Concurrent Projects: maximum creativity or sneaky self sabotage?

Fun fact: most writers have multiple book ideas floating around in their heads at any given moment.

We’re creative beings, after all, and most of us like to play the “what if?” game.

What if someone wakes up and discovers their life has moved forward 40 years overnight?
What if someone reaches into their mailbox and gets bitten by a small monster? 
What if someone uncovers a family secret that makes them rethink their whole childhood?

Those three “what ifs” could be three completely different novels. And each idea is shiny, new, and chock full of possibilities.

But what about your current book? If you start working on something new are you cheating on your work in progress (WIP)? If you pause to play around with a new idea, are you avoiding the hard work of finishing your current novel? Or is it all just a big creative playground and the more ideas the merrier?

Truth #1 is there are no hard and fast rules here.
You can certainly step away from your draft or manuscript and play around with a new project that has captured your imagination. Maybe you have two or three projects and you rotate through them, spending time on each one as your inspiration directs.

Truth #2 is project hopping can absolutely be a form of procrastination.
If you’ve reached a difficult phase of your writing project, your brain says “woah, this is getting hard, you’re spending a lot of energy on this, let’s find an easier path.” Suddenly you feel compelled to explore a brand new idea, and you are absolutely certain that this premise or this character are what you should be working on.

So what should you do? Open the floodgates and let all the ideas frolic? Or have a strict one-novel-at-a-time policy?

Your approach is going to be personal, but here are some tips to help you be thoughtful and deliberate about your choices. 

Jot it down and tuck it away.

 
It’s always a great idea to write down some notes about the things that inspire you. I mean, who hasn’t had a fabulous idea, only to lose it forever because you didn’t jot it down in the moment? Record those shiny ideas somewhere safe, and then see if that’s enough to help you focus on your primary project. If that doesn’t scratch the itch, you could consider spending more time on the new story idea.

Identify what you’re avoiding. 

Most of the time we chase new ideas because our current project has gotten hard. So ask yourself, what is it about my current WIP that am I avoiding? Another way to ask this is, if I could fix one problem I’m struggling with in this WIP, what would it be? Once you’ve identified the issue, decide if you want to tackle it, either on your own or with help, or if giving yourself some time away from the problem might help unlock a solution. 

And if you do decide to give your current WIP some space, put a date on your calendar when you’ll check back in. You don’t want a little break to turn into a three month hiatus.

Use it as a reward. 

It’s valid to worry that new projects are just avoidance masquerading as brilliant ideas. If that’s a concern for you, make progress on your main book a prerequisite for playing with your new idea. Set reasonable goals for your primary novel, and after you meet a goal, reward yourself with playtime with your new idea.

Create a schedule. 

If you want to make regular progress on two or more projects, you might need to put on your project manager hat. Create a schedule that includes all of your projects and balances your time between them. Also schedule pockets of time where you get to choose in the moment which project your energy is directing you toward.

Check in with your goals. 

Multiple projects means slower progress, but that’s not necessarily a deal breaker. Ask yourself, if it takes me six months longer to complete Project A, am I okay with that? You might choose to prioritize fun and inspiration over speed.

Be sure to factor in any deadlines that are looming. For example, if you want to pitch Project A at a writing conference, then that project has to be given priority, and Project B will likely have to wait. 

If this topic is resonating deeply with you because you’ve been in this place before, or you’ve been stuck here for a while, this may not be a problem you can crack on your own. You’ve likely tried all the DIY fixes, and it’s time to get some help. 

If that’s the case, it might be a good idea for us to have a conversation and put together a high level plan for you so you have a strategy to stay on track. You can book a free call here.