Juggling multiple writing projects: A good idea?

Jan 08 2010

When I get excited about an idea for a short story, I need to start working on it before the excitement dwindles. Once the excitement vanishes, the story almost never makes it from my brain to word processor. The problem is that sometimes I’ll get a great idea for a story while I’m already working on one.

I find it hard to divide my time between two short stories, and usually end up favoring one while letting the other collect dust on my desk. The story that always collects dust is the one I have the hardest time with (either with plot, characters, etc). This is a bad habit because most problems writing fiction can be worked out with enough time and effort.

Right now I am juggling writing two short stories. While I prefer not to do this, the situation is different because both stories are in different phases of ‘production’. One is in the proofreading/editing/revising stage while the other is an incomplete and very rough draft that isn’t even a coherent story yet.

So is it a good idea to juggle multiple writing projects? Of course the answer to this question will vary with each writer you ask. The biggest benefit to working on multiple writing projects is that, if writer’s block does hit you on one story, you can move to the other for a while, until the block passes. The downside is that it’s hard to divide your time and imagination to two or more stories (the problem I have).

So my question to all you readers is: Are you able to juggle multiple writing projects? Or do you finish one story before moving on to the other? Leave a comment below and share your answers.

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One Response

I’ve been juggling writing projects for a while now. If it was practical to take another route, I might, but I’m doing quite well with the set-up I have.

At the moment, I’m putting out 2 original shorts a week. I’m also hard at work on my first novel. Then there are various other projects that are in the backburner, but still require a certain amount of attention. It’s not always easy to juggle, since I’m also a full-time college student, but it is manageable.

I think it all comes down to the 3 P’s: priorities, planning, and practicality. I have determined how important each project is (to me and to others), and I plan accordingly. I know my deadlines. I know what absolutely has to get done on time and what coule be re-schedulded if neccessary. I also know which project I’d drop like a hot potatoe if there was no other way. That makes scheduling quite easy, as long as you stay pratical. I used to set those huge page-count goals for myself, planned on writing multiple shorts in one sitting, and generally put myself under unneccessary pressure for the longest time until I finally realized it’s not going to help anyone. Now I plan practically. I know myself well enough to realize I’m not going to sit and write for 5 hours straight, so I don’t schedule for that. What I’m saying is, don’t set yourself up for failure. Go at your own pace, and juggling projects should be doable.

If you want to chat some more, feel free to hit me up. Your question is an intriguing and important one.

Vinz 1/9/2010 1:50 am