Writing is such an individual thing. We all do it just a little bit differently.
Some of us are plotters while others are pantsters. (For the record: I'm a plotter.) Some write longhand while others use a computer. Just about anything you say about how you write, there will be someone else who does it differently.
And then, you can change.
I used to be a one-at-a-time person. I worked on one story until I got to the end. I like to see one project through to completion. I thought that having more than one story going at a time would dilute both (or more) projects.
But then I discovered how jumping from one project to another worked. I didn't lose the story of one when I worked on another. It helped rejuvenate me. If I got stuck on one story, I could go and work on another story. Then by the time the other story was stumping me, I could go back to the first and find that whatever issues I was having before were gone. It was liberating.
My questions for today: Do you work on more than one project at a time? Have you ever changed how you write? Has that helped you write better?
I don't tend to jump while I'm drafting. I like to stay in the story I'm working on. However, once I get something to the editing stage, I find it helpful to work on something else. That way I keep my creativity satisfied while I'm re-writing page 1 for the 400th time. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a good way to do it.
DeleteI don't write anything other than my blog but I believe the jumping works on other areas too. When I used to work on something very challenging I needed to switch off, sort of speaking, and I was doing that with other smaller and more relaxing tasks. When I came back to my main project, I could work and focus on it much better and at the end of the day, I managed to finish all my tasks and projects.
ReplyDeleteSo we are very much alike :)
Hugs
I started doing more than one project with my knitting, and I found that it worked so well I applied it to writing. It is good to be able to switch from the harder to the easier and back again.
DeleteWhen I'm in the editing phase I find I start plotting and getting interested in new ideas and projects even if its only in my head. You are right though, sometimes we need to take a break from one project to refresh our minds and energies for it.
ReplyDeleteYeah, even mentally working on something else can help.
DeleteI work on a million things at once. It works for me. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm monogamous, but I don't judge you wild swinger types. :D
ReplyDeleteI used to be. I still understand the mindset. If you get stuck, this is one thing to try.
Deleteha ha, i'm a story swinger too =)
ReplyDeletebut only once in a while. we all need a break from the main project. even if just to do a contest or short story or work on the query & synopsis!
i also swing read, books in several locations...never know wen i will have a few minutes to read!
I used to read one book at a time, but at the moment I'm reading three. I never thought I'd be able to keep them straight, but somehow I do it.
DeleteOccasionally, but not so much in the writing. When I can't think of anymore to write on one, I might go read another.
ReplyDeleteMore often than not, I'll go do something completely not-writing related.
Whatever works. We all have to work the way our brains are wired.
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