Juggling Multiple Projects
One of the questions someone asked me a few weeks ago was what I thought of juggling multiple WIPs (works-in-progress). Yay or nay?
I’m ALL FOR juggling multiple projects. Honestly, it’s kind of the onlyย option once you’ve sold a book–you’ll be revising one or more books, drafting others that are under contract, and then hopefully writing more stuff for your own creative pleasure. You really will have no choice but to change directions and shift between projects on a dime.
That said, I’ve alwaysย been a person with multiple WIPs going on at once. My Muse is (as I think I’ve mentioned) a flighty, fickle creature. She likes to overload me with inspiration for Project A for three weeks…and then zip away to Project B for three weeks. Something about shifting from one project to the next helps recharge my batteries. Before I get too worn out on Project A, I move to Project B. Then when I return to Project A, I’m recharged and re-inspired.
Of course, this leads to a TON of half-finished projects…
Just to give you an idea of how many recent-ish projects I currently have lying around…
- Something Strange and Deadly book 3 editorial revisions (which will be under deadline and should arrive any day)
- Truthwitch (my current Muse-inspired obsession that has 50K written; I expect it to be ~110K+)
- Screechers (90K written of the third version–at least 100K words have been tossed; I expect it to be ~110K+)
- YA Mystery (60K written; I expect it to be ~90K)
- MG fantasy (5K + detailed synopsis written; I expect it to be ~50-60K)
- Space Opera (coauthored story with Sarah J. Maas; 60K written; we expect it to be ~120K)
- Nautilus (coauthored MG with Sarah; 30K written; project put on hold indefinitely)
Clearly some projects are farther along than others. I would estimate that since I began writing Something Strange and Deadly in 2009, I have written close to 1,000,000 words. At least. A lot of them were bad and got thrown out to make way for rewrites and better words. But a lot of the words stayed too.
No words were wasted–not a one. With each new book and draft and idea, I learn more about my writing. I become a better writer, a better storyteller, and a generally happier person (it’s true; zen is found in the growing).
AND, had I been paying better attention, I would have learned how to write “good” first drafts a long time ago by paying attention to the books that poured out of me–the books I wrote when I needed an escape from my contracted books and deadlines. The books I wrote when I was coauthoring with Sarah. But that’s a story for another time.
Interestingly enough, what has actually been hard for me is to dig in and ONLY work on one project when I’m under deadline. Book 3 is the perfect example of a time when I hadย to keep my head down, ignore all those shiny side projects on the side, and power on for more than three weeks. (Of course, during book 3, I finally figured out how to keep my Muse from being so ADHD, and that, my friends, has been life-changing.)
So, now that I have overwhelmed you all with more information than you EVER wanted to hear, the simple answer is: Yes, juggling multiple WIPs is good…butย only if it jives with your creative process. If you aren’t the kind of person who does well with a ton of stuff going on at once, then shave off as much external noise as you can! You’ll learn to cope with multiple deadlines and projects once publication time comes, but until then, keep things simple.
But if you ARE like me and juggling multiple WIPs helps keep your muse happy, then by all means, go for it!
You tell me: how do YOU feel about juggling multiple projects?
April 12, 2013 @ 2:11 pm
I’m the worst at juggling multiple WIP. I remember during university, I could never write stories and essays at the same time. Now, I’m only really able to do minor edits to one WIP while writing another. I wish that I had as many WIP on the go as you did… and based on your pinterest accounts, they all look brilliant and I hope that I see them all in book form some day. I’m curious though, why is Nautilus on indefinite hiatus?
April 12, 2013 @ 2:26 pm
I mean, consider that I’m not working on ALL of them right now. Though yesterday I did work on three…a NEW one that isn’t even on the list. Sigh. It’s kind of the only option you have once you publish. If you’re not working on more than one book in your series, then you’re probably working on multiple series.
Re: Nautilus, to be totally honest, Sarah and I got sick of it. After you write something and revise it a thousand times with two agents *before* it has even sold (when you will then be revising for another year), it’s easy to get sick of something. We knew that it was a bad sign if we didn’t want to revise for an editor–we need to give that story some time off before we’re re-inspired again. So yeah. That happens a lot more than you might think… ๐ It’s important to NOT wear yourself out on a story.
April 12, 2013 @ 4:37 pm
Ideas always come at the most inconvenient times. I’ve been playing with a concept while focusing on my main WIP for quite a while. So maybe I need to try a little more juggling. Right before my house-buying induced hiatus I got pretty stuck and started brainstorming fixes for other problems I noticed and my CP pointed out. Maybe when I get back to writing again I should start working a little on the other ideas.
