In the past, it has not been unusual for me to have two manuscripts working at the same time. It has never stopped me from completing any of them. In fact, I wrote Ghostly simultaneously with three of the horror stories in my anthology, while I was wrapping up Everspell. So, I'm no stranger to it. I kind of equate it with shoes. I adore, adore, adore shoes and each morning the outfit I put together starts from the ground up with shoes. Or boots. But, it all depends on my mood.
It's the same with my Works In Progress. Which WIP I work on at any given time is entirely reliant upon what my mood is. If you have been checking out the new information I stuffed this blog with to jazz it up, you know I am working on, in no particular order:
- a YA paranormal about the seven deadly sins
- A Sci-Fi about aliens landing, set in a car rental facility near LAX (used to work in one)
- A YA dystopian novel about a girl who learns she can fly in a post-apocalyptic world
- an adult horror about a taxi driver (manage them now)
- an adult horror about a babysitter
- an adult horror about a serial killer
So, I'll set the scene for you......I finish with dinner and everything, get the kids homeworked, teeth brushed, pajamed and into bed. American Idol is on (go Skylar!) and I pull the laptop onto my legs. I open it up and NOT UNTIL THAT MOMENT DO I KNOW WHAT MOOD I'M IN! So, is that weird?
I would love to know what you think. I have read that my personal idol, Stephen King, works on one manuscript at a time, and has said if it takes more than 2 1/2 months to write, he's doing it wrong. Interestingly, I take the same amount of time to complete a novel-length story, even if I am dabbling around in others. Don't get me wrong, the paranormal I'm writing about the seven deadly sins is still the headliner, if you will. But I just can't seem to eat the steak without taking some bites out of the veggies, the mashed potatoes and a buttered roll or two. Are you the same?
Right now it's taking me about a month to write something. Maybe two at the most if I can't stay focused but I've been really "gung ho". I'll still dabble in other projects though. I usually schedule myself to work on two or three at a time with one being the main focus.
ReplyDeleteBetter than me, Jilly. I could NEVER schedule myself to do anything specific. YOu sound so disciplined!
DeleteRight now I'm reworking a WWII romance I recently got the rights back to. There might even be a collie in it.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time but different time of day I'm writing the next Emily Dahill Series book. I plan to have this finished by late spring or early summer.
Soon I'll be editing, more like taking a chainsaw to, a dark thriller and rewrite it to a romantic suspense. This will have a collie.
So, two to three projects going at the same time. Then it's off to writing, more like finishing, a Halloween story and a Christmas sequel to last years.
Soon you'll have all those balls in the air, Juggler...just like me!
DeleteI like to have one or two projects on the go at any one time, but I'm not sure I could manage as many as you. Sometimes I just need a bit of time away from a MS to consolidate ideas. I always know when it's not working because I stop writing and I can't start again.
ReplyDeleteMe too. If nothing comes for any project, I just surf around FB and play a bit. If Musina is in the house, the ideas will come. If she isn't, there's always tmrw!
DeleteYou've certainly got a portfolio of projects going on! I find that I go through phases. If the novel writing isn't working for me, I might pick up a short story and tinker with it. But...I never edit one novel while trying to write another. I find they're two completely different head spaces and mutually exclusive. It helps that I can also revert to gag writing, which frees up the creativity muscle without taking too much time away from the main projects.
ReplyDeleteI thought about what you said about the editing and it seems I am the same. When editing a project, I am on that project alone. It is the only time an ms gets my complete attention. Musina knows this and uses it against me...such as forcing me to finish so I can love all over it during editing.
DeleteI surrender myself to a project at a time. Right now, I'm writing the prequel to my YA time travel series, but that doesn't include all the promo and marketing, blog posts and so on an author must do these days to stay in the game. My belief is if you put a lot of energy and love into 'a project' then the outcome will pay huge dividends in the long run. Cheers!
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like a lot on our plates, doesn't it? Wouldn't it be neat if you could get a person to do that for you for a cut of your sales? Oh wait....isn't that an agent? AGENTS! WHERE ARE YOU? I'M LOOKING FOR YOU TO MAKE MY DAY!
DeleteI've been writing four novels, back and forth, but they are all part of a quartet and therefore an extension of each other. The scope is too big though for my brain to contemplate adding more full length mss. I do take time out if a flash of inspiration comes for a short story....or even shorter, a poem!
ReplyDeleteI can't work on more than one story at a time, but I have (often) had my work on a story interupted by another novel. And i have to go with the one that's HOT ... and demanding attention.
ReplyDeleteThat led me to 4 complete novel ms. in 24 months. And I haven't yet gotten back to the one I dropped.
I'm with Jeff. I have several projects in various stages, but it seems like I can only concentrate on one at a time. My full length samurai novel has been brewing for seven years. I think I'd better finish it up before it goes stale.
ReplyDelete