Monday, September 24, 2012

My Struggles with Monogamy: By Natalie Charles


It’s been going on for a while now, part of my ongoing issue with over thinking and over complicating. Every time I commit to one story—one couple, one romantic suspense plot—another one calls me. I succumb to temptation and spend time with that other, more attractive couple and romantic suspense plot. Inevitably things sour. Plots stall, characters start doing ridiculous things that make me question their motivation, and I go crawling back to the first story….until it misbehaves. Then I’m back to story number two.

I feel like I’m leading a double life.

It started innocently enough. I sat down to write a new book, but it became so complicated that I realized that what I was really doing was writing two books. I pulled them apart, and now I can’t decide between them. As soon as I start thinking about one, I have a breakthrough with the other, and I can’t help but think that maybe I’m short-changing both by working this way.

So I ask honestly: do any of you work on multiple books at once? Is this a legitimate ‘thing’? Or should I be focusing on monogamy right now and seeing each work in progress through to the end? 

8 comments:

  1. Oh, I'm so guilty of this! And now I'm in a position where I have to work on more than one book at the same time, b/c of deadlines. It's not preferred I think. Too much disorganization for my poor head, lol. And, I kind of like the satisfaction of knowing I've finished a project...good luck, Natalie!

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    1. Shoot. I was hoping there was some good news. Well, the good news is that I'm not the only one, right? I think I'll have to settle down. :-)

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  2. I am also very guilty of all of this. It is often hard to focus and distribute ideas and so sometimes a book starts off with so much that it is really better off as two, and then it becomes confusing to think of how to spread out those ideas without there being overlap. Then I can't decide which one I have more excitement for, and I flip flop, always thinking, "I should really be writing the other one instead." (Or worse: "I really want to be writing the other one instead.") I do try hard not to write two books at once because it pulls me too far out of the story, though yes, it has been done! The way I have solved a lot of this is to literally have a list of WIPs and to just go through them like a job assignment. Takes a bit of fun out, but forces me to take one project at a time until it is complete. But heck, two at once...two birds with one stone:-) Good luck, girl!

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    1. A list is a good idea! Really, I'm finding it impossible to go back and forth between the two. Maybe I'll just jot down notes on the other as ideas come to me so I don't forget them. Thanks, girl!

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  3. I've definitely done this. You are most certainly not alone.

    I force myself to write down my ideas for the new story and set it aside. I don't like to work on two drafts at the same time. And when I try, I have a bad habit of not noticing when I swap the H/h's names between the two stories. This can be quite confusing to the reader. Oops! *G*

    Good luck with your stories!!!

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    1. Thanks, Jennifer! I'm relieved to know that I'm not the only one who does this. And yeah, the problem with writing two books at once is that character traits and names get muddled. I think I need to choose.

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  4. When I'm looking for a new WIP (like now) I book and character hop like a Duracell bunny on steroids until one story grabs me, or I start to panic about the lack of progress on either. Then I buckle down to one story while looking longingly over my shoulder, wishing I could play with my other 'more fun/cooler/sexier'friends.

    The nice thing about blogs like these is that who else but other authors would understand? Did that even make sense? And I call myself a writer...*sigh*
    Take care
    Joss


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    1. Ah, Joss. I understand the panic, the serial character hopping and the plot envy all too well. Yes, thank goodness for blog support groups. We're not alone. :-) Best of luck on your WIP!

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