Charlie_Eleanor

When writing, do you find it more beneficial to focus on one story at a time? I started writing what will most likely end up as a novel last week, but over the weekend I began brainstorming about another idea I had. I am not sure wether it would be wise to write them at the same time at the risk of becoming overwhelmed or intimidated by them, or I should pick one and focus on that.

Any advice? Thanks!!

Rob

Do whatever feels right. Some people work on one thing at a time, some work on more than one. There's no right and wrong, it's entirely down to the individual.

Cheers,
Rob

Evelyn

I only focus on one story at a time, but I get too inspired by too many different things to insist to myself that I completely finish one before ever starting another. (What, I'm gonna take myself back to nursery school?)

I'm concentrating on a short story right now, but also have another short story and a novel currently going. I also have a half-planned, half-written, as of now half-baked, website-with-blog-thingo I'm sort of working on.

I'll have about five short stories and two more novels going if the skilled cadre of alpha geeks at the repair shop can pull my old drafts off the dead hard drive of my old computer* (the drafts are all partially backed up on floppy, but the new computer is too darned new to have a floppy drive).


- Evelyn, with fingers in many pots


*Long, stupid story with a very important moral:

DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!!!

You should back up your work at least as often as your change your underwear (for some people, twice to three times as often :) :) :)

You also should not allow your belongings to be packed and moved by drug-crazed gorillas and delivered by dump truck, but that's another - long and stupid - story.

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Lyonidus

i agree with rob, do whatever feels right, this will change for all people but for me i have to admit that i cant recall a time when i worked on more than one story at a time.

Konignacht

These people pretty much summed it up, but I find myself generally beginning one story and keeping to it, but writing down ideas for other stories I have.

Sometimes, if I'm at a point I can't move forward with it, I'll set a story on the back burner and let it stew for a while and work on something else.

mammamaia

it depends on how good/seasoned a writer you are...

if you're just starting out, it's probably best to concentrate on finishing one piece, before starting others, as that often leads to nothing getting completed...

many seasoned writers often work on a variety of projects at once, switching between them, as time/deadlines/mood demands... i've always been able to work on a dozen or more things at any given time...

the trick is to just not let yourself be sidetracked from finishing any of them, by continually starting new things...

love and hugs, maia

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