Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
There are a lot of authors out there who have more than one work-in-progress going. They’ll start a new book and then immediately jump to another because they were hit by inspiration. While some authors can do this and get things done, I cannot, unfortunately.
What usually winds up happening is adding to a folder full of partially written ideas that may not ever see the light of day. In fact, I see complaints from authors all the time on Threads about how they have all these ideas but haven’t published them.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not necessarily a bad thing if you like having a ton of partial manuscripts. Each to their own. I was guilty of this as well after publishing Kingmaker.
However, I made the conscious decision not to add more to my plate.
Never Getting Anything Published
Perhaps one of my greatest regrets in my writing career is never finishing or publishing a story. I would have a folder full of manuscripts in different stages of completion. I haven’t even finished writing VII on Wattpad, which I started back in 2016.
It wasn’t until I started working on Shadows of Atlantic City before I made the decision to finish what I began.
The whole point of me becoming an author was to share the stories that are in my head. I can’t very well do that if I never finish them or get them on a platform for others to read.
And yes, once Shadows and Fury are published, I am finishing VII on Wattpad and Skeletal on Inkitt. Not to mention finishing Despair this year.
I Have Stories to Tell – In Full
This goes along the lines of never getting anything published, but I have a lot of stories to tell. And none of them will be told if I keep putting them on the back burner.
I even have plans to expand the short stories I’ve published on other platforms. But instead of jumping back and forth, sticking to one WIP helps me focus and keep hammering at the keyboard.
Having a folder full of partially written works isn’t what I want out of my writing. I want those stories to be available for others to enjoy.
Also, I don’t want to have a reputation as an author who doesn’t finish anything. It was starting to feel that way after I was working on VII but then put time into Despair, which I then sacrificed for Kingmaker. I was starting to get sucked back into a loop of never finishing a manuscript.
My Time Is Already Limited
I don’t have a lot of time during the week thanks to all of the projects on my plate. Blogs, YouTube channels, podcasts, client work – they all take a large portion of my time. If I jump from one WIP to another without finishing, nothing will get published.
Or, it will wind up taking me 10 years to finish a single book.
Of course, a lot of this has more to do with time management than anything else. My life is chaotic and haphazard, so trying to juggle more than one book at a time is just not feasible for success.
The bottom line is that I simply don’t have the time to work on more than one WIP if I want it published anytime in the near future.
The Sense of Accomplishment
Perhaps one of the greatest experiences as an author is the sense of accomplishment when you hold a paperback version of your book in your hands. This is especially true if you put in the time and effort to make it the best book you could possibly produce.
I spent a great deal of time and effort writing and editing the stories I published. They weren’t books that I just tossed up for the hell of it while crossing my fingers. And I sure as hell didn’t use AI to write a single line of text.
To know that all of my hard work and determination paid off to see my book in print was worth more to me than making any number of sales. And I feel that way with every book I publish.
Now, it would be nice if I learned how to be a better marketer so I can make a few bucks. But the sense of accomplishment is amazing, especially after publishing that first book.
4 Ways to Avoid Writing More Than One WIP at a Time
As I said earlier, some authors are perfectly capable of working on more than one story simultaneously. Personally, I’d rather go all-in on a story to make it the best product of my imagination. I don’t want to divide my attention, which could result in a poorer reader experience.
That comes from a career as a professional writer. I’ve found that trying to multitask greatly impacted the quality and timing of the projects.
So, what do I do to avoid writing all of the ideas that keep jumping up at me?
Filling a Folder
I have an ever-growing folder on my computer of ideas that I would love to work on. This includes everything from general plots and characters to single lines of dialogue I want to use in a certain scene.
The hardest part is deciding which one is a priority when I begin writing a new book.
Then, I’ll wind up deleting a few of them because they just didn’t feel right after letting the idea sit for a while. Not all of your ideas for a book are going to be good ones, and I found it beneficial to let the idea stew for a moment before actually writing.
Remember the Sensation of Completion
Remembering how I feel when holding a finished book is a great way to prevent me from jumping into another WIP. Pride and accomplishment can do wonders for keeping one on task.
In reality, I have a copy of Kingmaker and A Freelancer’s Tale on my desk that I look at all the time as a reminder of how being published feels. And I would love to relive the moment when my next book comes out.
Publishing an eBook is OK, but holding a physical copy of the book in hand just makes everything seem much more real. I have my name on the spine of a book, something I’ve wanted since I was nine years old.
Considering the Audience
I have a lot of people waiting for the second book in the Witcham series. That’s why as soon as Shadows is done, I’ll get right to work on Fury. Luckily, Fury is mostly written, so it should be long before it’s out at the time of this post.
Never underestimate the value of your fans. They can help you stay the course, especially if you’re working on a series.
Your reputation as an author is important. You don’t want people to think of you as someone who can’t finish what you started. Yes, life will get in the way and cause delays. But you don’t want to alienate or ignore those who appreciate your work.
Social Accountability
I use my readers and YouTube viewers as a way to stay accountable. I involve everyone in the journey of writing as a way to keep me motivated and determined to finish. After all, I don’t want to disappoint anyone.
Though, I would like to point out that you’ll need a bit of a thick skin for social accountability. Some people have a way of calling you out in a very negative way. The trolls will be on the hunt, and being able to ignore them for what they are is exceptionally beneficial.
The best part about social accountability is that some of your fans will help inspire and encourage you to continue. Yes, I mentioned how trolls can be vicious. But your fans and followers can easily overshadow them. They are your cheerleaders, and many will want to see you succeed.
How Many WIPs Do You Have Going?
Remember, it’s not a bad thing if you’re able to work on more than one WIP at a time. Every author is different, and we all have unique methods of publishing our work. I’m just not someone who can do that and expect to see my name on a book anytime soon.
I suppose it might be different if I didn’t have so much going on. But even then, I think I rather like the idea of going all-in on a current book until it’s finished. Maybe it’s a way for me to control something in my life that feels so haphazard most of the time.
So, even if I didn’t have as much going on in my life, I’d probably still work on one book at a time. It’s been a great feeling looking back and seeing the finished works I have available.
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