anyone only have one novel in their head and not several??

dragoon_elf · Dec 14, 2007

I was wondering who else in this forum is in my same position...

I'm currently working on my first novel and it's becoming so taxing for me, fashioning these characters, creating these situations. Not taxing in the impossible sense because I admit, I have the sketch of the *whole* novel in my head and I'm not worried about where its heading. It's taxing in the putting all the thoughts into words sense.

There is also so much personal experience in my WIP. I feel like I'm encapsulating everything thats happened to me so far in my life, and I'm only in my mid-20s. This is the novel I wake up thinking about, and ideas for any other ones have never entered my mind. Ever.

Anyone else only have one WIP in their head? I keep telling myself, this will be the novel of my 20s. Then I'll have one in my 30s. Then 40s, and so forth. Ever thought about getting a big break, and then the publisher/editor expecting you to churn out another because of a bookdeal contract? That scares me so much since I only have one novel in my mind! It seems like so many people in this forum... I dunno, I look at their little signature profiles and it says "WIP#3: WINTER!!!" or "WIP#6: 60,000 WORDS!!!!"

CaroGirl · Dec 14, 2007

Sometimes you have to get one novel written down before another reveals itself. Maybe you have the headspace for only one project at a time. I've written 3 novels so far, but I don't have a clear idea for number 4...yet.

DeadlyAccurate · Dec 14, 2007

dragoon_elf said:
It's taxing in the putting all the thoughts into words sense.

Better get used to it; every book is like that. That is writing.

Anyone else only have one WIP in their head?

I usually know what the next book I'm going to write is about before I'm halfway through the first draft of the current one. Then again, there are no personal experiences or bits of my life encapsulated into my books. I just like to blow shit up.

Ever thought about getting a big break, and then the publisher/editor expecting you to churn out another because of a bookdeal contract?

That's my hope.

cletus · Dec 14, 2007

I'd rather have a clear idea of one and get it finished than have a vague idea of many and constantly flip back and forth between them.

JustGo · Dec 14, 2007

It isn't a problem to have no idea what you're going to write next. I used to have a constant flow of ideas spilling out of my mind, but it actually became a problem - I'd want to write a new story so much that I'd never finish a previous work, and because of that I've only ever finished six creative writing endeavors thus far.
However, three of those (including a short novel) have been in the past year, simply because I changed over to doing what you do naturally on purpose. Focusing entirely on a single story at a time makes it that much stronger.
I sometimes find myself wondering for a while what I should write about, but something always comes up eventually. Everybody is different, but you shouldn't worry about the need for ideas in the future - they tend to ambush you if you spend more than a few days without any.

seun · Dec 14, 2007

dragoon_elf said:
There is also so much personal experience in my WIP. I feel like I'm encapsulating everything thats happened to me so far in my life, and I'm only in my mid-20s.

I will give a quick warning here: don't end up writing purely about yourself or what's happend to you during your life. It will be very interesting for you and boring as hell for anyone else.

I know what I'm talking about. My first book was utter shit for that reason.

Sassee · Dec 14, 2007

I usually have one novel that occupies most of my life, though in down periods like now I have several floating around in my head. But then, usually when I'm working on something I'll have a strong feeling about the next one I want to write.

I used to be a one novel woman but as you get more practiced you can hold more than one in your head without getting overwhelmed

maestrowork · Dec 14, 2007

Many writers do tend to write seriously autobiographical novels the first time around. Many become trunk novels. Some do sell. But still, I wonder why you think you will only write autobiographical fiction?

Anyway, when I was working on my first, it was the only book in my head. I was just thrilled to finish it, let alone getting it published. But now that's out of the way, I have so many ideas I can't wait to work on them all.

p.s. one novel a decade? That seems a little low to me. I'd like to write at least 2 or 3 every decade, maybe even 1 a year by the time I'm in my 50s!

dragoon_elf · Dec 14, 2007

cletus said:
I'd rather have a clear idea of one and get it finished than have a vague idea of many and constantly flip back and forth between them.

That's what I'm talking about. It seems so many people here in AW are the latter!!!!

Shadow_Ferret · Dec 14, 2007

When I'm in the middle of writing a novel, I'm pretty much consumed by that one novel.

Although I do have days where I get stuck and I doodle on some other projects.

Personally, it's always scared me, too, that when I'm involved in the one novel and that's all that I eat, sleep, and think about, I have the fear that, "What if this IS my only novel? What if I have NO other ideas ever?"

Then I have a few beers, fall asleep with the TV on, and wake up to a new day, a new set of writing problems, and the dogs wanting to go outside.

PeeDee · Dec 14, 2007

I have a dozen or so ideas for novels, but that's hardly the same as having several novels in my head. I wont' know which works as a novel until I sit down and start writing it. and I won't do that until I'm finished, or further along, the current project.

It's another in a long list of things you need to be Not Worrying About, dragoon. Just focus on finishing the novel you're writing. Honest.

johnzakour · Dec 14, 2007

I need to have at least 2 novels going at once and at least 2 other projects going at once or I don't feel right.

Everybody works differently but if you want to live off writing it helps to have a lot of irons in the fire.

triceretops · Dec 14, 2007

I had 11 ideas for books before I started the current WIP. I put all of those ideas on the AW board and asked people to vote on the most clever premise. I did this because I was a donkey stuck between 11 haystacks. The hands down winner is the book I'm currently on, and I'm still having doubts. But its popularity is undeniable. Therefore, I press on.

