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I’m feeling a little paralysed by having too many writing projects all clamouring for my attention. Help me out and pick a random number between 1 and 5 before reading on, and post it as a comment. I’m not promising I’ll actually work on the one with most votes, but it could be as good a way of deciding as any!
OK, so here are the actual choices.
1. Continue with current novel which is about 1/3 written. I know where I’m going with it and have a synopsis and plan completely worked out. If no agent takes on The Emerald Comb, this would be my next novel to send out.
2. Write another novel for which I have one chapter done, and more or less a complete synopsis, although there are some holes in the plot. I had the idea for this about a year ago and really want to write it some time. It will be told in 3 parts, going backwards in time.
3. Write another novel for which so far I have written a brief but intriguing prologue, and some scribbled notes. This one will be a psychological thriller so a completely different genre for me. Him indoors wants me to do this one.
4. Write a novella which I will self-publish. This will use large parts of my first novel, the one based on my family tree research, but it’ll all be rewritten and altered quite a lot. I’ll move it a little earlier in time, relocate it to Brighton, and it’ll become a Regency romance. I’ll be honest – I’m inspired by how well friends’ regency romances have sold especially to US readers, and wonder whether I could write one that sells as well.
5. Work on the print version of my how-to books. My plan is to combine them into one print volume, with some added material, and publish through CreateSpace. Although the writing part of this project will be easy, there’s a lot to learn about formatting for print, but I’ve wanted to have a go at this for a long rime.
Having read all those, which should I work on this weekend?
Kathleen McGurl 
Kath, I know how you feel – I’m the same – a bit torn in different directions and not giving one project my full attention! aaagh! I think you should concentrate on no.1. get that novel finished! (obviously not expecting you to finish it THIS WEEKEND!). I read a writing tip once, somewhere and it was ‘FINISH THE PROJECTS YOU START’ and I think it’s a good one. Especially as you’re not particularly stuck, you know where you’re going and you’re still interested in it. if you leave it and move on to something else, you could well lose that impetus. At least get the first draft done, then leave it to ‘gestate’ while you do something else, then come back to it for the second draft. hope that’s helped! that’s what I think, anyway! Have fun! x
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I’d be tempted to work on projects 1 and 5 :-).
Okay, my thinking is … project 1 seems to be on its way. if you have the synopsis and plan all worked out you have your ‘next steps’ sorted. (It’s easier to get down to writing if you know what you’re going to sit down and write next.) However, for those days when the novel isn’t flowing as well as it could, why not ‘take a break’ and get clued up on CreateSpace? Another reason I would consider keeping this project going is that you’re quite close to completion.
Good luck with them!
I’d be tempted to work on number 1, your current novel, Kath. If you know where you’re going and have a synopsis and plan done, just think how quickly the third will become a half of the novel written.
But there again, there a new writers who would value a print version of the ‘How to’ books and you know my feelings on those………
Good luck with making your choice!
I like the sound of number 4 – especially as it’s Brighton and I love the fact that much of the story was inspired by your family history research
They all sound great so whatever you choose I don’t think it will be wrong. However, I agree with Helen that you could lose the impetus on Number 1 if you shelve it now and 1/3 of a novel is a lot! I would keep going on that.
Decided – what I think I’ll do for the next few weeks is keep going with project 1 but also work on project 5 when I’m not in the mood for 1. When 5 is done, I’ll do 4 between continuing with 1.
5 is non-fiction and then formatting, 4 is editing (albeit massive editing) so they’re a good combination with 1 which is first-drafting.
Thanks for your input everyone! 🙂
I was going to say project 1, but think you’ve made a good plan. 🙂
Sounds a good solution. I was going to say work mainly on whichever you think you’ll finish most quickly, but allow yourself some time on another project for variety.
Sounds great
I was going to say 1 but you seem to have made a very workable decision. Good luck with them all your projects anyway :o) x
Only five? Pah! If I tot up all my writing projects, then I seem to have no less than eight. Fourteen, if you count the books in multi-volume series separately.
If I were you, I’d be doing #3, but I’m biased as I like that genre. You said random, so, adopting the Luke Rhinehart school of decision-making, I came up with #2.
Which one did you actually work on?
Is there one you’ve got more fire in your belly for? Sometimes you need this to complete.
Go for number 5. Plain and simple. Get a ‘feel good’ fix.
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