Little Successes Everywhere or Solitary Goal Focus

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KTC

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Maryn

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I'm not sure my talent, such as it is, is broad enough to support an every-writing-opportunity mindset. What I can do is fiction, and only certain types at that. So I tend to have larger and few goals, mostly paid publication of long and/or short works in either of my two genres.

I found it kind of a relief to stop attempting to write humor, horror, articles, plays, and every other idea I had. I'm doing somewhat better with a more focused approach. Two genres, two lengths.

Maryn, whose mileage may vary from yours
 

Namatu

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KTC, I read your post and thought "wow, those are great accomplishments!" If you enjoy doing them and find the work rewarding, then keep at it. It might help you feel more focused to set certain periods of time (weeks, months) for certain venues - fiction, plays, ads - and not allow anything else in. What you've been doing doesn't sound bad to me at all. You have ideas all over the place and your work is received in various markets. That makes you versatile!

If you do want to focus on novel writing, as Maryn suggested, narrow it down for awhile so you can dedicate time to it. Don't drop everything else forever. Just see how it goes. Maybe you'll miss all the little successes (which, by the way, combined equal big success).
 

NeuroFizz

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The life of a writer can sometimes be a mish-mash of formal writing projects and various work-for-hire gigs. I know of several people who support themselves primarily through freelance work while pressing on with larger projects. It all depends on one's personality, work habits, and goals. We know you are a finisher, Kevin, so that factor isn't an issue. It does seem, at times, that your interest level jumps from one type of writing to another, rather than in a smooth wave of multiple projects, but with your (talented) hands in so many different types of writing, that isn't so unusual. Many of us here have had the advantage of getting to know you over several years of interactions, so my take isn't going to be the same I might give a newbie with similar "shotgun" interests and activity loads. But that's primarily due to your successes in your different areas of creativity. In your particular situation (as far as I have come to know it), I'm confortable in just encouraging you to follow your heart and mind. You are one of those not-so-typical writers who can jump around from writing area to writing area and still be productive and achieve success (even if you consider them all small successes). For most writers, it's best to wear blinders and concentrate on a few projects or nothing gets finished. For you, that approach would be more like painting your creativity into a corner. You need to bounce off walls. I say bounce away, Kev.
 
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NicoleMD

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I've self-banned myself from starting any new projects until I finish my novel. It's only temporary though. Otherwise I'll get distracted by short stories, or screenplays, or painting or ceramics or learning Japanese, or whatever. (Which was my year last year. Crazy productive, though the things I really wanted to finish didn't get finished.)

I've set goals for my writing this year which include many other projects, including short stories and the odd poem, another novel, and starting a blog. I'd like to do more screenwriting, but I just don't think I'll have time for it this year, but I'm not giving it up completely.

If you love it, do it. But having a little focus definitely keeps things more manageable.

Nicole
 

tehuti88

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I've got all kinds of writing projects going. But as time has gone on I've tended to focus primarily on one, my fantasy serial. I used to be able to do several things at once but now I tend to focus on one thing at a time. I'm not saying I've "dropped" the others--sometimes my mood can shift, and I just let it take me there--maybe a year from now I'll be focusing on my novel rewrite instead, or on my adult serial--but I've been working on this one project almost exclusively for quite a while now.

Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not working on my other stories too, especially the once in a great while that somebody speaks up to say they enjoyed reading one and want to see it finished, but all I can do is focus on the story where my heart and attention are. Such readers will just have to either wait, or be disappointed. It happens. I recently had a reader of my adult serial kind of snidely comment that it was a "shame" I'd stopped working on the story in question; I replied to say that I hadn't stopped, but was working on the story that currently demands my attention (a story they had once said was "less compelling" than the adult story). Based on their tone I doubt I'll be hearing from them again. Oh well. I don't want a reader like that anyway. I want readers who understand my passion for working on what motivates me most. Or who can at least be very patient.

Don't think this is very useful to you, but I was answering the question from my own experience. I don't believe in closing doors permanently, but at the same time, I do believe that focusing on something can be of much more benefit sometimes.
 

Lauri B

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Great thread topic!
I focus primarily on nonfiction because it's where I make money (relatively speaking). It's the easiest kind of writing for me, and because I have a solid track record, I am offered opportunities to do it pretty regularly, but I can't say I love it anymore--I'm in a rut, writing wise, because it's a job. I love the idea of having lots of different kinds of writing opportunities come up, and taking advantage of them.

KTC, I always think of Annie Proulx, who was the book editor at a tiny weekly newspaper near me during the late 80's and early 90's. I wrote book reviews for her. She wrote everything--book reviews, articles on how to lay patio, books about home improvement, whatever was around. And she also kept writing her Great American Novel (which really was the Great American Novel), and now she's famous. So I don't think you are frittering your talent away by not focusing on one big project. It seems to me that you have talent in many areas, and that all of the different kinds of writing you're doing is helping to broaden your perspective (and improve your writing overall), not to mention getting your name out there.
 

Madison

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It sounds like although you're pursuing a variety of markets, you're being successful. All these credits (even though they might not seem to be getting you closer to your novel-goal) will look really good to an editor/publisher. Maybe cut back a little, just in a few areas, and dedicate that time to your novel. But IMO in this current economic situation (well, okay, I guess depends on where you are?) steady income = good. Novels do not come with steady income, which potentially = not good.
 

Wayne K

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When you find what is important in life, push everything else aside.
 

telindor

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I suspect it depends on the personality of the writer. I'm working on a novel, but I really enjoy working on a variety of projects and can't imagine changing that. The novel is fantasy genre, I write parenting articles for a local magazine, and I'm also working on a literary short story for a contest. Sometimes, I find, an idea or a theme from one project will work its way into another project, making it better.

I do love it when I spend a few days in a row immersed in the novel and it feels so wonderfully real and alive, but then when I take some time away from it to work on some real-life income-generating stuff, that feels good and productive and satisfying, too. I wouldn't want to give any of it up in favour of another. That said, I do limit the number of projects I'm working on to four or five at most at a time because otherwise I get twitchy.
 

KTC

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Thanks for all the feedback all. You've given me a lot to think about. I didn't even factor in money here. It seems a lot have considered this in the equation. I appreciate your comments. I think I am going to try to focus on a particular thing, but maybe give myself some allotted time for 'other'. I think Rich said it best--I do need to bounce off the walls.

Some great discussion here. I knew I could count on that!


ETA: About an hour after I posted this thread I received another invitation to submit a play to a theatre group. Maybe I have found a thing for now.
 
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