Hi all, I'm (at present) primarily a poet. However, I also write short stories and reviews/articles. I have had some poems published; also reviews and articles. Less fiction, though!
A few years ago I began a novel. I go back and away from it every so often. The following year, I started another novel, and a couple of years later, I had another idea for a novel. I currently have three in various stages of drafts.
My question is:
Do other people find it useful, or a hindrance, to work on several projects at once? If useful, are these projects similar - i.e. several novels at once, several short stories at once? I find it useful to pick up something different if I'm stuck with one project, but I wonder if I need to be more focused on one particular thing. I'm curious what you guys think. Thanks.
Excellent answer, ASG.
It is hard question that needs to be answered at length. It is one of those questions that normally puts people off replying.
The mistake I made in my early writing was not having completely outlined my novel. I meandered and went off on tangents.
I was not in control of my novel.
I regained control after I went back and thoroughly outlined my novel.
I would agree with Adrian.
What I would suggest is to go back to each of the individual stories and decide (like Adrian says) where each of the stories is going, what the story you want to tell is, and outline each of them. That way when you go back to them you have a focus. Even if you stray from your outline, that doesn't matter, but the story in your head that you want to tell will be written down, at least in note form.
You might find that in doing this, that the stories are closer together than you think (if they are the same genre/audience/set in the same world).
Before I completed the first draft of my novel, I had previously written 18,000 words of which I thought the direction of my novel was, in the end I binned the majority of it and only kept around 1000 words which formed the back-story of one of my other characters. I even have the opening chapters of the second book in the series written down.
I am now some way through the editing of my novel, and much has changed from where I have written new passages to replace old ones, as well as writing in completely new sections.
I do have two other projects which are in progress, one has a firm outline, the other was started for NaNoWriMo, which unfortunately due to personal circumstances meant that I never got anywhere near the finish line, although I do like the idea. Both of these projects have been put on the back-burner while I focus on the second draft of my YA Fantasy novel. Though I will say that when I was writing my YA Fantasy and Adult Sci-Fi novels at the same time, I found it helpful as if I suffered from a block I could get over it by writing the other, and vice versa.
Hope this helps, feels like a bit of a ramble...
Hi Laura.
I believe you need stickability as a writer, otherwise it will take and age to finish a single project.
The reason writers get stuck is because, they have not outlined their novel from the beginning to the end.
I know that is easer said than done but try to focus on the beginning, middle and end of your novel.
Think about your plot and storyline and then write down some working chapter titles. Keep adding chapter titles as more of the storyline unfolds in your mind.
I hope that helps.
Good luck.