Writing Multiple Novels At The same Time

[bestwrite06]

Does anyone find writing multiple novels at the same time to be very beneficial? Many times when I arrive at a point when I am stuck, I will move onto another novel. It puts me in a different frame of mind as my novels are quite different. Therefore, when I do return to the original one, my mind is fresh. Are others in the same boat, or do you just push through?

 

[pmmg]

I do not do this. I am pretty driven to do one at a time. I have written short stories while also doing a novel, but....pretty much, when I have energy to spend, I'd rather move the story along. Thats not to say, it could not be useful to write this way, only that....I don't think it would work for me.

 

[skip.knox]

Pushing through also has this benefit: knowing you can do it. Until you do it, until you write something all the way to the end, through all the edits, the formatting, the marketing, all of it, you don't actually know what it entails and whether or not you can do it.

Once accomplished, then perhaps undertaking multiple stories simultaneously could have its own benefits.

 

[Prince of Spires]

I don't. Like the others, getting 1 story to the end is already enough of an undertaking for me.

With that said, I do know of others who do write on multiple projects. There are a few famous examples (all of which I forgot) of writers who indeed work on half a dozen projects at the same time and each day they simply work on whichever one they feel like the most.

Every writer is different and has their own approach. If this works for you (where works means you actually finish stories), then go for it.

 

[CupofJoe]

I know a few poets and musicians that seem unable or unwilling to work on just one thing at a time.
To me it seems like they thrive on the mixing-it-up energies they get by switching back and forth.
But for [long form] writing I have enough trouble keeping one train of ideas going.

 

[ThinkerX]

I alternate. I write the first draft of novel 'A' and set it aside when done. Then, I write the first draft of novel 'B.' When that is done, I go back and do the first rewrite of Novel 'A.' But, except for the rare short story, I do not quit a given draft in the middle.

 

[Penpilot]

I've always had one novel going, and around that I'd write shorts stories and plan out the next novel. But, as I'm finishing up my current novel, I'm going to give writing two novels, maybe three, at the same time a go. We'll see how well that goes. Best laid plans and all... haha

 

[MudDobber]

Likewise I prefer to hold my attention on one written work at a time.

 

[Super Fantasy]

I usually write one novel and three or four short stories at a time.

 

[Insolent Lad]

I am always working on several projects at once, and will have multiple novels 'in development.' I think that might be easier for us who prefer a 'rolling revision' method as there will be a solid foundation in place when we return to a project.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

We have the Books of Binding, which is our long-running Urban Fantasy series, and now a second series, an Epic Fantasy trilogy, is deep in development. So, we're always working on more than one book at a time. Going up and down the 60-year Binding timeline to make adjustments as we publish and the world building makes things canon, we're constantly jumping from project to project. And it's just going to get more complicated as things go along.

 

[Mad Swede]

I sometimes work on two or more novels at once, but this isn't out of choice. I have a publishing contract, and part of that is that my publisher has an option (effectively first refusal) on anything I write. In practice that means that they ask me about the next book almost as soon as one book has gone to my editor. So whilst one book is being edited I may be writing the next one and thinking about the one beyond that. I sometimes also have one or two short stories on the go too. I'm told this sort of thing is fairly common amongst authors with publishing contracts covering more than one book.

 

[Daan Doornbos]

Does anyone find writing multiple novels at the same time to be very beneficial? Many times when I arrive at a point when I am stuck, I will move onto another novel. It puts me in a different frame of mind as my novels are quite different. Therefore, when I do return to the original one, my mind is fresh. Are others in the same boat, or do you just push through?

Currently just working on one novel, but I do switch between tasks (research, outlining, studying) whenever I get stuck. So I can relate to your experience.

 

[bestwrite06]

Thanks for all the response. I am seeing that its more of a personal choice, for one reason or another. Whatever works best for each individual.

 

[dollyt8]

Does anyone find writing multiple novels at the same time to be very beneficial? Many times when I arrive at a point when I am stuck, I will move onto another novel. It puts me in a different frame of mind as my novels are quite different. Therefore, when I do return to the original one, my mind is fresh. Are others in the same boat, or do you just push through?

Definitely! I usually have a novel that is my "work" novel which I actually plan to finish and put a lot of work into and the my "fun" novel (or novels) which I use to clear my head.

 

[Gurkhal]

For myself working on several stories can help although I retain a VIS (Very Important Story ) which has priority.

 

[Ianto]

Just before Christmas, I found myself in a rut over the book I was writing. Finding it difficult to plough on. For the first time since I concentrated on it, I went back to other works I had started, and wrote a few chapters of those. Sharing them with others, I had some good feedback. It has worked in getting my enthusiasm for writing back. But now I have the problem of dropping them and getting back to the first book!

 

[pmmg]

If the first book is no longer of interest, dropping it in favor of another is not a crime. But...I'd advise pushing one to the end. A large pile of beginnings is like 2 in the bush. One in hand is better.