Some Things Never Change

I did it again.

The oldest reader might remember when, way back in October, I explained how hard it was for me to work consistently on a single project. I'm not loyal is how I put it. I don't know why. Perhaps my brain isn't wired to spend too much time on one thing. The plan at the moment was to work alternatively on Edingher and White Echoes.

Surely, I could stick with two ideas, right?

Good one, that. This week I was reminded of how I loved Edingher's setting. Then, one night I woke from a dream with a brand new take on City of Spires, the only draft I ever edited. Not to mention February's new idea, with Fezim, which is the subject of my Script Frenzy and keeps haunting me. Four ideas. And I'm not even halfway through White Echoes' first draft.

I'm thrilled I have so many characters and plots dancing in my head. I am. But one has to wonder how I'll ever finish anything if I hope between four projects. I can't spend my life writing first drafts. It's not exactly the best way to learn to tighten my prose.

So here it is. Between the four projects, my writing energy went down. I managed to maintain the pace and even get ahead... until yesterday. I'll have to fight hard starting next Tuesday (no way I'll get a lot down until then) to catch up with the lateness.

March is fighting back hard, throwing back my old enemies at me, but I haven't lost the fight yet.

Oh, and tune in next week for the two last MICE story structure, Character and Event!

I'm Not a Loyal Writer

I keep cheating on a project with another.

Sometimes, I hear of old couples writers who've worked on a single novel for a decade or more, and I wonder how they do it. My love is fickle, and early after I finish the first draft of a WiP, I have ideas for another. (Yes, for NaNoers, I have year long plot bunnies)

"Come write us," they say. "We're new and sexy shiny. We'll be better than what you have right now."

I find it hard not to fall into the trap. Sometimes I'll note the idea down, hoping to revisit it later, but the excitement and inspiration is gone by then. So I move on to new WiPs all the time, afraid I'll lose the perfect idea while it's there. It's why I four complete first drafts from my last two years, and two more to be rewritten. I only stopped to edit once.

This year, I'm trying something different. I'll be writing two stories during NaNoWriMo, and I hope that by alternating between the two, I can keep the other ideas away. I need focus, or I'll never get anywhere!

Am I alone in this? How many of you have troubles sticking to one project? And how many of you only write one novel and stick with it?  (For the record, I think both are fine)