Do you choose to work on other projects besides your novel?

I have a short story that is burning a hole in my brain and the more I work on it the more I like it. I've set side the GAM (Great American Novel) for the tice and am working on the short story. I'm even excited to work on the proposed cover which I will do myself. Tricky, but fun.

I write the odd short story (though I'm not very good at them), just to give my brain something else to think about every now and then. Novels are huge mental undertakings, especially if you take a long time to write them. While a laser-focus approach likely works for plenty of people, most writers I know are juggling a bunch of different projects at once - shorts and flash, themed entries for competitions, professional/food-on-the-table writing, novels, blogs and social media stuff - which seems to work for them.

I'm working on four novels that are all at different stages (completed on its third edit, two just beginning, one about 1/4 finished on its first draft) and I also write poetry and short stories on occasion.

I get the feeling of wanting to hunker down and work on one piece to finish it, but I think you could get tired of working on that story. If another great idea comes to mind, why not work on it simultaneously?

I let friends talk me into writing a short for their anthology, and now that's the only thing I've sold.

In real life, I'm working on the first three volumes in my probably-seven-volume series (mostly focusing on volume #1 these days) and this darn short is the only writing I've ever sold or am ever likely to sell.

I do at times write a short story for my website, but that whole process only takes a day or so. After that I'm back working on my novel.

As long as the break isn't too long, I don't believe it's harmful - in fact it could be a good thing because when I return to my main work I look at it with fresh eyes.

For the past seventeen years, I've worked on short stories, essays, and light poetry while working on novels. But my mind is never focused on just one thing.

I just finished drafting a novel last night so now I'm moving into editing mode. I also have a bunch of paying copy to write.

I find short stories provide a nice break in between drafts of a novel, or between the drafting and editing stages. Working on something else wipes my inner white board clean so I can return to the novel with fresh eyes.

Kaylim, I think you should do whatever it is that works for you. There is no right or wrong way.

I spent a long time writing the novel I just finished back in April. If I had kept just to it and never written a poem, a short, or a short story, it would have discouraged and buried me. If I have a creative flash, I need to get that down in some form. I need to know I can still create. During those times when it was drudgery to work on the novel, it was necessary to take breaks and do something else. Going back with "fresh eyes" or, in my case, increased creative energy was important for completing the piece.

But, that said, if that doesn't work for you then don't do it. Only you know what you need to do to complete your novel. What anyone else does isn't important to your process.

You have my permission to follow your process.

If I finish my word count for the day and clean up some with time to spare I'll stat working on outlining and researching the equals and prequels for my series.

I like to work on multiple projects at once, but that's mostly because I burn myself out because I'm more of a pantser than a plotter. I'll work on one project until I get stuck, then work on another one until I regenerate ideas. I go back and forth until both are finished. It works for me!

If I get stuck on part of a novel I'll work on something else for a little while (a few days to a few weeks) until I figure out what to do with the novel. Generally, things are going so fast with the novel though I don't really need to worry about anything except writing on it because I know I'll be done in a couple of months and can work on something else then if I want to.

On the occasions where I've had other demands come up, I just set aside a couple of days to work on those, and continue with the novel as usual the rest of the time. But not everyone can juggle multiple projects at once, so it's really a question of what works best for you. I usually work on as much as I can handle as long as I am moving forward (adding at least a page a day) to every project. When I start having to skip working on one thing or another because I don't have time I shelve the things that are least important to get more focus.

A few years ago, I'd work on multiple projects, especially since my interests waned and changed like clouds. The result was I ended up with a lot of half-finished works. Now I set out to do one project at a time. Any burning ideas I'd have for a new project, I'd write it down on the side, but resolve to only work on those after my current project is finished.

Like someone else said, it's really up to your own preference. For myself, I know I won't do as great a job if I work on multiple projects at once, and might subconsciously carry over elements from one story to the next.

I try to have a balance. If I'm really into my novel, I don't want to have other commitments, like writing for a submission call or story exchange, that get in the way of that. I also try to avoid working on too many projects at once that are similar in length/scope. I can take a break from my novel to write a short story, but I'd prefer not to try to juggle two novels.

I don't like limiting myself too much, though. Novels are massive undertakings for me and I don't want to go months or years without writing anything else. Sometimes working on a short story is a nice change of pace.

I've actually been dealing with this recently. My novel is going well, but I was just bitten by a short story bug and now I can't get the idea out of my head. I'm going to keep working on my novel but also indulge myself with the new idea for a week or two. My novel isn't going anywhere.

I'm with nicotine027. I don't think I can work on one thing at a time.

Odile_Blud said:

I'm with nicotine027. I don't think I can work on one thing at a time.

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Me too. Though I only write novels, so I have three or four of those in various stages at any given time, instead of mixing in other forms of writing.

So far I've written 30 novels, 18 novellas, half a dozen feature length screenplays and over 300 short stories over the past 25 years, and they've always been interleaved with each other. It's part of my process.

Didn't think I'd want to work on more than one, but when I got the historical pretty much where I wanted it storywise, I decided to let it rest on the weekends and started another project and then another. Not a whole lot of research involved in the autobiography. It's bee so much fun!

No. I jot down ideas here and there, but that's it. When I'm writing I'm living the story.

At the moment, I find myself working on two projects--in the final stages of a novel, and in the research phase of a story based on actual events that I've yet to figure out how best to present. I have to say I've felt more comfortable.

I usually jump around a bit. Most of the time when I start writing my latest novel I am set on that but if there are times I hit snags or a bit of a writer's block I jump to my other ideas and then jump back when I figure out how to fix it. I find it better to keep the creativity flowing, it tends to lead to goo results.

My rough drafts are very rough and so I have to rewrite and edit for ages. When I can't stand trying to rework a sentence for the 23rd time and just want to scrap the whole thing I work on a side project I keep set aside for just such occations. Of course, some day I'll have to edit that too and then I'll be in trouble...

I really struggled to do this at one point but lately have been finding it a good break to bounce between a very complicated, multiple pov spec fic MS, and a first person (single pov) magical realism thing which is much shorter and simpler.

Thematically they're very similar but the change up in style and voice is fun.