When writing multiple stories...

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Deleted member 5560

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Right now I'm writing two stories, but they both have kind of sad sack MCs. I think it took a toll on my mental health and I basically took the week off writing and just drank a lot, which resulted in a very stupid and lighthearted story that was very refreshing to write. It's made me think maybe I should write a story with a more cheerful and confident MC full-time to balance out the two other stories, but I don't know if I have enough room on my plate for another story. I'm also writing + drawing a webcomic and though it only updates once a week, drawing a fully rendered page is a big time commitment (sketch + lineart + flats + shading + lettering), leaving me with an already limited time for my writing (the bummer of course being the webcomic is a tragedy/horror hahah).

:blob_pat_sad:

Any authors out there juggling multiple stories, how do you manage your schedules? Do you dedicate certain days to working on certain projects, or are you more laissez faire and follow your muse?
 

Bronzeapollo

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I'm more of a laissez-faire guy and follow my state of mind. If I force myself to write my stories on a timeline I find myself writing a parody of my initial intention behind the story. The way they interact slowly devolves and I find the quality of which I write at fall. So I instead write whatever I find the most inspiring at the time.

Just my own two cents on the issue. If you do better on a schedule do that instead though, just don't force yourself into it.
 

TLCsDestiny

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I like to keep to a schedule but it doesn't happen all the time. Just like 'Bronzeapollo', I tend to like writing whatever I want most of the time and keep to a schedule if absolutely necessary, (it helps that I seem to like writing all my stories anyway). Since I do my work for free, I feel like I'm less stressed and go to my own pace.
I suggest you don't worry too much about schedules, unless your getting paid...
 

Ziavory

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I just try to update weekly.
Don't put too much pressure on yourself. If you're getting paid then you should be on time, but if it's for fun, the just have fun writing. Don't force yourself.
 

taesijr123

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I have the same issue as OP.
Only difference is...
My first story was a noble-dark. [Where protag is serious and serious things happens.]
(*Currently on hiatus until I recall the scene.*)

The second is a light-hearted comedy with a really complex story-line.:eek:
[She just tries her best to live at her best.]
(*Currently writing it for fun XD and boy it sure hits my happy side.*)

Don't let readers pressure you.
The story itself is more important than getting a dead-line on time.
After all, the story is what makes readers read them anyways.
*Laugh in ojou-sama* Ho~ho~ho~ho~hoo~
 

mrsimple

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I write... All the time? Yeah, not everything turns into a story, but I do have a choke-full of introductory stories piled up in my document folder. XD

While I'm at work, I do jot down whatever comes to mind. And my mood changes how I write. It's kinda like I have... Rather than split personalities, I have fragmented personas that break away whenever the mood strikes.
 

ChronicleCrawler

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I'm currently writing another story aside my current one. Though sometimes I usually overfocus in writing the new one, to point when I start writing the old one my mind just zooms to the other.

As of lately, I learned writing short paragraphs out of what I observed in my work, house, or when eating outside. I stashed it all in a smartphone app, then look at it later when I'm feeling a little lost.

I am more of someone who follows my whims since I think my motivation would be burned out if I started following a strict schedule. Anyways, just let it flow and enjoy every moment. That way you'll do just good.
 

yansusustories

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I feel you :blob_teary: I'm currently writing four stories on a schedule (two daily, two weekly) and one as a side story whenever I feel like updating. Although I have to say that I normally still update a chapter each week. Other than that, I still edit/revise two chapters each day. For a while that went quite well but recently, I feel like it has become too much to sustain that schedule long term. Thankfully, one of my daily projects is almost finished so I'm hurrying up with that.
In short: I can't recommend starting too many projects at once. It probably depends on the length of your chapters too but if you're someone that keeps to a schedule, then I feel that having too many projects will drain you sooner or later.
Maybe just write a few chapters of a lighthearted story for yourself without posting it for now? If you feel that you're going to stick to the story and have a bit of a stockpile, you can still post it, after all. But you won't have another commitment if your readers don't yet know about it.
 

