I have always admired authors who can work on two, three, or even four projects at a time. Some seem to do it with an ease that makes the task look so simple it should be a must for all writers.
Uh huh. Right. You betcha. If it really was that blasted easy then every author should be able to do it. Stands to reason. So I'm going to attempt the task myself. That's right, you heard it here first, I am vowing my pledge to write two books at once.
But what is the best way to accomplish the task? I have initially started by assigning each piece a word count for the day. X-amount of words on project one, and x-amount of words on project two. Seems the logical choice, split up the workload evenly between the two manuscripts and voila...both completed and finished at roughly the same time.
I'm not finding this approach so easy, however. I get good and involved on one project and whoops...time's up...set it down and move onto the next. Nothing kills a good writing flow better. And if I continue to write that particular project, I always know in the back of my mind that I have to complete the assigned count for the other project. Plus it's hard to shift gears, juggle the plot lines, and keep the characters from blending into one another.
I'm thinking of switching tactics, giving each separate work their own days of the week...i.e., for three days I work on project one, and for the next three days project two...take a day off to rest, and off I go again. This way I can give each work my undivided attention for a few days before switching gears completely and moving onto the next. I like this idea, I think it will allow me to immerse myself fully into each book, and when I get bored with it or blocked, I get to set it down and move onto the next.
Of course two sessions of a smaller word count each can sometimes seem more achievable than a single session that requires a longer commitment. AAkkkkkk. See the dilemma? I have the usual amount of ADD and get bored rather quickly, so going for the smaller sessions felt like the right idea in the beginning.
So what do you think? Who out there has managed to successfully work on more than one manuscript at a time, and what works for you? Any and all ideas would be most gratefully appreciated. :)
Help...I think I need it!
Step Into The Mists with our adventurous band of award-winning authors to otherworlds of paranormal, SF, fantasy and speculative romance. Nervous? Don't be. The creatures that live here are friendly. Most of the time... This blog is for age 18 and over only.
3 comments:
I can't help you, Gia. I'm a one manuscript at a time gal.
I can't juggle two at once. I like to get into a project and stay there until I'm finished.
Even if I end up having to break off and do edits on another book, that's what I do...I edit. When all the edits are done, then I go back to the WIP.
I simply don't know how some authors can work on more than one project at a time. My hat is off to anyone who can.
N.J....lololol...I'm beginning to think I'm a one book kinda gal myself. Thanks for stopping by, Gia
The last time I tried it, I found myself using the same phrases in both books. *sigh* It didn't go so well.
Sometimes I'll take a break for a day or so or for a week to write on my cowritten stuff. But I mostly like to focus on one thing at a time. It suits me much better.
Post a Comment