I really need to focus. STAT. If there is one thing I'm rarely short on it's book ideas. Which isn't an awful problem to have except when it seems like you're getting a little done everywhere versus a lot done in one place. Right now my brain is mulling over the following:
One contemporary YA book fully outlined, 3 chapters written
One contemporary YA book, synopsis written, notes, and first few pages
One sci-fi YA (collaboration with hub), notes and first chapter written
One contemporary middle grade, synopsis and first six chapters written
One contemporary middle grade series outlined, lots of notes, and first chapter of book one half written
And then you know what I went and did this week? Started plotting a super funny adult contemporary book collaboration with another author.
My head is ready to explode. How do you guys deal with having so many books pull you in different directions? I keep telling myself that I need to put things in order, deal with one at a time and just know that I'll get to them all at some point.
Right now, I daily bounce back and forth between the two middle grade books because I'm having so much fun with them but even there, I keep telling myself to pick one and stick with it. But then fit the collaboration projects in there too since there is down time when waiting for the other author to add/respond.
Do you guys go through this? Do you try to write numerous books at one time or do you pick one and stick with it to the end? I guess I read like I write because I'm always reading several books at one time as well.
Any advice? :-)
Kristina, Miss Author in Action
Sometimes I bounce back and forth between projects, but usually one stands up taller than the others and waves jazz hands in my face until I commit to it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not writing very much currently because I'm focusing on school and editing my current manuscript, but I found that before I got to this stage, I would write down all of the ideas, whether I was planning to go through with them or not. Definitely write down all of your ideas. I found that I couldn't help switching between different projects, and while I tried to focus on one, if I was struggling or needed a break, it was always good to have the others to fall back on as I pleased. So it's really completely up to you. Perhaps pick one to focus on and have to others to fall back on when you're struggling to focus; having a break from writing is like having a break from studying, sometimes you just need to get away from it before you can get on with it.
ReplyDeleteThat review is absolutely hysterical, by the way. Exactly how I feel about Titanic.
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