Eli Roth
L. Marie asked:
“How do you juggle multiple series? What do you do to transition from one series to the next? What stories or characters from Windemere would you like to see in graphic novel form if you had the opportunity?”
I’m going to answer #3 first: No idea. I’m focused a lot on the novels since graphic novels, cartoons, tv series, and movies seem out of reach. I’d love for there to be a Legends of Windemere manga or an Ichabod Brooks or Bedlam graphic novel series. Due to my present tense, action-focused writing, the transition wouldn’t be too hard. So, it would really depend on which story the artist I worked with felt was strongest for the medium or they found more interesting.
As for the juggling, I tend to work with a hierarchy and factor in time. The series being published always takes the top spot and I’ll give the lion’s share of time to that one. It’s at the point where it needs more pushing and can’t be put aside. Smaller projects won’t be ignored, but they’ll be saved for later or given specks of time. This is typically when I don’t have enough time before the kid comes home or some other event is about to start. On the weekends, I might put more attention on the smaller projects because of all the distractions around here and write a little of the main book at night. It helps to keep everything flexible.
One thing that helps with the juggling is that all of these projects tend to be at different stages. Legends of Windemere was being first-drafted, edited, and published for the last few years. Smaller projects were simply getting future books outlined and prepped for me to easily shift into once their time came. I find it less stressful to make an outline or design a character than the full writing, so I can handle disturbances better. So it’s like I’m not really juggling, so much as moving from one station to another when the opportunity arises. Personally, I think that if an idea for another story doesn’t stick around while I finish what I’m doing with another then it wasn’t meant to be. If I can remember a twist or character choice for War of Nightfall after spending 4 hours with Legends of Windemere then it’s a solid idea.
The transition from one series to another isn’t as difficult as one would think. Having even a few hours of non-writing stuff helps clear the head, but I usually have at least a day between projects. Normally, I’d take a week of watching TV, running errands, and fiddling with one of my much smaller projects like Sin or the superheroes. I’ve learned that an idle author is just asking for people to criticize or drag away. Lost count of how many times I’ve taken a week to recover my energies and people assume I’m about ready to quit because I’m not working hard. Forget the fact that I work nights and weekends with this gig. I’m getting off topic here.
I guess I’ve been doing transitions from writing to other stuff for so many years that it’s become second nature. There isn’t much of a jolting if I control the shift. What do other people with multiple projects do?
Legends of Windemere 
Charles, I’m in awe of how you keep your multiple series straight. Maybe it’s just me but my various characters like to hop across to another series and I get confused. lol! Well done, Charles.
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I used to have that problem, but I guess I trained myself to tighten the reins. Part of it is that I dread having to rewrite stuff because I let my mind wander. It does help to give a little time to each idea that requests attention.
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I used to write one project, linearly, from start to finish before even outlining the next one. I learned that I can work on a novel, and short fiction in the same scope of time. I know what my future projects will be, but my plate is full currently.
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Outlining or even note writing can take the edge off. Especially last year, I’d look at the time I had and see what project could use that the best. It got a little shaky at times, but when do things ever go smoothly for authors?
Do you have any tips for how to balance the two projects at once?
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The short form doesn’t include a giant character arc and plot. Many times it’s more about an epiphany. They require a different thought process, and it seems to work for me when I have a novel going too.
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Cool. So it’s like a Point A to Point B thing or just a character evolution without the sidetracks.
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Kind of, but some of them involve making readers like a character, before they have a major epiphiany. Sometimes you can set it up so the reader has an epiphany. (Cat on my Grave tried to do it this way.) I think I can fit them in because they are different in scope.
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Oh, and a vignette can be a useful tool too. A month or so ago, I wrote about a post apocalyptic setting and a girl who awakens from the disaster and wanders through it. You might remember her making a top out of a menu. It worked, several blog follwers were entertained, and she’s gone. I don’t have her screaming at me to give her a story any longer.
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I remember that one. Definitely had me wanting more, but I can see it as a standalone too.
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A vignette is a great way to cleanse the palate. It parks them, so you can concentrate on something more pressing. Followers seem to like them too, so it’s an added bonus. If I ever want to, I can go back to her and pick up where I left off.
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Anything that helps with making posts. 🙂 Have you ever had a vignette that you were drawn back to?
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Yeah, The Yak Guy worked out exactly like that. If you dug deep in my Short Stories and Vignette category, you’d find his vignette. By having a category, it almost serves as a file.
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I keep meaning to ask, but what’s going to be the published title of that? Is it The Yak Guy?
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You know, nothing has really jumped out at me, and I think I’m going to call it The Yak Guy Project.
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Good to know then. I just remembered you calling it a temporary name. Sometimes the originals just stick. 🙂
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It’s intriguing enough that it might catch a reader.
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Yeah, I’m still linear. I write a book until the finish of the first draft. The blog exercises any diversions I need.Once the first draft is done then the editing and formatting can take place while other things are being crafted. I am in awe on all your do. (I keep saying that and maybe some day I’ll shut up about it.)
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Never thought of the blog exercises that way. I remember seeing a lot more of them back in the day too. Takes a lot to focus on one idea though. It means you can crank out an idea quicker than someone that is dividing their time.
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If you notice my blog posts are all short stories really. Not really designed to educate, just to entertain.
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That’s always a noble goal though. People can learn from entertaining without realizing it.
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The purists would say that is hardly possible. They think you need 1800 word diatribes or the lesson doesn’t get through.
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True. Why can’t we all focus on the fun? 😔
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I’m with you.
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In the early stages of writing something, I tend to jump between projects, depending on which I feel I can move forward with best at that moment. Once I have a project established as my main one, I tend to set others aside to work on only when I really need a break from my main project for some reason (usually either because I need to distance myself from it a little to work out a tricky plot point, or because it needs to be set aside for a short time until I can move it on to the next stage of production).
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Nice use of the secondary projects. Getting over a hump in the main one is something I do once in a while. Beats bashing our creative heads against the imaginary brick wall.
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Exactly! Using secondary projects in place of banging my head against the wall in frustration generally hurts less, which is a positive thing all by itself. Add to that the fact I’m then usually closer to finishing the next project than I otherwise would have been once the main project is completed, and it’s a win-win situation.
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Every step is a good one. 🙂
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I have a tendency to work on multiple projects at one time. Right now, I have 4 projects sitting nearby to work on, the 1 I’ve been inking for the past few hours, story ideas kicking around in my head…and cleaning that has to be done because that won’t do itself. And some reading for someone. I’ll usually devote a few hours to one thing at a time, or work on one stage for one project before working a bit on another.
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Cleaning always turns up on the list. Somebody needs to invent a self-cleaning house and make it cheap. That or a robot. Amazing balancing act it sounds like you have there. Do you ever pick one for a day and just push it to the end?
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Sometimes. It depends on deadlines and how much I think I can get done in a day.
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Yay! Thank you for answering my questions. Like N.N. Light mentioned, I also am in awe. It’s great that you come up with outlines and stick to them. I have trouble outlining one book, let alone books in a series. I find outlining more stressful than the writing, so my hat is off to you!
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Outlines don’t always stay on course. Later books tend to get revamped because of spontaneous changes. Nature of the beast.
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Reblogged this on Don Massenzio's Blog and commented:
Here’s a great post on balancing multiple projects from the Legends of Windemere blog.
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Thanks for the reblog. 🙂
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My pleasure
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Reblogged this on The Owl Lady.
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Thanks for the reblog. 😀
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