Some authors like to focus all their efforts on one thing at a time. Others, like myself, will have a handful of ideas that are constantly on the move.
Victoria Schwab describes it as a six-burner stove: a few projects are left simmering on low heat while she cooks one on high.
I've always liked this description because it's a really great visual for what project management looks like. It's a different way of using your brain, but anyone can learn to do it.
Working on multiple projects at once doesn't mean that you put effort into them every single day, it just means that you have a few things on the go. Similar to how one might have to clean the kitchen, do laundry, and vacuum in the same week. You're probably not going to have one hand on the vacuum and one on the laundry machine, but they're both there.
My process for projects is typically this method, but if I have more time to write, I'll open it up a bit.
Something I've found in my own writing is that if I work in the same category too long, I get bored. And boredom can quickly deteriorate the quality of my work. So, I'll have different projects in different stages to keep me going.
I might spend a month drafting and then a few weeks revising and then a few days outlining. These are all different projects, but it keeps me in the forward momentum. If, for whatever reason, I need to stop writing altogether, it's very difficult for me to get back into the swing of things.
So, here's an average monthly breakdown to show what I'm working on:
Revise Manuscript 1
Outline Manuscript 5
Manage blog
Read for a CP or two
When a draft or revision is finished, I'll send it off to a CP and change the main project for the month. Then it might look like:
Draft Manuscript 5
Revise Manuscript 2
Manage blog
Read for CP or two
This month, my focus has been on revising Manuscript 1 to be ready for query, and since I work best in the morning, that's my prime time. If I get bored or feel my creativity waning, I'll pause and work on an outline for a fun new story in the afternoon. Or, maybe I'll try writing a few micro-fiction pieces. Or I'll even edit a different story, just to get a change of scenery.
But what I won't do is stop working completely.
This is very effective if you have the time. Obviously, if you're on a deadline, there's a little more necessity to work on specific projects at specific times. However, since I'm currently not represented and I'm working from home, I have this freedom.
And I think, even if I were to end up on contract at some point, I would still find a way to alter this method to work.
Sometimes, when you're stuck in a scene or a plot point, the only solution is to let it rest. But that doesn't have to mean "stop writing." (Although, please keep in mind your own working style--what I'm not saying is to never take a break and work yourself into the ground.)
When I make a rough schedule for the month or the year, I take into account the time in which I expect to have things like drafting and revisions finished. In that way, I'll plan to work on a few projects in a month and, hopefully, I'll have more than one piece checked off the list by the time a new month rolls around. But I will always schedule more than one project in a month just to ensure I have that freedom to change directions if I need to.
What's your project management style?
Happy writing,
Erin
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