Writing multiple stories at once...good idea?

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Mjollnir13

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I am currently working on a fantasy story...about 24k words into it. I have 2 more ideas, one is a horror/suspense and the other is more sci/fi. I keep having great brainstorms for the other 2 books. I feel like starting the other 2...or at least one of them. Is this really a good idea?
 

herdon

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I would advice to complete the first draft of the project you are working on before actually doing any writing on the others. Just jot the notes down.

I work on multiple projects at once, but I always complete my current draft before moving on to the next. I find it helps because it gives time away in between drafts.
 

Sassee

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It works for some people. I don't do it, because then I start mixing characters. Suddenly I realize a vampire has jumped into a spaceship and the aliens have started invading a college campus... it's just not pretty. ;)
 

Mjollnir13

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It works for some people. I don't do it, because then I start mixing characters. Suddenly I realize a vampire has jumped into a spaceship and the aliens have started invading a college campus... it's just not pretty. ;)

Lol...that might make for a very interesting book though. :D
 

Joe270

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I understand how it gets when the ideas for another project start dominating your thoughts. When that happens to me, I must get the thoughts down or I can't focus on the story I'm trying to finish.

I'll do notes, make a rough outline, even flesh out some character traits so I can get back to what needs to get done. I do not write more than one at once, though. Not enough brain capacity, I suppose.
 

Nolita

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How many long stories(you know, novellas and novels), have you written before now? That's a factor I think.

I'm new to writing anything longer than a short story, or more tidy than a blog(very relaxed in my blogging). I wouldn't begin to start on any of my other ideas. It's because I want to finish this story. I know, sure as shootin', I'd get sucked in with, in my case, both stories, and more than likely, I would end up with two, mediocre at best, unfinished stories. Best case scenario, one, finished, good story, and one, crummy, unfinished, story.

That's just me though, I've done it with painting, stands to reason I would do it with writing. My best painting, the one that gets the most positive responses, and sparked the most debate, I painted just that one painting, and didn't have all the burners on at once.

You can always round-robin the projects. Finish the first draft of each idea seperately(take notes all the time, sure, heck sketch if that helps, or use the voice record feature on your cell phone), just so you don't feel like you're stagnating. Also, I'm thinking, your first draft will be easier to edit with fresh eyes, and working on a different idea will give them a break.

Just remember, I'm not telling you what to do. I'm probably even more lost than you are. Just tossing out ideas, which may be helpful. :)
 
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Raphee

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I wouldnt write more than one novel at atime. I might have the other being editted though if its finished.
But too many projects started simultaneously. Not for me. More than mixing characters and POV, I would be afraid of mixing the voice that I use for each different novel.
 

seun

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Everybody will be different when it comes to this. Personally, the most I would do is jot down a few ideas if I was working on something completely different. I wouldn't write two books at once.
 

johnzakour

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If you want to be a full-time writer you almost have to have more than one book going at once. I like to have at least three book, in different stages, going at the same time.
 

cletus

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I think starting on another novel would be a sure-fire way to make sure neither of them get completed.
Some things you may want to ask yourself are if the novel doesn't hold your interest long enough to complete writing it, will it hold the readers interest? Are you really writing the novel YOU want to write? You've admitted having 3 ideas in 3 different genres. Which one are YOU most comfortable with? That is the book you probably should be writing.
 

Andre_Laurent

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I have two going at once but I'm having a bitch of a time getting much done that way. So I think I'm going to let one sit, unless, I just have to jot something down, and finish the first draft of just one first. Then finish the first draft of the other.
 

Jamesaritchie

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I always have many projects going at the same time, but I'm not sure this is a good idea when you're just getting started. If you've never finished a novel, then it's probably much better to finish the first one before starting a second.
 

Nicole_Gestalt

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I think at the end of the day its something that only you will be able to say if its a good idea for you. It can work for some people others it doesn't. For me I always have multiple projects going on, if I didn't i'd miss a lot of deadlines.

I find switching between projects actually helps me focus on them as after writing a certain amount my mind begins to wander, so when that happens I switch to the next project. More recently i've also started writing sudden fiction which i've found helps just as well as the bigger project and its a great way to test out new genres.

Try it, if it works for you great if not don't worry about it!
 