April 13, 2013 @ 3:36 pm
I mean, it’s all about what your muse wants. If she WANTS to dive back into your WIP, then by all means do that! But if that SNI is just lookin’ SO SHINY, I think it’s good to indulge her. ๐ But that’s just me.
April 12, 2013 @ 4:57 pm
I generally like having a variety of projects to work on, but at the most, I can only be doing three at a time. Right now, that’s actually the case for me – I’m revising my Nano fantasy/dystopian project (which is actually basically rewriting since the entire story changed), writing a contemporary YA for fun AND blogging (which totally counts as writing because, gosh darn it, it requires WORKING THE MIND). I like flitting from one to the other, especially when inspiration’s dried up for one.
BUT I do have to deal with the problem of making sure to pay equal attention to them. Sometimes, I tend to overload on one (and that’s usually blogging) and neglect the rest. I like having balance, so I constantly strive to give them each the attention they deserve.
April 13, 2013 @ 3:35 pm
Oh, blogging! I never think of that, but it DOES require a huge amount of effort and time. That’s why I usually have to STOP blogging when I’m under a deadline crunch–I need every ounce of energy I can hang onto. ๐
April 12, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
I think this would make me crazy, but more power to you. I’m finding all of my creative energy goes towards one WIP at a time, but that when my brain knows I’m getting near the end, new ideas start coming. I’ve been writing those down as they appear, for later, but who knows if I’ll keep that process for the future.
April 13, 2013 @ 3:34 pm
Wow, I WISH I had that. Then I might be able to finish a book instead of hammering it out in bursts of 40-50K. BUT, it all works out in the end–no matter how your muse operates, I guess. ๐
April 12, 2013 @ 6:54 pm
Very cool post! My muse does the same thing, at least when I have a few WIPs in the planning stages. Soon I’ll have to learn to do it with drafting too, once I’ve got a book or two on contract. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
April 13, 2013 @ 3:33 pm
You’re so welcome! And if your muse already likes to toss SNIs at you, then I bet you’ll be able to handle drafting. ๐
April 12, 2013 @ 7:33 pm
OK, this is very cool. I’ve been trying to go with the advice of just sticking to the one, and not think about anything else. This is SUPER hard for me. What ends up happening instead is there are days when my WIP will just not work, that I pretty much have to step away from it. I might as well step over to something else…hmmmm…
I’m really curious: Was this the same for SS&D? As in, did you approach your debut in the same way?
April 13, 2013 @ 3:31 pm
Yup.I wrote SS&D and while I was revising it (before having agent/deal), I took time off (like full months off) to work on totally unrelated projects. Then during editorial revisions for SS&D, I wrote a TON of other stuff. ๐
And like you say–why not step over to something else during lulls? Sometimes I still have a ton of creative energy, it’s just all tapped for THIS project…
April 12, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
Loved this post Susan!! I’ve somehow avoided the ‘shiny new idea’ syndrome while writing (I thought it meant i was a terrible writer), until now. I’m probably 10k away from being done this draft and just the other day I read a quote on tumblr and my brain EXPLODED with a new idea.
Since I’m so close to being done my current WIP, I’ve managed to basically ignore this new idea (only writing down a vague idea/outline) because I’m sure that if I start it, I’ll stop with the current WIP. I don’t think I’m currently able to be a juggler, I need a bit more experience under my belt before I can handle that!
That being said, I’m really excited to dive right in to this new idea in the coming weeks!
April 13, 2013 @ 3:32 pm
Yeah, it’s all about what you’re comfortable with! I’m glad you wrote the idea down. I used to be stupid and think, “I’ll remember them when I finish X.” I never did… ๐
April 12, 2013 @ 9:31 pm
I haven’t begun any new novels since working on my current project. It’s not that I haven’t had ideas – I *have* had ideas, and a couple that I’d really like to write – it’s more the pull of the project that’s keeping me attached. I think I’m either afraid of falling off the motivation train (for an idea that has been eating my brain in various guises for more than three years) … or it’s simply that my story is a possessive, aggressive beast that occupies as much of my brain as possible so I won’t run off with a swish new idea and leave it behind, all lonely! XD
Reading this post makes me think it might be worth dipping my toe into the warm lagoon of a Shiny New Project, just to try it out and see if it’s compatible with my WIP. It might, as you say, recharge me. ๐
April 13, 2013 @ 3:27 pm
I mean, some people can definitely hammer on with one project, but I personally find that letting the SNI entice me (even for a just few hours) can help me approach other projects fresh. It might help your muse or it might not–no harm in trying, right? ๐
April 13, 2013 @ 8:05 am
I’m a project juggler! Before I get burned out on one project, I jump to the one waiting so I have time to think and refresh on the other.
April 13, 2013 @ 3:26 pm
Yup! That’s exactly what I do to. Even just a few hours with a different project can help me recharge. ๐