S.D.Mills

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I've been writing professionally for about 8 or 9 years. I've worked on large, single projects and I've done lots of small ones too, sometimes simultaneously. Right now, I freelance, so it's common for me to be doing more than one thing at a time. There are a few things I've learned about working on multiple creative endeavors simultaneously.
  1. The difficulty in creating consistent and quality work increases at an exponential rate for every project you work on at the same time. Doing two projects is more than twice as hard, doing three at a time is more than 4 times as hard, etcetera.
  2. Everyone has a limit. Some writers just cannot write more than one thing at a time. Others can. If you try to push yourself beyond your limit, you may be able to for a while, but you will burn out, and the side effects of that outweigh whatever gain you had during your sprint of death.
  3. The way to ensure you accomplish your goals is to break everything down into pieces, very very small pieces. If you make goals for yourself that are ambitious, you will always fail and you will always be behind. Instead, give yourself honest predictions of what you can do, and set up a schedule that gives you plenty of rest. Working on multiple projects at once means that you have to work on every project in small bursts.
  4. When you switch context to a different project, drop everything in your mind about the previous project. For the next burst, the only thing that exists is the thing right in front of you. Nothing else, regardless of how much pressure you feel about the other things in your life.
Beyond that, I honestly don't suggest juggling four projects at once, unless your release schedules for these are all reasonably spaced out. You're just going end up disappointed, likely with yourself (even though your expectations were unfair from the beginning).
 
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As for me, I just make a story project where I can dump everything in one go I guess. I will just start with a parody of the usual stories while trying to get a better grasp on it, bit by bit. Or something like telling a random idea as a practice.

The most I juggled were two stories. Can't really focus on more than a thing at a time, tbh.

When I was working on a story project in the past and feeling burned out, I just work on the other idea and try writing something I have interest in. But I will refrain from posting it unless I can pull it through the end. I have somewhat an OCD about not carrying through my stories until the end. Even if the ending wasn't really well thought out, I'd rather finish it right away than leaving it unattended.

Most of the stories on the draft rarely made it past few chapters. I tend to lose motivation rather quickly the moment it didn't speak to me. It was kind of a dilemma with my OCD, that I end up forcing myself to write it 'til completion, even though I hate it--when it comes to stories I published online.

So on the safe side, unless I could write it 'til completion in the draft stage without having to push myself much, I won't risk it. Or rather to go with something that doesn't really have need for continuity, like collection of short stories or non-linear narratives. Anything that suits me and motivate me to keep going cuz it's damn fun and easy to keep up is also fine.

The bottom line is, I'm quite a lazy person, so I'd prefer to juggle the least amount of projects that require the least effort to keep up :D
 

Fushigi

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I keep a backlog of chapters in both (about twenty per) so I have the freedom to write several chapters in a row in one before switching to the other and doing the same. This helps me keep my head in the story, and it helps me avoid writing the same look-and-feel twice. My novels (only one is posted on SH, BTW) are distinctly different too. If I was writing two Isekais, I probably couldn't do that.
I also have a couple other stories, to add chaps to every once in a while when I need a break from both of my series. That gives me a change of pace when I need one.
 

TLCsDestiny

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I keep a backlog of chapters in both (about twenty per) so I have the freedom to write several chapters in a row in one before switching to the other and doing the same. This helps me keep my head in the story, and it helps me avoid writing the same look-and-feel twice. My novels (only one is posted on SH, BTW) are distinctly different too. If I was writing two Isekais, I probably couldn't do that.
I also have a couple other stories, to add chaps to every once in a while when I need a break from both of my series. That gives me a change of pace when I need one.

I tend to like having a few extra chapters too.
 

SenjiQ

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Whenever I've tried writing more than one at a time I get focused on one of them and the other gets neglected
 

GDLiZy

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I wrote two fictions but only publish one. I haven't touched the other one for a while because I have been busy writing this one. Only when I finished my quota did I go back and write the other one.

However, my previous schedule is 2 days on the first and next 2 days on the second. Then if a sudden inspiration hit me, a one-shot that is.
 
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