Writing two stories at once. Bad idea?

[ChristopherDB]

I'm maybe halfway into writing a new story and it is going fine.

Then the other day I started looking through my file of story concepts. Maybe you also keep such a file. It might be just a few lines or multiple paragraphs outlining what you think might be a good future story, though at the time you add it to your file you haven't figured out all the fine details of the story so it has to wait until later.

Well, one of my concepts really grabbed me. Might written it down a few years ago, but in reading my notes right then I knew all the details to make it a complete story, so I added to the outline and I'm pretty excited about starting it.

That said, I already have a story that is halfway done. I hate the idea of putting that aside and jumping on another, or trying to write two at once, thinking that both will suffer.

I'm guessing other authors have similar files for possible future stories, or have gotten in a situation where they were working on more than one story and can comment how it went for them.

Thanks,
Christopher

 

[SimonDoom]

If I let this bother me, I'd be wracked with guilt all the time. I think nothing of dropping a story to work on another story. I'm not getting paid. I have no obligations to anyone other than to myself. I have about 35 partly written stories right now. I think. That number could be off, but I think it's about right.

This can be a very GOOD thing to do if you find yourself stuck on story A, and story B suddenly comes to you and gets you jazzed to write it. Go ahead and write the story that gets you jazzed.

 

[KeithD]

I've done it. It can cause some "now which story am I in?" problems.

 

[Voboy]

I generally strive for "old business before new," but that's not an inflexible rule.

I've had as many as 3-4 stories on the go simultaneously. It's not a problem for me.

 

[Priscilla_June]

Writers block is real. Take the energy/motivation when you can get it. Else you might not have the same zeal later.

 

[Lucy_Lastic]

I'm writing 2 stories at once, when I get stuck on one i move to the other and in between times I'm outlining the rest of the series.

 

[Voboy]

I'm writing 2 stories at once, when I get stuck on one i move to the other and in between times I'm outlining the rest of the series.

Oh, series are a whole 'nother ballgame. I've not written very many, but when I write series I tend to prefer to work on adjacent chapters simultaneously, for continuity's sake.

 

[Lucy_Lastic]

Oh, series are a whole 'nother ballgame. I've not written very many, but when I write series I tend to prefer to work on adjacent chapters simultaneously, for continuity's sake.

it helps me figure out what to include and leave out too.

 

[oggbashan]

Only two? I have had as many as ten part-written and being worked on at once.

 

[HeyAll]

I do it all the time. I write when I have ideas. The reality is, some stories are harder to make than others. So instead of being miserable with one story, use your time on another story.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Every one of my stories in the last three years has been a side project. Several have been side projects on those side projects. Don't worry about it, just write the bloody stories!

 

[ElectricBlue]

I have about 35 partly written stories right now. I think. That number could be off, but I think it's about right.

Simon's sister Suzie looked at her brother, with a grin. "Thirty-five is a lot, Simon. Shouldn't you get at least one finished before, you know, New Year, or something?"

"Bastard," Simon muttered, scrolling a new sheet of paper into the typewriter. He'd just had an idea for a new story.

Suzie went down to the kitchen. From upstairs, the cheerful clatter of the typewriter signified all was well in the Doom household.

"I'll take him up a coffee later," said Simon's mom. "Don't want to disturb him, not when he's on a roll."

 

[Padre33]

Currently I have about 6 works in progress. And that number is down, since my most recently published story is a combination of three that were going no where on their own. Typically, I try to stick to working on one story at a time. But eventually writer's block hits, my muse leaves me, something else intrigues me, or whatever. That's when I switch. The key is to always come back to the incompleted works, and get them out there... eventually.

 

[Voboy]

Sometimes, when I'm in the OP's position and get that overpowering urge to start the next one, I use it as motivation to complete the current one.

 

[TheRedChamber]

This is one of those 'you have to do you' type questions. As a video gamer, I have a terrible habit of hopping from game to game, rarely finishing anything and having a massive backlog of games I bought on sale that I haven't even touched yet. Well, I say 'terrible', it's just a hobby, so it's not like it actually matters as long as I'm enjoying what I play.

You could take the same attitude with writing, but being aware of this personality trait, I've tried to be careful when writing to write sequentially whenever possible. I have a lot of story ideas knocking around and might take time off to write some notes or an outline, but for writing prose, I try to work on one story at a time and keep momentum on it up as much as possible (if I don't write today, chances are I won't write tomorrow).

