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Post by Kpatch on Oct 6, 2021 12:52:23 GMT -5
Who's working on more than one writing project at a time? And how do you do it?
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Post by heroicmuse on Oct 6, 2021 14:50:19 GMT -5
I'm working on a novel and two fanfictions from different franchises. I have time blocked out on my calendar for each one, though sometimes I end up multitasking (e.g. writing during the commercials while watching TV)
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Post by Kpatch on Oct 7, 2021 7:44:51 GMT -5
I have outlines for several stories, but I can't tear myself away from The Rest of Our Lives in order to work on them. I am in awe of those of you who are organized and disciplined enough to work on more than one project at a time. I'm looking at you, heroicmuse.  |
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Post by booksoapwriter81 on Oct 8, 2021 20:52:18 GMT -5
I never used to work on multiple projects at a time, but I have been doing it for several years now. Now that I have a job that doesn't force me to bring work home and do paperwork in the evenings and on the weekend, I have been able to create a writing schedule for myself. On two or three weeknights, I work on editing the most recent book I've written. I usually accomplish editing at least one chapter a week this way. On the weekends, I try to write at least one chapter of a new book. In addition to that, I am also trying to write one scene for this fan fiction piece I have going on a Passions message board that people still visit at least once a week. I have other writing projects besides these three, but they are kind of in limbo right now because I have had writer's block when it comes to them for a really long time.
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Post by heroicmuse on Oct 9, 2021 12:41:03 GMT -5
booksoapwriter81 What has you stuck with your other projects? Your editing/writing schedule is awesome!
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Post by booksoapwriter81 on Oct 9, 2021 13:11:29 GMT -5
booksoapwriter81 What has you stuck with your other projects? Your editing/writing schedule is awesome! Thanks, heroicmuse! For both projects I am stuck on, I have gotten to the climax and haven't figured out how to start moving the stories from that point to the end. One of my projects is an episode script for a TV series that is based on my teaching experiences. The episode is about interruptions in the classroom. The teacher has special powers (kind of like Sabrina the Teenage Witch (the nineties version, not the new dark version)) that help her deal with certain teaching challenges, but every time she tries to rely solely on them, things go wrong. At the climax, she is angry that the students are more focused on every little distraction that grabs their attention than her lesson and ends up using her powers to make them focused to the point that they can't focus on anything except her. Meaning that when the bell rings for them to leave her class, they won't leave because their power to be affected by other stimuli like the bell has been taken away. I am now struggling to figure out how to bring the episode from this point to its conclusion in a way that isn't boring or cheesy. Obviously, the kids have to remain hyper focused on their teacher for a little while to emphasize why, just like distractions, that isn't always good either. And in the end, the kids have to be released from the spell so to speak, and the lesson about knowing when to focus and when to pay attention to other things needs to be taught. I feel like I have a good build up but not a good plan for bringing the storyline to its conclusion. My other project is a moralistic fairy tale that is also written in script form (it will also be converted into storybook form complete with artwork when I finish it one of these days). The script form includes songs like Disney movies do. I am stuck right in the middle of a song. I always seem to get stuck there because of trying to rhyme and follow the tune of an already existing song. The song I am writing is sung by a woman who has been butting heads with her sister since their childhood days. Her sister is in a coma after a horseback riding accident, and she is pleading with her to let her know why she resents her so much when all she has ever wanted is for them to get along. |
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Post by heroicmuse on Oct 9, 2021 13:55:04 GMT -5
booksoapwriter81 I am awful at rhyming so kudos to you for even starting a project like that. When I get stuck between two points sometimes I reverse engineer. I start with the later scene and work backwards to the earlier one.
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Post by booksoapwriter81 on Oct 12, 2021 22:08:04 GMT -5
booksoapwriter81 I am awful at rhyming so kudos to you for even starting a project like that. When I get stuck between two points sometimes I reverse engineer. I start with the later scene and work backwards to the earlier one. I have a hard time not writing in order. Since my books are set up like a soap opera with multiple storylines going on at once, I have to alternate between storylines and make sure that each one is playing out as it should. Occasionally, I will go back and insert new scenes if I find that something seems choppy. I've been doing a little bit more of that lately, but for the most part, I still write from start to finish most of the time. |
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Post by heroicmuse on Oct 12, 2021 22:13:31 GMT -5
booksoapwriter81 I write linerally too. When I reverse engineer I just make a list of scenes and then write them in order. I've been using the free trial if a software called Plottr to help me with this lately. I'm going to write a blog about it tomorrow which I will share when it's posted.
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Post by Kpatch on Oct 13, 2021 7:29:19 GMT -5
Writing out of order tends to help me get passed any writer's block. I write the scene that inspires me, then go back and fill in scenes. Sometimes, sewing it all together is a challenge in itself. You have some ambitious projects booksoapwriter81. Looking forward to your blog, heroicmuse. Slightly off topic, I had a dream last night that people were telling me my current story is boring and I should post something else. I said, but I have 150 chapters written in advance. They didn't care. It made me think I should pause this story and post something else. |
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Post by heroicmuse on Oct 13, 2021 8:04:31 GMT -5
Slightly off topic, I had a dream last night that people were telling me my current story is boring and I should post something else. I said, but I have 150 chapters written in advance. They didn't care. It made me think I should pause this story and post something else. Don't listen to your dreams! That's your insecurities talking. Look how many people are commenting on your story every day. No one is finding it boring. |
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Post by Kpatch on Oct 13, 2021 8:16:41 GMT -5
Slightly off topic, I had a dream last night that people were telling me my current story is boring and I should post something else. I said, but I have 150 chapters written in advance. They didn't care. It made me think I should pause this story and post something else. Don't listen to your dreams! That's your insecurities talking. Look how many people are commenting on your story every day. No one is finding it boring. Thank you for that encouragement, heroicmuse! xox I think the insecurity comes from the fact I'm not used to writing/posting an ongoing story. Usually there is an end in sight, and I probably worry that readers will be looking for it to end already. |
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Post by heroicmuse on Oct 13, 2021 15:41:43 GMT -5
Don't listen to your dreams! That's your insecurities talking. Look how many people are commenting on your story every day. No one is finding it boring. Thank you for that encouragement, heroicmuse ! xox I think the insecurity comes from the fact I'm not used to writing/posting an ongoing story. Usually there is an end in sight, and I probably worry that readers will be looking for it to end already. I know how that feels! Writing an ongoing story is hard. But so far, everyone is excited, so try not to worry about how long people will be interested for. |
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Post by booksoapwriter81 on Oct 13, 2021 21:31:45 GMT -5
I agree that writing an ongoing story can be difficult. My Passions fan fic on another board has become one of those, and I have been adding to it for years. People are still reading it and enjoying it though, so that's why I continue. If the positive comments ever stop, then I'll know that it's probably time to give it up or wrap it up.
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Post by billiereed on Mar 29, 2022 23:13:29 GMT -5
I have many incomplete projects going, but I don't recommend trying this at home unless you can handle it, which I honestly cannot. While I never confuse the many storylines or characters, I do get so overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work that needs to be done to finish all of them, that I just rarely ever ... well, finish them. It's a tragically bad habit of mine. How people stay focused and on only 1 or 2 projects amazes me. My ADHD usually goes wild the moment it sees a new plot bunny hopping along but I am beginning to learn how to rein my impulses in a bit. It just takes a lot of practice and discipline, something I better start mastering if I want to finish this novel of mine I recently started writing. lol
I *am* trying to develop a writing schedule of some sort. Evening hours will be dedicated to working on my novel while afternoons I will devote 1-2 hours to my fan fiction stories.
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