Last week I was in a pickle (not
literally, of course). I’m working on three series right now and moving
seamlessly from one to another was not happening. When I worked on the first
project, I would be fine. But when it came time to shift gears for the second
project and then the third, I found I had no energy, no ideas left in the well.
I
know plenty of writers who write more than one series. And if they can do it,
so can I.
It’s
hard work writing one book, let alone two or three at the same time. I’ve
imposed deadlines on myself to stay on track and on pace, but deadlines only
work when you have ideas and can immerse yourself in a book to get those ideas
down in edit-able form. Hence, I’m meeting the deadlines on the first book; not
so much on the second and third.
I
knew I had to figure out a way to make three series work, and I think I’ve hit
on a three-part solution.
First,
I limit myself to working on two books per day. On Day One, I work on the first
and second books. On Day Two, I work on the second and third books. And on Day
Three (you guessed it), I work on the third and first books. Then I start the
cycle again.
I
know there are some writers who think it’s necessary to work on the same book
day after day in order to stay in the flow of the story, but this is what’s
working for me right now. If there comes a time when it’s not working, I’ll
have to come up with a different solution (and another blog post about it).
Second,
I have found it helpful to take a break between projects every day. And I’m
talking about a physical break—one where I get up and move around, do something
vigorous. It may be taking my dog for a walk or getting on the spin bike or
cleaning a bathroom. It can be anything, as long as it isn’t just eating lunch
or (gasp) taking a nap. There’s truth to the rumor that getting the blood
moving also gets the brain moving.
And
third, each project I’m working on is at a different stage of the writing-editing-publishing
process. My first project is deep in the rewrite stages. My second project is
in the soggy middle. My third project is at the very beginning of the rewrites.
Once I’m ready to send the first book off to the editor, I’ll have just one
book in the rewrite stage and I’ll start something new. I find that it helps
not to be actively drafting three books at the same time.
Do you work on more than one project at a time? How do you
keep yourself sane and the creative juices flowing? I hope you’ll share your
ideas with us.
Amy M. Reade is the USA Today bestselling author of The
Malice Series, consisting of The House on
Candlewick Lane, Highland Peril, and Murder
in Thistlecross, all of which are set in the United Kingdom. She has also written a cozy mystery, The Worst Noel, and three standalone
novels of gothic suspense: Secrets of
Hallstead House, The Ghosts of Peppernell Manor, and House of the Hanging Jade.
Amy is a recovering
attorney living in Southern New Jersey. She is active in community
organizations and loves reading, cooking, and traveling when she’s not writing.
She is currently working on a second cozy mystery and a historical mystery set
in Cape May County, New Jersey.
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You can do it! I have faith in you!
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your week!
Thank you, Sharon! I hope you have a great week, too.
DeleteI honestly don't know how you do it, Amy. I can only work on one book at a time. I admire that you can do this and wish you the best. I've enjoyed your books so much that I'm amazed about your process. You'll figure it out, I have no doubt.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words, Marja. Now that I'm self-publishing, I feel like I can work on more things at once because they're not all the same genre. I'm having fun so far. :)
DeleteIt's an honor to be joining you here today, John. Thanks very much for the opportunity. As you know, you're always welcome on Reade and Write and I hope you'll join me there again soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy. I'm usually working on more than one project, too. It haint easy, but it's how we roll.
DeleteIt keeps life busy and interesting--that's how I like it!
DeleteI can only work on one book per day. Each of us finds her/his flow and system. Best wishes to you, Amy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maggie! Looking forward to your next release (short story in the spring?).
DeleteI am now down to two, having just published one :-). The key that I have is the topics/material must be clearly different from each other, so when in one there is no temptation to accidentally import something from the others.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right--when projects are too similar, it's easy to get them confused. I'm working on a cozy, a historical mystery, and a contemporary mystery. That keeps me from getting things confused. I probably should have mentioned that in the post. Congratulations on your release!
DeleteThanks Amy
DeleteYour work ethic and ability to work three projects at the same time are impressive, Amy. I'm not sure I could do it, but if I get my writing butt in gear, I could try. On the other hand, I AM working on both my novel (in that soggy middle) and on my next children's book (at re-draft stage), so perhaps I CAN do it. :--)
ReplyDeleteTerrific post Amy.. I tend to juggle two books at a time usually one fiction and one non-fiction but not sure I could handle three different series.. brave woman...
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