Support for Indie Authors discussion

Quick question. I am in the middle of writing a children's story, and it's chugging along nicely. Yet I've had an idea for an adult novel that I really want to get cracking on. Is it feasible to write two books at the same time, or should I finish my current book and then write the adult one? I'd be interested to know what everyone thinks.

Some authors can write multiple ones at a time. Ask our Dwayne. I say do as you like. There is no law against writing multiple at once. :)

I always have more than one story on the go, usually in different genres. That way I can write according to my mood, or switch gears if I get frustrated with one.

This is entirely personal. Our own ways won't help you deciding this. (You may get some good tips on how to manage multiple stories in case you decide to do that.)

My advice: Try to do them in parallel. If you don't comfortable with it, or can't switch between them well enough to write what you want, then get back to single-story-mode...

I am continually swapping from one story to the next, it keeps things interesting.

As G.G. said, I always have several projects going at the same time and it works well for me. Give it a go and see what happens.

I, likewise, will typically have 2 (sometimes 3) stories in the hook at once. If an idea strikes, I say get at least some of it down now while it's fresh. I typically will write actively whichever story is speaking loudest to me in the moment, but that can change the next day. My writing may be all over the map, but once I finish a draft and enter editing mode, it becomes a single story focus. Best of luck!

I think it's good to have a few stories going. Even if some are just for fun rather than publishing, or even just some fanfiction. Keeps the creative juices flowing with all new ideas and stuff (for me anyway).

Sometimes it's lead me to times when I can't decide which I want to write, though, so to fix this I made a little weekly schedule, just a guideline so that if I'm indecisive I can say 'well, I planned this story so, this story.'. I can ignore it if I just have the urge for one particular story but it makes a good fallback and slightly more organised that rolling a dice to decide.

This is not a question with a right or wrong answer. Personally, I can't do it. Hell, I can't even start a new idea while in the middle of a series. But as you can see, others don't have the same issues. Some people have the opposite issue where working on one thing at a time is impossible. You can only do what works for you (and you'll discover this is pretty much universal advice for many aspects of writing).

I try, but I have a non-multitasking brain and one story always suffers when I try this. I'll always eventually ditch the weaker of the two.

But then, I can't even read two books at once without losing interest in one of them, so...

(I am currently working on two, kinda three, novels... nothing is currently close to done, just saying.)

If I slow down on one book, sometimes I'll flip to another book This can be good or bad. It means I'm still being productive, but if I have a goal to finish book 1, then I'm not working so much on that.

If it's just that you have a nifty idea on the other book, spend a day/week or so and write down what you're inspired to, the notes, the ideas, the world, whatever... then once that spark is gone, go back to finish the original book you were working on. Don't let it fade.

This is just one way to do it. As every post here says, everyone is different. Give it a try and see if it works for you.

Chris wrote: "I try, but I have a non-multitasking brain and one story always suffers when I try this. I'll always eventually ditch the weaker of the two.

But then, I can't even read two books at once without l..."

Don't worry about that. Very few people have real multi-tasking brains. Some say 10%, but 1% is more realistic. (And it doesn't always make life easier...)

As others have already said: it depends. If you feel comfortable working on two simultaneously, then there's no reason not to do so. Although I tend to have several pieces on the go at the same time, and always have new ideas in development, my focus tends to be devoted to one particular piece until it is finished. As you are writing in two radically different genres, switching between the two could be quite refreshing for you.

It seems impossible sometimes to stop the flood of ideas for new stories when trying to write a book. I usually open a new document and type out the basic gist of each idea so I don't forget it later. Then after I finish whatever book I'm writing, I can go back to the other document and start an outline. I'm not sure if I can have both of them in the writing stage at the same time but if you can do it, that's awesome :).

@Zoltán

Yeah, I've learned not to do it (not saying it's not a good idea for others). If a story idea is strong enough, it will survive waiting until I can get to it. If not, well maybe it deserved to be abandoned anyway.

Marie Silk wrote: "It seems impossible sometimes to stop the flood of ideas for new stories when trying to write a book. I usually open a new document and type out the basic gist of each idea so I don't forget it lat..."

That makes a lot of sense.

Marie Silk wrote: "It seems impossible sometimes to stop the flood of ideas for new stories when trying to write a book. I usually open a new document and type out the basic gist of each idea so I don't forget it lat..."

I do the same thing. I write down what I can... sometimes it's a few chapters, other times its world building. I don't want to forget the idea.

In my situation while my TJ's last summer was being edited...I used the time to write my boarding school memoir

This is definitely one of those 'different strokes for different folks' questions. I would say that, if you're feeling strongly about both the children's book and the novel, chances are you can work on both at once.

Personally, I always make sure I have two or more stories in the works as sort of a safety net. If I start to lose focus on one, I can jump ship to one of the others and give it some space. Then I can come back to it when I need to. Maybe that's what your brain's striving for now.

Sometimes a little time away from a project, even one that's going swimmingly, can be a good thing.

Worked on numerous stories at once from the beginning!!!!

I have at least three projects in the works at any given time. The book I am looking to publish this year, the book I am hoping to publish next year, and an idea that I'm not sure where it is going but I don't want to let any details go. I think this helps me to make the most of my creative energy when it strikes instead of forcing it on a project that I'm not 100% excited about at that moment.

I have more than one story in more than one genre rolling around in my head all the time. I find it best to work on whichever story is shouting louder and get it down on paper before I forget. ; )

Sometimes it's fun to have two different stories going and then you write according to mood. But if you want to have a strict deadline for one then I would focus on that rather than let yourself get sidetracked.

