When someone asks me what my current ‘Work in Progress’ is I struggle with the answer -I’ve actually got three on the go at the moment. I know that some people will be telling me I’m silly for working on multiple manuscripts – but I promise I have method in my madness. The first WIP is called ‘Universally Challenged’. It’s due to be released as an ebook late summer. I’ve finished my first three drafts of it and I sent it away for line editing (I’ll tell you about how I got on with that in another column). Whilst it was away for editing there was no way I could work on it which left me with WIP number 2.
WIP number 2 is also known as ‘the ten day novel’, the one I wrote during my crazy ten writing days. I was really pleased with the first draft but I can’t read it straight away. I need to let my mind forget about it so that when I come to read it for the first round of edits I’m looking at it with fresh eyes. I also didn’t want to get half way through the edits of #WIP 2 and then have to stop to go over my line edits of #WIP 1. If I start editing then I want to see it all the way through the novel.
So after my frantic two weeks of writing of WIP #2 and me ruling out editing it straight away, I was faced with a dilemma: do I write something new or take a break before WIP #1 comes back from the editor?
I find it difficult to stop but when I do I find it tough to get back into things. Last year I took a few weeks off from writing and I when I returned, it felt like the first day back at school!
With this in mind, I decided the best thing to do so that I could get straight into the edits of WIP #1 when it comes back, was to write something new. Only WIP #3 is actually a prequel to my ebook Millie and the American Wedding, so it was like continuing writing an existing book.
I struggle the most with beginnings of books, writing and rewriting the first chapter until I’m happy, then I write a fast first draft which will need a lot of editing later. So I decided to take this inbetween time to get the first chapter of the new Millie book just right.
It seems like a good use of the time; keeping my writing brain going but not getting too far into something so that I can easily drop it when my edits come back.
What do other writers do? Is it better to be pure and work on one book at a time only or is it ok to starting spinning WIPs like plates?