That said, I've been 'bad' recently and currently have five uncompleted drafts in my folder that I need to complete and, having two weeks of relatively free time, need to decide which to focus on. How did I get here:

1) A story which is the first in an episdoic series sitting about 60% complete - if I publish it I want to write episodes close together and that would commit me to writing 4 or 5 of these things at once and there were other things I wanted to do first.
2) A quick 3 scene story sitting 80% complete that I thought I could compete in 3 days holiday but failed and had to go back to work - probably should be the thing I work on next but I've lost part of the spark for it.
3) A story sitting at 40% which I've lost confidence in - the main character is turning out more unlikable and incelly that I planned and I'm not sure if that's a problem or not.
4) An story which is going to be at least 30,000 words and is sitting with a complete outline but only about 2000 word which I wrote to try and work out which perspective to use and try to find perspective to use, the framing device and the voice of my character - which didn't work out well on my first go. Probably the best idea I currently have but seems like a lot of work and, again, I had stuff I needed to write first.
5) An essay that's about 50% done that was based on some of the research I did for story #4. It was supposed to be a quick companion piece, but which grew in scope until it was taking up all my time and I wasn't sure I was interested in it anymore, let alone anyone else.

This morning, my job is to decide what I'm actually writing for the rest of the week and possibly take a couple of these stories out into the woods and shoot them in the back of the head (or, rather less dramatically, transfer them to my 'abandoned' folder).

 

[LdyHoneybee]

I have never been able to do this successfully although i do make notes and snippets. Actually working on a story is more absorbing.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

If I let this bother me, I'd be wracked with guilt all the time. I think nothing of dropping a story to work on another story. I'm not getting paid. I have no obligations to anyone other than to myself. I have about 35 partly written stories right now. I think. That number could be off, but I think it's about right.

This can be a very GOOD thing to do if you find yourself stuck on story A, and story B suddenly comes to you and gets you jazzed to write it. Go ahead and write the story that gets you jazzed.

I've always got a few stories that I'm working on. Like Simon, if I get stuck, I go onto another story and go back to the other one later. I find it helps to keep writers' block at bay if I move on and write something else whenever a story seems to have stalled.

 

[JuanSeiszFitzHall]

Once I get to a complete first draft, my choice for rewriting/editing usually entails a day on and a day off, to freshen the eyes for the next look-through. Most recently I had three stories at that stage, so each story got its own work day while the other two marinated in the back-brain. One of the three is the story for the Summer Lovin' contest. The three were different enough that I was never confused about which story was which.

 

[MrPixel]

Whatever you do, don't do what I did. I'm writing a single huge story, but in a fit of inspiration wrote a section to be incorporated later; three "future" chapters, basically. Sort of another story. The plot and character development of the previous material took off in another direction entirely, and now I have three chapters more or less "stranded". They may be salvageable with heavy editing and re-writes, but it's 25,000 words that were picked well before they were ripe. ...sigh...

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Hmm... I have at least 100 partial stories sitting on my hard drive. I am currently trying to finish two of them. I have started a new one and I'm working on it.

So, yeah, I work on multiple stories at the same time. I don't see a problem with that. I know which one I'm working on and know pretty much how I want it to turn out. I just need to get the words in the order I want them.

 

[MelissaBaby]

I've often been working on more than one story at a time, and it's not unusual for me to get an idea and spend a day or two sketching at it for later use.

Be careful though. I was writing two stories simultaneously, both of which included a young woman coming to terms with her attraction to other women. In one of them, an important step in her process was reading Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt (The book that became the movie Carol.) I lost track of which of them it was and included references to the book in both, and had to decide which story would get to keep them.

 

[MillieDynamite]

I often work on more than one story at a time. I don't start one with any deliberate intention to do more than one at a time. But often, once I hit a certain point in a story, another tale comes into mind. From that point on, I'll write on whichever one is working at the time. Switching back and forth as my mood changes. I also have a habit of editing one story while working on another. I have, sometimes but not often, juggled three different narrations at one time. But nowadays, I'm more likely to work on one story, and only one, at a time.

 

[ChristopherDB]

Thanks all for the replies. I'll start up that second story.

 

[EarlyMorningLight]

Argh. I have a story that I’m bound and determined to push through and finish, but it’s not coming easily. I have to take the characters through some really complex emotional territory to get them together, and every paragraph feels like I’m pulling out a block on a Jenga tower.

I COULD go back to my other drafts and find something to bash out quickly, but I feel like if I let this one go it will sit and gather dust.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I COULD go back to my other drafts and find something to bash out quickly, but I feel like if I let this one go it will sit and gather dust.

Focus. It's a thing.