Do many of you work on more than one novel at a time? I was wondering whether this was a healthy thing to do or not. Right now I two ideas that are mature enough to start writing . . . I was wondering if I should tackle them one by one or do them concurrently. I'm thinking the pro is you're twice as unlikely to suffer writer's block.

Thoughts?

Strike while the irons hot! If one doesn't pan out, there's always the other one to fall back on.
The nice thing is if you get stuck on one you can always switch to the other rather than stopping altogether and kicking your heals waiting for inspiration to strike.
I usually have a couple of novels and handful of short stories to dip in and out of, depending on the muse. And if all else fails there's a backlog of editing to get stuck into - actually, the editing could probably be classified as a Con.

- NaomiM

I've done short stories alongside novels, certainly. These days I have to work on two novels because that's the way it pans out with the publishing schedule, so I'm currently reading copy-edits for 4 and revising the final few drafts of 5. I find it hard to switch between them, though.

As ever, it probably boils down to what works best for you personally.

Hi Dr Quincy,
I remember reading recently about a major author- crime, I think- writing two books simultaneously and putting them both on separate desks. She worked on one in the morning and then moved to a different desk for the afternoon. I think it sounds like a good idea, potentially highly productive, as long as you can hold them both in your head separately!
I was a freelance journalist BC and frequently had a number of completely different commissions on the go at once. G
PS Obviously if one were a sequel to the other you may come unstuck LOL....

I've had two novels on the go more-or-less simultaneously, but at different stages: I'll be researching one while doing battle with proofs for the other, or something like that, and then write some short fiction while they're both off my desk for one reason or another. The only thing I don't ever combine with any other novel or story if I can help it is first draft, which I have to immerse in.

Having said that, even when I'm doing something big like a first draft or major revisions I find it very useful to have some writing jobs like research, or revising a short story I wrote last month, for those times when for whatever reason your prime writing brain just isn't operating. It's good to be able to tick a few things firmly off the list when you're struggling otherwise inch-by-inch up the cliff-face of the big thing.

Emma

I thought I'd able to do this, but actually once I get into the one I'm writing I find it hard to change tack/voice and write something else at the same time.

The only thing I don't ever combine with any other novel or story if I can help it is first draft, which I have to immerse in.

That's interesting, because for me it's the complete opposite. But then my 'first drafts' are never complete chunks of text; they're more like jigsaw puzzles with pieces missing.

I've found that I can outline and brainstorm and draft several works at the same time, but once I get that 'That's it! Yes!!!' feeling - when everything falls into place and I start producing something that feels like finished text - there's simply no room for any other work in my brain. And I love that feeling... I know what I'm doing and where I'm going. The words just flow. Ahh. (Right now I'm in the jigsaw puzzle phase again, and I'm a nervous wreck...)

Also, when I edit, I can't think of anything else at all. Mostly because I'd find myself grasping at any excuse to procrastinate.

I wish I could do more than one thing at a time but unfortunately I can't, although there's always 'chatter' at the back of my head that usually leads to another story. I like to let that sit and bubble so that when I've finished my current WIP I'm not panicked into thinking I'll never write again!

Agree with Lammi - whatever works for you, do it!
Is it possible, though, that these two ideas are somehow linked and belong in the same novel?
Just a thought - please ignore if it's utterly ridiculous!

jemx

I agree with Emma's point about focusing on one novel for the first draft...otherwise, if it's a matter of editing one and brainstorming for the other, I'd be happy doing both at the same time.

Yes, always - I am like Emma, I immerse in first draft, and then re-writes and edits I can do alongside other stuff.

Currently I am doing
- edits of a teen historical novel
- tiny edits of the one that's gonna be published, at editor's request.
- writing some new stuff

Its like a composer working on several pieces of music at once. They usually have several simmering away, the larger works in particular being put on the shelf so they can work on something else for a while. I have four ideas for novels but in different stages of developement.

Michael

Apparently Thomas Pynchon had up to four on the go at any one time throughout the 1970s and 80s.

(Explains the long wait we had for Against the Day)

I could work on two novels only if they were at different stages of developement. So writing one, editing or researching another, I think it uses different parts of the brain. Apart from short stories, I would become hopelessly confused writing more than one novel. I've enough trouble keeping track of one, although other people can do it.

Kat