Thursday, April 14, 2011
HOW MANY BOOKS AT ONCE?
I know some authors work on multiple projects at once and sometimes that actually works for them. I can't really do this. Not at the beginning stages. I have to REALLY get into something and drown myself in it - at least at the beginning - until I can move on. I have to become obsessed. In fact, I can't move on or let go - much like a rabid dog grabbing onto a leg (is that too much?). There are other times when I can do two things at once - when I'm in the painting stages. Then it's okay to multi task. I was thinking of this because someone asked me what I was working on and sort of rejected the thing that I was loving the most. Then said "Have any other ideas?" Well... no.
I shouldn't say I can't work on two things at once. That's not quite true. I have two little notebooks I bought for 2 dollars a piece. They're very tiny and I like them both. Depending on the day I'll write in one or the other. Each has a different story idea. I work at them while I'm at work.
I'm just wondering - how do you guys work?
I must be schizophrenic. I juggle projects polishing and revising, and going from one to another until one gets accepted and then I pour my soul into that one until it goes to press. The story must be complete and work before I'll invest time in sketching a dummy...
ReplyDeleteMy journals are a backlist of projects in various stages of blossoming. Some concepts are born whole and they get a lot of attention, but the flawed ones require time to develop. They all follow their own Zen path and I let them tell me when they are ready to bloom.
I can only multitask with two manuscripts at a time. My daily goal is to write a thousand words a day and I like being able to pick which one I'm in the mood for. But I am an amateur at the moment with no deadlines. If I did have deadlines, one manuscript would be all I could do. I think it's great that you love a vision so much its all you can work on. Keep up the great work...it's loved by many!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about this topic. I'm getting close to querying my WIP and I'm dying to start something new. I thought about trying to work on both projects at the same time, then figured I'd better devote my time to getting the present work completed. It's something I may still consider trying in the future. It would be great to have a couple of works to offer, but we'll see. If you manage to do it successfully, let us know!
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