Nakhlasmoke

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I've tried and it doesn't work for me, I lose focus. Try it and you'll find out if it's for you. Just like some people thrive on the pressure of a deadline and other freeze up at the very thought, its down to what suits your personality.

I do edit other work while writing though.
 

johnzakour

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Yes, I guess I should clarify you probably should prove you can write one novel before you jump into a second novel.
 

jodiodi

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I always have multiple works in progress at the same time. If I get stymied in one, I can go to another and sometimes it helps out. If I don't get my ideas for new novels written down when they come to me, I llikely never will do them. Also, they'll keep bugging me and hindering what I'm currently working on.

Like others have said, though, it's an individual thing. I've always been able to multitask easily. My husband, on the other hand, can't, but has formidible concentration on his task at hand. You can try and see if it works for you. The worst thing that can happen is it doesn't work; then you just go back to one project at a time.
 

The Grift

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I tend to write the novel that needs writing at that moment...regardless of where I am in another novel. As a result, I am bad about finishing things. But, as time goes on, I have a group of novels all closing in on completion. Someday (the dreaded writers' someday) I will have an entire catalogue of books ready to be submitted at once and will all get accepted at once by various publishers and will compete for shelf-space with each other. It will be glorious.

Just wanted to say also, that I am unpublished.
 

CaroGirl

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I prefer to have the first draft of a novel finished before I begin the first draft of another. I can write a novel while editing another, and I can work on short stories while in the midst of writing a novel, but not two novels in first draft at once.
 

Niapri

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I've found that multiple projects don't work for me, but I constantly get ideas while I'm working on my main WIP. I can't stand to let those ideas go, so I will take breaks when I get an unrelated idea - I write it down, develop it enough that my muse is satisfied, and I put it in a folder where I keep all my "off topic" notes.

It seems to be working, because I'm nearly done with my WIP, with a lot of notes on a few other stories to work on after this. It's been a good compromise - I'm working on the other stories without actually writing them, and it doesn't take nearly as much time away from my main WIP, so my attention/dedication isn't divided.

So, if you want to work on your main story, why don't you give that a try? Or you could take a day off your story on one of those "I'm a hack!" days, and spend the day getting working on a new idea - just that day. Or, if your good at multitasking/organizing, you could work on both. It's really up to you. :)
 
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Enzo

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I was 160 pages into an English-language thriller when I decided to turn to Dutch because it's easier (or so I think) to get published in that language. Today I wrote page 29 thru 33 for that book, and I also have 15 pages for a non-fiction project.
The trick is now to keep focused on the Dutch-language thriller and finish it up.
As you can guess, I have lots of ideas that tend to distract me from my main WIP, but I know try to push those out of the way by writing them down in a separate file for later.
I'm very lucky in that I don't have a regular job now, so that means I can sit down and write at whatever time of day and go at it for as long as I want to. That's writer's heaven.
 

ccarver30

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I am finishing up my first novel and in process of writing the second (it is related to the first, but not quite a "sequel".
It can get confusing, so I recommend finishing the first one but as others have said, if you get ideas about the second (third etc.) write 'em down!
I have a journal I have with me at all times just in case I have an idea!!
 

thethinker42

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I am currently working on a fantasy story...about 24k words into it. I have 2 more ideas, one is a horror/suspense and the other is more sci/fi. I keep having great brainstorms for the other 2 books. I feel like starting the other 2...or at least one of them. Is this really a good idea?

It just depends on how you work. I usually have one story that's my main WIP, but I work on a couple others at the same time...ie., if I just need a day or two off from my main WIP, or if I get an idea for another one and just need to get it out of my head.

Everyone works differently. Try starting the other one or two and see how it works.
 

Claudia Gray

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As others have said, some people can do this very successfully, but others cannot. In your past experience, have you found that you tend to start stories and leave them unfinished? If so, then I suggest sticking to what you're working on first until it's done. You will need to develop the discipline to work through the hard parts -- not just ride the first bubble of inspiration and then let it go. On the other hand, if you are tenacious and find that you energize by switching from task to task, writing multiple projects at once may work for you.
 

McDuff

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To me it's like there's a flow of ideas and they don't all come in a sensible order. If I get stuck on one thing, it helps me to just stop, go off and write something else. The act of writing something else can help with the creativity on the stuck project, and in some cases the reason I've been stuck has been because of this other idea in my head getting in the way.

That mostly works for me. The mileage of others obviously varies.
 
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