

I usually commit to one project at a time until the 1st draft is completed. Once that's done I put it away for awhile (a couple months or so). During that time I will start working on something else.

When the time comes to start editing & revising the 1st draft of the project that's been sitting in a drawer, the writing seems a bit strange. This is a good thing. It doesn't feel fresh in my mind. It doesn't seem like my writing. I find this really helps experience the book more like a reader would and aid in good revisions.

If I can keep enough good ideas in circulation (not always the case) it's a constant cycle.

This is a great approach !

Yes I have to agree, pushing on to completion is so important. And I think that starting another project before the previous is finished could cause you to become enamored of the new one and neglectful of the previous one, which now languishes in a drawer...the passion we once had for it now given to our new love

 

[The Dark One]

Looks like most of us are the same.

I've always got numerous projects on the go and endlessly having random ideas which get filed away for (hopefully) future use.

Currently working on:

- editing the latest draft of a novel after receiving the second round of comments from my agent's reader;
- two thirds of the way through the first draft of my historical novel;
- about a tenth into the first draft of the sequel to my first novel (published 2010);
- mapping ideas for a completely new novel set in 2030;
- jotting down preliminary ideas for any number of other novels;
- writing articles for a commercial blogging site, my own blog and a weekly magazine;
- working full time.

I have a very understanding wife.

 

[Helleaven]

Since I am forcing myself to finish my book for the first time in my life, I am working only on my novel. Of course, I don't count the map making process, the history and myth creation, writing the history of each race... Because they're all parts of the same project.

As for working on different projects at the same time, I would like to do that but it's time consuming unless you make money from it. I'm focused on my novel now, trying to make it perfect by all aspects. Actually thinking is taking more time than writing for me.

But I know that some writers are working on small side-works, when they need to relax and get inspired. They put aside their main project for a while, writing completely different short stories or things like that.

As for me, I like sticking with my only major writing project, which includes the history, the character creation, the myths and legends, the mapmaking, etc.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

The way the human mind works, another writing project can sometimes take the pressure off, help your mind relax, give your subconscious time to think, and actually help with the first project. I don't mean to suggest juggling - that has all it's own problems - but it might be worth trying something like the prompt of the week and to see if it might help or not.

I actually was sort of doing that at the beginning of this year, with a bunch of the challenges—but it didn't help. The time I spent doing other things meant I wasn't working on my novel, rather than recharging me or something. I've never really had any issues with getting myself to work on the novel; when I have spare time, I can always dive right in.

 

[Devor]

I actually was sort of doing that at the beginning of this year, with a bunch of the challenges—but it didn't help.

Yeah, if it didn't help then there's no reason to spend time on it if you want to focus on your novel. But it can help for some people, so it was probably worth the try.