My experience has been that if I leave a first draft chasing after a shiny new idea, I end up abandoning that first draft. So for me, when that shiny new idea pops up, I write down what it is, throw it into my Story Clip File, and keep going on the book I am working on.

However, I do have lots of books in progress at the same time. I have books that are in planning stages, edits, out for beta, being proofed, formatted, etc. all at the same time. But NOT two that are in first draft at the same time.

Thanks for the responses, guys! I've written the first few pages of the new story and will see where it goes from there. I've written short stories when I've been in a rut with a project before, but never tried writing two books simultaneously. It'll be an interesting experiment.

Rachael wrote: "Thanks for the responses, guys! I've written the first few pages of the new story and will see where it goes from there. I've written short stories when I've been in a rut with a project before, bu..."

Hope it goes well for you :)

Let me start with yes, I'm crazy and I'm not recommending this.

I'm actually writing five novels at once. One is a historical trilogy and I don't write chronologically so that means I'm writing all three simultaneously. I've got about 120,000 words on that one. Another related contemporary story (descendants of the historical) has 110,000 words and that is a completed first draft and I'm working on the first editing pass. I just started another completely unrelated story that I've only got 5,000 words on but that was just to kind of get the idea out of my head so I didn't forget it. I'll work on that bit by bit whenever I get inspired.

And the five doesn't include two others that I'm writing with no intent to publish, just fun stuff for myself.

So like others have stated, I write depending on my mood. The historicals are slower and much more serious, so if I have good concentration and feel in a 19th-century mood then I work on that one. If I'm feeling a bit more modern and more light-hearted I do one of the contemporaries. But I'm not on a schedule and am not trying to make a living from my writing. So that gives me the ability to do it how I please and not what is most efficient.

I have about a dozen book ideas on the back burner, but I basically write the idea down, with enough information to allow me to write the story later and then move on. I have three projects that I have been actively working on, but my main focus is on one book at a time. Sometimes, when I'm working on that story, I think of a really good scene for one of the other two, so I jump over to their file and write a chapter or a few paragraphs to be included when I start that project in earnest.

I've found that when I hit a brick wall in my WIP, it sometimes helps me to go to something else for a while. This usually breaks my block and lets me go on with my main story. For me, the biggest thing is to keep writing, regardless of which story I'm working on. If I set something aside, it could be days before I get back to it.

I have 3 books in progress right now. It was 5 on January 1, but I've since self published 2 of them. It can be done, but organization is a must. And being ok with being a little crazy 😆. Hey, we're writers! We can do it. I say go for it.

I've got two books I'm working on and its not that hard since I kind of plotted things out way beforehand on them both. Well, one is unfinished and the other my computer chomped it so I have to rewrite it, and that's the one I printed out and stuff, so I just need to put it on my disk like a dozen times, just to make sure. I'm also putting it on a cd for safe keeping.

Like so many have said already in this post, it is different for each person. Some people will be very much at home working on more than one project at a time like the prolific Mr. Fry, while others will find themselves only able to focus on one. What works best for you is the way you should go. Try it out; you will know whether or not it works in your situation.

I don't even know what "writing a story" means at this point.

I've got about 25 stories in various stages. When I get an idea, I start writing it. I love beginnings. But I rarely have the whole story scripted out so I'll ultimately reach a point where I don't know what happens next or where to take the story.

As far as active writing projects (understanding that this could change on any day), I've currently got seven stories going ... no, eight.

Which probably explains why I've not published anything for ... 3 years?

I was editing my first novel while writing my second novel. Since editing requires more concentration and is more critical, writing the second novel simultaneously allows me to still be creative while being less creative on the first one.

But now I have some other writing projects that I want to do all at the same time. I'm glad to hear that other people are doing the same.

Micah wrote: "I don't even know what "writing a story" means at this point.

I've got about 25 stories in various stages. When I get an idea, I start writing it. I love beginnings. But I rarely have the whole st..."

That was me before I discovered NaNoWriMo

Angela wrote: "I always have more than one story on the go, usually in different genres. That way I can write according to my mood, or switch gears if I get frustrated with one."

I completely agree. I love it when it's flowing with writing fiction but I equally enjoy the matter of fact, when it comes to non fiction or the playfulness of children's stories.

For me it's all about the goal. I set a goal this year to complete a trilogy by end of summer. Book 1 pub'd Feb; Book 2 will be May (in final editing); Book 3 Aug-Sept. So everything else has to go on the back burner otherwise I won't meet my self-imposed deadline. Interestingly, to me :), is that the idea stream still is there, but the ideas are almost all in the area I'm writing. Of those ideas, if it's compelling enough (and 3 have been), I'll write a first scene and put it in the file. When I stop writing on the project for the day, I won't start anything else; instead will read (currently reading Bourne Identity and Big Little Lies). I *could* start something else writing-wise, but I know what will happen. :)

Rachael wrote: "Quick question. I am in the middle of writing a children's story, and it's chugging along nicely. Yet I've had an idea for an adult novel that I really want to get cracking on. Is it feasible to wr..."

If you are working on multiple stories that you have to finish in a timely fashion, dedicate a certain number of pages on each project each day. If you do that, then you will be able to finish those multiple projects in a timely fashion so that you can move on to other projects. Right now, I am working on two important stories at the same time and I am dedicating one or two pages on each project each day. At that rate, I hope to finish them both by the end of the year (That is if I don’t get writer’s block). I hope this helps those of you who aspire to be writers yourselves and wish me luck.