When Terri started this chain I thought I'd have a simple time answering her questions. She asked,Do you focus on one project at a time, or do you have many irons in the fire at any given moment?
But I've been writing the post in my head for the past couple days, and I've been rambling. Then I'll sit down to start writing, feel discouraged after a few sentences, then walk away. That's pretty much how it is with my writing projects, too.
Yes, I have "many irons in the fire," and they are too many, and it kind of holds me back. Plus, in case you've blacked out while reading my posts and somehow missed this: I am a procrastinator. I think I have too many projects on purpose just so I can stoke my procrastinating ways.
I have stories I started in college and just after graduation that I sometimes go back to and play around with. I have 5 novel drafts written in the last 5 years. Well, I guess one is complete, but I know it could still be revised. I have a handful of notebooks going at once, in which I'm either freewriting or trying to get some of my stories down in longhand. And I have pocket notebooks in which I'm always putting new ideas.
I have parts of stories and pieces of prose literally everywhere--on my computer, in various emails, on lists buried under clutter, and in all those notebooks. Nothing's organized. And I'm always telling myself I'm going to organize it. Yeah, right.
Too many projects, which means now I'm trying to focus on one at a time. So I've been working on Outlaw Song. And, in the event that Outlaw Song isn't going well and I want to jump on something else, I've recently created a spreadsheet of writing projects, where I'm simply noting the date, the project, and what I'm accomplishing on the project at the moment. I'm hoping this will be the start to some organization, and I can stop feeling so overwhelmed by all my "starts."
Because, that is the real pitfall of too much going on at once: nothing get's finished. And that has to stop.
Check out Sarah's post before mine and B. J. Anderson after me. And, if anyone has tips on organizing projects, I'd love to hear them!
17 comments:
Oh I am the world's worst procrastinator! I think that's why I started so many different projects after I finished my first novel. An excuse to avoid revisions.
I also have a folder with random ideas, another few folders for started work or random research...yeah, I so get the ADD thing.
I will also say that the ADD thing can work FOR you, not against. You have the ability to hyper-focus like no other when you want to. I did that on my first work. I think I'm going to have to go back to focusing on one project at a time, it worked for me.
:) Terri
I can only work on one project at a time. I've tried to juggle and would like to work on more than one, but I just can't.
I do however have folders of ideas and bits of dialogue in a folder for future reference. :)
Jennifer, I agree. If I work on more than one project at a time, I get nothing done. I catch myself wanting to sneak into another project when my current one is giving me too much difficulty. I have to force myself not to do it because i know it's just my way of being a chicken about the hard stuff.
Haha, well don't feel bad. I've been unorganized my entire life, and it still hasn't changed. I'm a little better with the writing stuff, but it's taken me a few years to get it together in an orderly fashion. Sigh. Maybe by the time I'm sixty I'll have it figured out.
I am the Queen of discouragement. That's why I have to work on more than one project at a time - because while I'm convinced that one idea sucks I can work on something else until I realize it's not really that bad.
This is really a discombobulated comment. Maybe I should work on another one...LOL
I think if I tried more than one fiction project at the same time I'd have a problem. So I do make myself focus on just one novel at a time. Of course, I'll go into all my other projects in my post :D
We should start Procrastinators Anonymous and hold meetings. Preferably several times a week. During my writing time... ;).
I'm a huge procrastinator too as well as being a notebook junkie. I have notes scattered everywhere, on receipts, napkins, gum wrappers. It's amazing I get anything done!
I think a danger of working on multiple projects is that when you reach the tough stage of a project--and they all have them--it's tempting to switch to something easier instead of working through it. Hopefully organizing your projects will help you finish more of them!
I am an organizer-freak. So yeah, I use a noveltracker that helps keep me projects organized, a spreadsheet to keep track of pieces in submission with publishers or contests and what not - told you I was a freak!
Nice post!
Well I think you're doing a fine job of keeping on top of things. What you need to realize is that you're climbing a mountain, and sometimes you just can't see where you're going or far you've come.
Starting your spreadsheet like you have is a big step. It's somewhere you can round everything up, and that's great!
Don't forget the progress you've made on Outlaw Song, too. For such a big project, you're moving along!
So even though you think you're unorganized, something's working about. Embrace it, Annie. That's when you can make something of it.
Sorry for all the typos in there. Man oh man it's been a long day.
I can relate and really like the idea of using a spreadsheet to track your WIPs. Sounds like that will do a lot to keep you on track and moving forward in at least one project.
I'm a knitter and often have several projects on the go at once. Not all knitters are like this. Some are very focused and dedicated. I find that it's helpful to me to have one project in the living room, one in the bedroom and one in my bag because the long sloggy bit in the middle of a project is just that. A slog. But when I get to the point where I can see the end, then I tend to knit one thing, pushing myself until I'm done.
I think writing can be the same -- so long as when one project truly needs you, you're ready to put other things aside.
But the spreadsheet idea confounds me. Far too organized. ;)
I love that you have an Excel sheet to keep track of all your different stories and ideas - that is a great idea and it sounds like you are more organized than you give yourself credit for!
I agree with you though that sometimes having too many things going on means never getting to finish something, and that is not good because we all like writing "the end." :)
I am a procrastinator.
Oh, me too. We should form a support group. I have a lot of stories I keep meaning to write, but just haven't found the time, er, well... :-)
I can only work on one thing at a time, but I find that I'm simply crazy with ideas. I created a FileMaker database to keep track of them all. Great post!
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