To WIP or not to WIP...

ccarver30 · May 29, 2007

Damn it. I have an idea of another WIP I want to start but there are a few problems:
1) I am not totally done editing my first novel. (SaG)
2) I am not finished with my second novel. (WtW)
3) The third novel, the characters are already beating me up to start it. (Almost have a name for it.)
4) It is the opposite genre than my other books. (Crossing to YA from HistRom).
5) How am I not going to go crazy!??!

CaroGirl · May 29, 2007

Can you just make a few notes on the latest idea, just to get it out of your head, and set it aside for later? That's what I usually do.

Sounds like you have a lot on your plate!

Anne Lyle · May 29, 2007

I'll second that. Allow yourself a set period of time - an evening, or whatever - to get down your ideas for this new project down on paper/screen and brainstorm as much as you can. Then put it aside and get on with your other WiPs!!!

LeeFlower · May 29, 2007

I'd stick with your current projects--maybe with the 'notes' advice above.

Novel beginnings are like exercise machines: a lot of people have them lurking around, but few people put in the time and effort to get results out of them. It's really tempting, when we're slogging through the big murky middle of a book, to want to go spring over to another beginning, but what happens when that beginning turns into another middle? If it were me, I'd be very hesitant to begin a new project before finishing what's in front of me.

Jack Nog · May 29, 2007

Stick with your current.

I get ideas all the time. Got one on the way into work this morning. I keep a small notebook in the car, jotted down some notes at a red light (it would be a huge time saver if I could write while driving), and then typed them up and filed them on my pen drive when I got to work.

If the idea is good enough, it will still be there when you finish your WIP.

ccarver30 · May 29, 2007

LeeFlower said:
I'd stick with your current projects--maybe with the 'notes' advice above.

Novel beginnings are like exercise machines: a lot of people have them lurking around, but few people put in the time and effort to get results out of them. It's really tempting, when we're slogging through the big murky middle of a book, to want to go spring over to another beginning, but what happens when that beginning turns into another middle? If it were me, I'd be very hesitant to begin a new project before finishing what's in front of me.

Yep, that's it. I think that is why this is happening. I think the biggest thing is that I thought of the perfect introduction this weekend, so I wanted to hone in on that. I wrote it down but everyone is right- it needs to be stored for another day...

I knew this was the answer, for I have given this advice to others, but apparently I just needed a smack.

Thanks all!

NeuroFizz · May 29, 2007

Don't mistake activity for accomplishment. - John Wooden (paraphrased by me)

As others have suggested, maybe you should take notes on the new ideas and then finish what you have started. The ideas won't go anywhere, and if they are good ones, they won't have a "best used before" date on them.

MidnightMuse · May 29, 2007

I'll third, or fourth that. Jot down some pertinent notes, then get back to your current WIP. If the idea is strong enough, it'll wait for you. If you can't get it back when you're ready to work on it, then it wasn't going to flesh out anyway and it's better off gone.

Having too many plates in the air is fun and exciting, but it doesn't get dinner on the table.

CaroGirl · May 29, 2007

MidnightMuse said:
Having too many plates in the air is fun and exciting, but it doesn't get dinner on the table.

Oh yeah? You've never eaten at my house.

MidnightMuse · May 29, 2007

True

johnzakour · May 29, 2007

I'm going against the grain a bit. I always like having at least four projects going at once, one in the proofing stage, one in the editing stage, one in the writing stage and one in the creating stage.

If you actually want to write full time you need to be able to juggle projects.

So I would work on getting the first novel as tight as possible, but I would also forge forward with both the second and third novels. I think splitting the time is good for the brain and the creativity process. Plus, you never know what project is going to sell first.

I've had good luck working this way but your results may vary.

Stew21 · May 29, 2007

ccarver30 said:
Damn it. I have an idea of another WIP I want to start but there are a few problems:
1) I am not totally done editing my first novel. (SaG)
2) I am not finished with my second novel. (WtW)
3) The third novel, the characters are already beating me up to start it. (Almost have a name for it.)
4) It is the opposite genre than my other books. (Crossing to YA from HistRom).
5) How am I not going to go crazy!??!

You write like my dad does home improvement projects. not completely done with the trim in the laundry room, but working on painting the living room. Not completely trimmed the paint around the windows in the living room, but re-carpeting the family room. And the horrible urge strikes him, "I want to re-stain the deck!"

He's not the crazy one. My step-mother who lives with half-finished projects is.

Nothing wrong with writing one and editing another at the same time, but unless this new one absolutely can't wait to get a start, make it wait until something is complete.

jmho.

ccarver30 · May 29, 2007

Is he an Aries, Stew? We are notorious for that! That is how I am when I clean the house. I get distracted about 398432 times!

scarletpeaches · May 29, 2007

You don't want to be a Jill of all trades, mistress of none. I say get one book finished (or pretty near to finished) before you start on another. As Fizzy said, activity is not the same as accomplishment.

rwam · May 29, 2007

ccarver: Could you just take a day or two to crank out the first chapter of this new idea and then set it aside? That way, you'll be able to capture the essence of your story's beginning and be able to pick up where you left off in a couple months (or whenever). This happened to me a month ago and writing that first chapter made it a lot easier to put it on the back burner while I focused on Draft #9 of my current WIP. It was also a nice, temporary diversion!

herdon · May 29, 2007

I work on multiple projects at the same time having up to 3-4 WIP's at once. I like to let the ms sit for a while between drafts, so I will write a first draft, edit a draft from another work, edit a draft from another work, edit the first draft, edit a draft from another work, write a first draft, etc, etc.

The only thing I stick to is finishing one draft before getting started on another draft or new project.

CaroGirl · May 29, 2007

Havlen said:
I work on multiple projects at the same time having up to 3-4 WIP's at once. I like to let the ms sit for a while between drafts, so I will write a first draft, edit a draft from another work, edit a draft from another work, edit the first draft, edit a draft from another work, write a first draft, etc, etc.

The only thing I stick to is finishing one draft before getting started on another draft or new project.

You must really like editing! I prefer the writing part, but I generally have only 2 WIPs and a short story on the go at any one time. The novels are generally at different stages, so if I'm editing one, I'm still writing the other. That way I don't have to edit more than one ms at a time. Editing my own work is like sticking a hot poker in my eye.

johnzakour · May 29, 2007

NeuroFizz said:
Don't mistake activity for accomplishment. - John Wooden (paraphrased by me)

True, but on the other end you can't have accomplishment without activity.

(I'm a big believer in the "chaos theory" where more good comes out of chaos than order.)

It's really tough to be a working full time writer today unless you can juggle many projects at many levels.

To WIP or not to WIP...

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Anne Lyle

Fantastic historian

LeeFlower

Lurker Extraordinaire

Jack Nog

Brain-farts are useful too.

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

NeuroFizz

The grad students did it

MidnightMuse

Midnight Reading

CaroGirl

Living the dream

MidnightMuse

Midnight Reading

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard

Stew21

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

scarletpeaches

rwam

herdon

What's up?

CaroGirl

Living the dream

johnzakour

Dangerous with a Keyboard