tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post2657189471047149159..comments2023-12-26T18:33:04.681-08:00Comments on Writability: Writing Discussion: Do You Work on Multiple WIPs at Once?Gabe (Ava Jae)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04778524723148508140noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-969310815609141752014-05-19T07:50:26.120-07:002014-05-19T07:50:26.120-07:00Ha ha, well. There's that. :)Ha ha, well. There's that. :)Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-76862923654025225862014-05-12T19:56:53.984-07:002014-05-12T19:56:53.984-07:00I have several WIPs going at once. It's calle...I have several WIPs going at once. It's called avoidance. :)Marisa Wrighthttp://pointeshoesonline.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-9539166675514188682013-06-28T05:47:05.952-07:002013-06-28T05:47:05.952-07:00Sounds like you may be suffering from Shiny New Id...Sounds like you may be suffering from Shiny New Idea Syndrome. :)Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-15956295735188625482013-06-27T22:49:31.680-07:002013-06-27T22:49:31.680-07:00And this is probably why I've never actually f...And this is probably why I've never actually finished a novel. Lol. I am great at starting them, but then get distracted by new ideas. I really should push through and finish one thing before going on to the next. It probably would help.Jennifer M.http://livingthecreativelife.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-41706252107097104962013-06-12T11:36:54.527-07:002013-06-12T11:36:54.527-07:00Absolutely! And congratulations on reaching those ...Absolutely! And congratulations on reaching those final pages!Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-50329937024333405572013-06-12T10:25:46.967-07:002013-06-12T10:25:46.967-07:00Thanks! Am writing the last few pages today! Which...Thanks! Am writing the last few pages today! Which means there are no more bulleted outlining sections--the story is told, although with some jaggedness toward the end. But I enjoy the polishing process (maybe a little too much) and have two days left on retreat to start that work. Thanks for your site and the encouragement!Deanna Burkettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-90015092607681756212013-06-12T05:01:50.425-07:002013-06-12T05:01:50.425-07:00Exactly! Everyone works differently. Although it s...Exactly! Everyone works differently. Although it sounds like we first draft in a very similar manner. :)Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-20898676592593093942013-06-12T05:01:07.145-07:002013-06-12T05:01:07.145-07:00Ah, yes, not feeling up to the task is an obstacle...Ah, yes, not feeling up to the task is an obstacle of its own. It can be tough to write through the kind of uncertainty, but I applaud you for pushing through it, and I wish you all the best with your writing retreat!Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-3604476219395040722013-06-12T04:54:55.118-07:002013-06-12T04:54:55.118-07:00I can definitely see how jumping around could lead...I can definitely see how jumping around could lead to many unfinished files. I personally think that finishing a draft or edit pass or whatever the case may be is difficult enough without trying to do several at a time, <i>however</i> that's just the way I work. For some it seems it may actually be harder for them <i>not</i> to skip around for various reasons, which I think is really interesting. :)Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-17999115118103516512013-06-11T14:09:37.160-07:002013-06-11T14:09:37.160-07:00I do this :) not so much for first draft (because ...I do this :) not so much for first draft (because I like to write them quickly, nanowrimo style), but for second, third, fourth drafts. Every so often I get stuck on one WIP, and it's so much easier to work on another one while I give it a break. What works for you, I guess!Emilynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-20988694136471244272013-06-11T07:33:50.782-07:002013-06-11T07:33:50.782-07:00I have been working on a fiction project for a lon...I have been working on a fiction project for a long time, and I'm on writing retreat now finally finishing it. I have put this project aside at times to work on other things, especially when my confidence in the main project was low, but I generally didn't come back to the main project until the side-project was out of my system. I've found that blogging is a good way to relieve the boredom people are talking about. For me, though, boredom has never been the problem. Not feeling up to the task was/is more the issue.Deanna Burkettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-89373710833790590052013-06-11T06:53:33.227-07:002013-06-11T06:53:33.227-07:00I understand the boredom aspect--it's a large ...I understand the boredom aspect--it's a large part of the reason most of my manuscripts have quite a bit of action in them. If I'm bored