So 2014 is over now--whoosh! That went fast.
2015 is already a Balancing Act. I guess that shouldn't surprise me anymore, but each shift in expectations and responsibilities seems to knock me newly for a loop even though I've been around that loop several times now.
My struggle this year is balancing projects--I've got several going and figuring out which one should get my attention first and keeping my attention focused on just that one until I've finished is hard for my easily distracted right-brain.
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I have three of these kinds of balls in the air right now. My 2013 NaNoWriMo novel, My 2014 NaNoWriMo novel, and the sequel to my superhero novel (coming out in April with Curiosity Quills).
My solution is to be ruthless with myself. I'm setting deadlines and forcing myself to focus on just one thing at a time. This month, it's the rewrite of my 2013 NaNoWriMo novel (Cold Spring, historical fiction). It's been through my critique group, so it's a matter of processing all that feedback and applying it, then sending the new and improved version out to beta readers. I love this baby, of course, but I've been working on her a long time and it can be hard to ignore the toddler-superhero book jumping up and down in the corner. After all, its older sister had some success and that means it has a better shot than some of the others.
How do you do it? How do you keep your focus on ONE project among all the things you want to write?
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This posting is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. To check out other posts by writers in a variety of places in their careers, check out the participant list. This group is one of the most open and supportive groups of people I have ever been associated with. You should check them out!
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UPDATE: In reading other #IWSG postings, I learned that I was supposed to introduce myself this week. I missed the memo!
So, hi! I'm Samantha Bryant. I teach middle school Spanish by day and write by night. I write a variety of things from women's fiction to speculative fiction to humorous essays ( at least they amuse me). My debut novel, Going Through the Change, will be released by Curiosity Quills on April 23, 2015. You all should buy it so I can take my family on a nice vacation :-)
As you probably know, I schedule everything out. I know each writing deadline (to-be-published, anthologies, to-be-subbed, etc.) and I work backwards from those to figure out which project takes priority when. Scheduling also helps me see if some "want to pub to" deadlines are unrealistic with all the "have to do" deadlines. It's all about prioritizing.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of working backwards, though it can be difficult to estimate number of hours needed.
DeleteI, too, have a balancing act going on, but mine is in the form of being a stay-at-home mom with 3 little ones. Add in my passion for reading & writing, and it's pure chaos. Bleary-eyed mornings. Bags under the eyes.
ReplyDeleteAs for which STORY gets attention, I go with whatever is screaming the loudest in my brain. Let's face it - can't write a sweet historical if my alter ego's contemp romance with some naughty bits is talking to my throughout the day.
Write down what comes to you if it's a scene or sub plot idea, though! I've made the mistake of ignoring my muse on those occasions and totally regretting it.
Best of luck!!
Terri @ Scribbler’s Sojourn
I have a balancing act going on too. I have two manuscripts I'm revising. One is a YA, which I completed in 2013. The other is a manuscript I just completed in November, so I haven't really revised it at all. Then, of course, there's the shiny, new idea.
ReplyDeleteI'm going by order of completion, partially because the 2013 ms has some requests, so I need to get it out again.
Good luck with all your spinning plates! I always tend to get new ideas right when I'm bogged down with revisions. :)
That's a good approach! Do first what is due first, even if you are the one defining the due dates!
DeleteI have some of those other things to balance, too. It can really feel like every moment of writing time was wrested from the grasping hands of someone else. That's part of why I feel like I need laser focus when I am writing. Not enough hours in the day!
ReplyDeleteI've decided to jump in this year with two major projects (for a total of FOUR books!!!) So last month was really the first time I've had one in drafting and one in editing at the same time.
ReplyDeleteScheduling has helped me. But that being said, sometimes (as I talked about today) things totally throw that schedule out the window. I'm having to regroup, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Being flexible is part of it.
I'm a middle school teacher, so I figure after 18 years of that I'm a grand yogi in flexibility :-) That's probably why I like having a clear plan--it's like a lifesaver in the flood. That said, I've been known to dump the plan in favor of the better offer, too.
DeleteRight now I'm working on two projects. I write a story for my SF series during lunch and work on my fantasy series after my son goes to bed. Having them scheduled at separate times makes it easier to switch gears.
ReplyDeleteThat's a neat idea! I only get one writing session a day right now (I'm a schoolteacher; "lunch" is usually eaten while supervising children), but I love that idea for non school days. Compartmentalizing.
DeleteI'm terrible at planning things, so I pretty much just give in to whichever project is inspiring me the most. I'm always afraid that writer's block will hit, so I don't like to waste that feeling of inspiration.
ReplyDeleteYou do have lots of plates in the air but I have faith that you can juggle them with grace. Cold Spring absolutely deserves your attention right now (note: I was one of the early readers for this project so I can attest that it is a great book). The sequel will be there when you come back to it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elizabeth! I hope a publisher likes my book as much as you do!
DeleteOh my! I always have half a dozen ideas spinning in my head at once. It took a LOT of crashing around me to make me realize that I HAVE to focus on one thing this year. I have found that focus and it's NOT what I thought it would be...The only way I can focus is to find the idea that will NOT let me go! I've had some story ideas for 15 years but they come and they go without too much fuss. This one idea -and, if I'm honest, another one I'm refusing to listen to- will not leave me alone AND it's exciting to work on.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck in your projects for the New Year!
Jen
The problem I run into is that its always the new ideas that scream for attention . . .but if I follow that voice every time, then none of my projects ever get finished.
DeleteOne of the ways I keep myself on a specific project is to allow myself to jot down notes in separate books for other possible projects. It lets them crawl around in my head without becoming distractions, and by the time I get around to working on them I've got notes. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! A way to hush those other voices in my head so I can listen to the right ones.
DeleteI feel a lot like your Dr. Seuss picture. I have 3 projects screaming at me to finish. I guess I'll just have to return to the one screaming the loudest. Good luck with your projects.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I feel like they all scream equally loudly, which is what makes it hard to choose, but I'm making a myself a calendar of what to work on when, and that seems to be helping.
DeleteI had SUCH a hard time committing to one project! I keep thinking of the other one I want to write! I just tell myself that when I'm working on that, I'll want to go back to this or write something totally different. Basically right now I'm forcing myself to meet my deadline of finishing by March to have something to send my agent. It's not easy sticking with it but I'm managing it! Good luck balancing it all! :)
ReplyDeleteI blame it on my right-brainedness. It's a common problem for us creative types. I have the same "focus on just this" problems when I try to do something as simple as clear my dining room table!
DeleteLove the Cat in the Hat image and love your metaphors about your "babies" in their various stages of growth. You are amazing to keep all that going in your head! I find it hard to focus sometimes also, but like you this year, want to try harder to prioritize... Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteI hope you've found some balance and focus since this post. I know it sounds overly simplified, but I only write one project at a time (the rest of my sweet new ideas only get notes written in an idea book). But I'm someone who can't even read more than one book at once. :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm super-behind in getting around to January IWSG posts, and I look forward to reading the February ones in a much more timely manner.