Finish. Finish what you have there. Ideas will come downstream, and some of them will seem fantastic, taunting you away from your project. Make notes if you have to. But by all means, press ahead with what you have going. The next book will come easy. Trust me.

Tri

Doogs · Dec 14, 2007

Why does having ideas of multiple novels have to equate to flitting about between them?

I've been working on one novel consistently, but I have clearly formed ideas for another dozen or so, and notions of another dozen or so after that.

Then again, my focus is historical fiction, and history is an absolute treasure trove of story ideas.

reenkam · Dec 14, 2007

I have about a dozen novel ideas in my head right now.
I have about 6 half finished novels.
I have maybe 3 or 4 started novels.

I've personally never had an issue keeping things straight. I don't think I could really work on one thing at a time. I don't like working on the same project for more than 3-4 weeks. If I finish the book in that time, great. If not, it goes on hold and I get back to it later.

I don't think it's a problem to have only one solitary project, though. Some people like to focus on one thing, and get really into it, and really connect and write and make it perfect and everything. Other people like to do that...just with a couple things at once. I think, depending on what genre you write and such, either is perfectly fine.

Oh. And as far as I can tell, none of my books--finished, started, or planned--are autobiographical...

Azure Skye · Dec 14, 2007

I'm definitely not one of the multi-novel-taskers. One at a time for me.

larocca · Dec 14, 2007

I haven't written a novel in 8 years, but back in the day, I was definitely a serial monogamist. Um, one novel at a time, I meant to say.

KTC · Dec 14, 2007

Oh God...I see novels flying by every day. I just pluck 'em out as I need them.

This will come in handy once I'm published. (-;

AllieB · Dec 14, 2007

"Why does having ideas of multiple novels have to equate to flitting about between them?

I've been working on one novel consistently, but I have clearly formed ideas for another dozen or so, and notions of another dozen or so after that."

Oh, yeah, me too. I have to work hard to keep myself on track and finish one before I move on to another. But I have a file of story ideas that I keep adding to...which doesn't always keep them from crowding for space in my head, but it helps.

Definitely finish one before tackling another.

KTC · Dec 14, 2007

Just last month I came to the finish line for 3 separate novels I was working on. 1 is out now...one is completely ready to go out...one needs another edit run through. I hope to have the other 2 out sometime in January. I am currently working on 2 new ones. Today I had an idea for a 3rd.

James D. Macdonald · Dec 14, 2007

anyone only have one novel in their head and not several??

Yes, including a whole bunch of people who have published multiple titles....

jannawrites · Dec 14, 2007

dragoon_elf said:
I'm currently working on my first novel and it's becoming so taxing for me, fashioning these characters, creating these situations. Not taxing in the impossible sense because I admit, I have the sketch of the *whole* novel in my head and I'm not worried about where its heading. It's taxing in the putting all the thoughts into words sense.

Did you channel me during this post? Those could very well have been my words. Really and truly.

And I was that way; thinking (rather disappointedly) this WIP would be the only one in me for awhile... until last week. A situation I was in led to the concept for another novel, one that my husband, at least, likes waaay better than my current one. So now, having been stuck on WIP A for weeks, I'm trying to decide if I should begin WIP B. I'm unsure if that's the right thing, because I don't want to give up on A... and I'm afraid I'll lose all momentum if I ignore it. But isn't there also a chance B could prove to be better? Or that it'll stoke something in me about A? Hmmm.

HourglassMemory · Dec 14, 2007

It's very interesting how I work with my ideas.
I started with one, and every idea I had, every day dream, I would try to implement into that first story I had.
One day I tried to implement some attribute into it, and it didn't work.
So I created another story. And out of this second story came another one that was generated by something that didn't fit in the second story.
Every idea I have, even if it's weird, I try to implement it in stories I already have.
I feel like I'm sorting letters at the post office, if you know what I mean.
I'm like "This would fit here, this here, and this here... that here."
Rgiht now I have about 4 or 5 boxes(stories) where I put these ideas.

Don't be afraid of having more stories. Also, don't create a new story for every new day dream you have.
Another advantage of having other stories is that it puts you in a editing/adding cycle, where you write something for one story, and then you go write something for another story, and when you come back for the story you left, you'll find errors, and stuff that could be put in better words and such, and when you finish that you go back to the other story and you find stuff that you can change and even add. So you enter this cycle of productivity.
Of course each editing can takes tons of times.

That's the one I'm in.
So no...I'm afraid I'm not one of those who only has one story. My imagination doesn't let that happen.

Straka · Dec 14, 2007

It is interesting to hear how other author's work. I'm not in close proximity to many novelists.

Personally, like with other mediums I think is good to have multiple works going on at once. When you get tired and bored of one, you work on another until you get fresh eyes. And writing seems to be like every other skill, the more you do it the easier it is. My first book took me 3 years to write, its sequel took me 2 years, a spec fiction took me 1 year, and a fantasy took me 2 months.

Currently I have 4 completed manuscripts and about 7 in various stages of planning and write. I had a rough idea of how long these projects will take. A sci/fi I'm co-authoring with a friend right now I'm guess will be fully completed in the next 4 years.

I'm starting to learn its also good to have multiple projects going on because when you start looking for an agent or publisher that seems to be a long process so its best to keep working and evolving as a writer.

I just finished a fantasy and what made it so strong I feel is I took the ideas and concepts behind 3 other fantasy works I had been thinking about for a while and put them together and thus creating one stronger piece of work. I find that's happening more for me.

anyone only have one novel in their head and not several??

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