writing it, I know there's not a chance that readers are going to find it interesting, so I make sure to keep myself entertained while writing. :)Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-13253596704902042002013-06-11T06:49:15.799-07:002013-06-11T06:49:15.799-07:00I suspect that the finishing issue is another reas...I suspect that the finishing issue is another reason I tend to stick to one WIP at a time. I usually finish what I start after I've decided to write a manuscript (with only a couple exceptions), but I think I'd probably get tired if I was working on several first drafts at once. <br /><br /><br />As for reading, I don't read manga but I can see how switching would make sense (and may even be necessary) in the example you gave. I suppose it'd be almost akin to watching a TV episode every week.Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-69415110173111842212013-06-11T06:46:51.917-07:002013-06-11T06:46:51.917-07:00The most I'll ever do that could even be consi...The most I'll ever do that could even be considered jumping is editing a WIP after finishing the first draft of another WIP, and switching between edits that way. But I'll always finish a round of drafting or editing entirely before shifting my attention to another project. <br /><br /><br />I like your painting analogy, and I have to agree. I find it very jarring and difficult to slip back into the voice of a WIP, particularly if I've been writing something else, so I can't imagine switching between two (or more) different stories while drafting. But I also agrees it depends on the writer--some like us prefer to focus on one thing at a time, while others find it easier to work on several projects. :)Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-23769890269022154412013-06-10T18:14:58.689-07:002013-06-10T18:14:58.689-07:00Yes, I do work on multiple WIP's at once. It&#...Yes, I do work on multiple WIP's at once. It's just the way my brain goes, sometimes...I'll be hammering along obsessively on the one, and then another will intrude. Sometimes it's good to go off on that tangent, and then come back to the original. <br /><br /><br /><br />However, it does result in quite a few partially "finished" files, I must say! With (intended to be) shorter works that I get distracted from, it's sometimes just their death knell; I don't remember where I was going, what the point was, etc.Jen Donohuenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-32071934888476405452013-06-10T17:41:29.717-07:002013-06-10T17:41:29.717-07:00I get bored easy, so it's hard to resist movin...I get bored easy, so it's hard to resist moving on to another project. But for the sake of my current WIP and to satisfy my need for a "change of scenery", I'll spend some time on educating myself, I get a break, my WIP gets to rest, and I come out a better writer.Linda Strawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-15308881584799840832013-06-10T13:11:07.837-07:002013-06-10T13:11:07.837-07:00Right now I am the person who writes on one thing ...Right now I am the person who writes on one thing because otherwise I get the feeling that I am never going to finish. I do switch a bit sometimes though, between my WIP and a fanfic I am currently writing. <br />When it's about reading though, I switch all the time. I am personally a lot into manga and in some mangas there comes new chapters every week, and right now I follow 7 weekly mangas togther with others that don't come out regularly and others I might be reading. So when it's about reading I love to switch and I usually find it quite easy, if I don't come into a story as I am supposed to though I usually just back a chapter and read that then I'm in the story again.Lina Tinnerbergnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-77451786235986965632013-06-10T12:39:13.629-07:002013-06-10T12:39:13.629-07:00I have to agree, it's overwhelming when I hear...I have to agree, it's overwhelming when I hear someone say, "I'm writing five novels at once!" And I go...okay, good luck with that. Lol. But if you mean working on a WIP as in editing, then yes, sometimes that is the case. I think it's more often the case that authors are working on a new novel while they still have unfinished edits on another, either because they're waiting on agent/editor/beta feedback, or simply because they want a break. Switching between worlds and especially characters who live in those worlds is very difficult and not recommended. It's like working on multiple paintings at once and trying to remember which layer you drew on last. But I guess it depends on the author. I would recommend sticking to your current WIP and making it shine before diving into another story.Margaret E. Alexanderhttp://margaretealexander.