Thursday, September 17, 2009

A new approach

We had our writing group tonight. One of the members -- one of three -- asked the others what the thing that kept them from progressing in their writing. One of the other members -- that would be the one that isn't me since this person didn't answer his own question -- said that too many ideas and things that he wanted to work on kept him from making significant progress on any one thing.

I said that I had a similar problem. At times, I find it hard to focus my attention to just one project. Right now I have the book and then two short stories that are fighting for my attention. The other member said that he had been giving each project one day of focused attention. Then the next day he worked on another project.

I am thinking that this is an idea that I may try. I'll just rotate through them. I'll do the novel one day, a short story each of the next two days. The fourth day I'll devote to revisions. I have two pieces ready now and am soon to have a third. Those first two have been sitting untouched in a file for nearly a month now. I think enough time has passed to allow me to take a first pass at editing. I've forgotten enough of the stories that the writing will seem fresh and I can, hopefully, find some holes or places where the story doesn't work.

I am curious if any other writers work like this. I know that my process is my process and I can't go comparing myself to others, but was just wondering if there was anyone with a similar experience and how it worked for them.

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