How does a writer organize different projects? PART TWO
In PART ONE of this topic, we established what sort of projects a writer must balance in order to move forward in the profession. The full scope involves writing, but a significant amount of creativity and drive must go into levels of different projects, not just one. Even if you’re independently wealthy and have the luxury of just sitting down to type out your novel, there’s always the marketing side of things. So, you’d still need to devote time and energy to multiple projects in addition to your manuscript.
So, yes, a writer must work on more than one ongoing project at a time. For this, you’ll need to schedule yourself so that you can give attention to work that falls under each category. And there’s another catch: productive writing time doesn’t mean being busy. This is not a typical 9 to 5, so why would you approach it in the same way? Allocating your energy toward something physical like gardening, walking, or even a spot of housework can assist you with the incubation phase of your work-in-progress. This is where all those discussions about “writer’s block” come from. Don’t feel guilty. Just move forward, and stay as consistent as you can about sitting down at the keyboard. The more you practice that, the less disruptive other obligations will be to your craft. Art is about the long-term, not instant gratification.
Another thing I should mention is that writers often engage in endeavours that are related to writing but not actual writing per se. This can include proofreading, copy editing, podcasting, teaching, employment in another creative field, or employment in another field altogether. A common image is the would-be author pouring espresso or shelving books all the while lamenting prospective writing time lost to a day job. Something I like to keep in mind is that any activity can be a source for character and story ideas. I spend an ample amount of time at my local health club where there’s an abundant supply of inspiration, so my workouts are beneficial in multiple ways.
How to organize different projects is about scale and focus. You need to break things down into stages and keep an eye on significant dates (read: deadlines) in relation to where you are now. And be realistic. For example, if I’ve just come up with an idea for a novel, it would be most beneficial for me to focus on developing a story outline and main character descriptions so that I don’t lose track of this idea in the fog of impeding daily concerns. In that scenario, it would be least beneficial to say, “I’ll get to it,” and proceed to type out a series of story reviews. It’s more difficult to come back to an idea after setting it aside, especially if it’s not on the page in the form of a sketch or storyboard. It’s not that you can’t turn your focus to social media posts and story reviews while your novel is in-progress; rather, it’s about setting the project aside at the right stage so you can pick up where you left off. So on a different scale, I can probably get away with finishing up a set of social posts before tackling a new blog article or story review because I know I can write one of those drafts in as little as one sitting. Think about scale and the amount of focus required when you’re scheduling a project.
How do you organize different writing projects? Please share your thoughts and concerns below. Stay tuned for my next blog post. Wanna get it in your email inbox? Subscribe to stay informed of my newest articles, story reviews, updates, and more.
Did you miss PART ONE of this topic? Find it here.
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Pauline Shen 