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-44050574176646878762013-06-10T12:17:33.539-07:002013-06-10T12:17:33.539-07:00I suppose if you look at it that way, I jump aroun...I suppose if you look at it that way, I jump around a little in the sense that I'll edit one WIP after finishing the draft of an entirely different WIP. For me, the one-WIP-at-a-time rule is related to finishing an entire draft, or round of editing before moving on to something else. <br /><br /><br />On another note, I find it interesting that both you and Ryann work with several WIPs <i>and</i> also write out of order. I wonder if that's somehow related? Hmm.Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-67900181908292495262013-06-10T12:14:43.903-07:002013-06-10T12:14:43.903-07:00I agree--I like to stick with the same project unt...I agree--I like to stick with the same project until it's finished. Or, at least until a stage (drafting, editing, etc.) is finished.Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-55494698788237180132013-06-10T12:13:09.341-07:002013-06-10T12:13:09.341-07:00I completely understand what you mean. I haven'...I completely understand what you mean. I haven't really tried side projects with characters, but the most I'll do that constitutes jumping between WIPs is write down a story idea that's sticking with me, then go back to whatever I'm working on. And I don't think that really counts as jumping. :) <br /><br /><br />For me, one WIP is consuming enough!Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-79600168546816992372013-06-10T09:57:18.067-07:002013-06-10T09:57:18.067-07:00I'm more like Ryann in that I have multiple WI...I'm more like Ryann in that I have multiple WIPs, and I also write the chapters out of order. <br /><br />My multiple WIPs were born from CPs who gave great, detailed feedback but took months to get back to me. In the meantime, I just wrote something else. <br /><br />Normally, I only write one first draft at a time. But even that rule was recently broken when I got completely stuck on a first-draft WIP. So I wrote three chapters of the next WIP before coming back to the first one with a fresh perspective. <br /><br />I don't have that big a problem jumping back and forth between them as long as I know the characters well. Then I just read a couple pages to get myself back in and I'm good to go. I was having trouble starting my newest since I didn't really have a handle on the characters yet, so I've thrown myself back at the previous WIP and plan to get the first draft done before continuing with the other.<br /><br />And to wrap it up, I only read one novel at a time. Wow, I sound completely chaotic. But it all makes sense in my own mind. ;-)Laura Rueckertnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-22279662155710811922013-06-10T07:55:54.928-07:002013-06-10T07:55:54.928-07:00I'm like you. I prefer to focus on one at a ti...I'm like you. I prefer to focus on one at a time. I suppose I'm capable of writing more than one at a time, but my writing time is limited, so (other than jotting down a story idea while it's fresh in my mind) I usually stick to one until done. ;)Melissa Maygrovehttp://melissamaygrove.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-71801426204617114832013-06-10T07:22:13.901-07:002013-06-10T07:22:13.901-07:00I can really only work on one WIP at a time. A lot...I can really only work on one WIP at a time. A lot of times I'll end up writing little side projects that feature characters from my WIP just because I start thinking what will happen to them after the book is over. I don't really intend on using them; it's more just for fun and to further explore the characters. But honestly, I can barely work on short stories or poetry because my novel consumes most of my attention. <br /><br /><br />I'm totally with you on the reading thing, too. I can read a nonfiction and fiction book at the same time, but never two novels. It gets a little frustrating--it took me months to finish the last book I read just because it seemed to drag for so long. I would just give up reading and go back to writing.Sarah Anne Fosternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-606209712314101104.post-24641695109539435812013-06-10T07:04:31.598-07:002013-06-10T07:04:31.598-07:00I always find it interesting to come across writer...I always find it interesting to come across writers who work so entirely differently from the way I do--and you're definitely one of them. :) <br /><br />I've briefly tried writing out of order, but I find it difficult because my plot and characters tend to build off of what I've already written. If I skip around, then I'm not entirely sure what will be written before the scene, so I tend to struggle. I also use the excitement I have for future scenes to help propel me through scenes I'm slogging through. My mind works in a more linear fashion, it seems. Although I suppose this could change in the future. You never know.<br /><br /><br /><br />I do understand the advantages of skipping around, however. Thanks for sharing your experience, Ryann!Ava Jaehttp://avajae.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.com