Needs a 3 sided coin.

[FelineEyes]

I have this problem: I am working on three stories right now and I'd like to concentrate on one, but I can't decide which. I tried making up a pros and cons list, but it didn't work so well. Any other suggestions?

 

[dustinzgirl]

How close are the stories? Are they showing similar traits and characters? You might actually be working on the same story.

 

[carrie221]

You could print out what you have mix them up and let someone pick one out of a pile.

 

[Aes]

I'm in the same boat as you, only the coin I need would have 4 sides. You could always post the general idea behind each, and ask people here which one they find the most interesting.

 

[Brian G Turner]

You could always just keep working on them in rotation.

 

[Culhwch]

If it were me, I'd probably start a fourth, and further complicate things....

 

[Aes]

You could always just keep working on them in rotation.

I've been trying that, but I'm slow/lazy enough as it is. Plus, I'm aiming to improve, so I'd rather make one crappy, mediocre, average, and finally (thanks to the practice and experience from the previous 3) one epic story. Doing them all at once probably means 4 mediocre works, plus I get the feeling I should focus on just one to make it as best as I possibly can.

I must find a way to vote some off.

 

[Susan Boulton]

I have this problem: I am working on three stories right now and I'd like to concentrate on one, but I can't decide which. I tried making up a pros and cons list, but it didn't work so well. Any other suggestions?

Which one is nearly finished into first draft? I would go with that. Then put it away and start with the other. Once all three are finished go back to the first and start editing

 

[Paradox 99]

Unless (as Dustinzgirl has suggested) the stories are very similar, I'd go with your mood. It's always best to keep writing, but you may feel more inclined to work on one story more than another on one particular day. That seems to work for me anyway, though I do tend to work in rotation too as a matter of discipline.

Do you tend to cross into different genre, or do you stick to one thing like Fantasy?

 

[dustinzgirl]

Unless (as Dustinzgirl has suggested) the stories are very similar, I'd go with your mood. It's always best to keep writing, but you may feel more inclined to work on one story more than another on one particular day. That seems to work for me anyway, though I do tend to work in rotation too as a matter of discipline.

Do you tend to cross into different genre, or do you stick to one thing like Fantasy?

I agree. I find that if I try to force myself to work on one story or another I am very frustrated. I just have to let it come. Currently I have a ton of small, silly stories and two main novel(ettes?) I am working on. I have to be mentally ready to work on one or the other or else I just get upset and wind up deleting/throwing out stuff I know I should not.

 

[scalem X]

as a matter of fact there are three sided dice .
No I kind off have the same problem, with me it's just a lack of persistence. Once I encounter difficulties in my story I leave it be and start another.
Agh well when I'm onlder it should go away, if not I'm doomed.

 

[FelineEyes]

That's what I'm trying to do; stick to one thing and see if I can get it finished.

 

[philoSCIFI]

If you're a gamer, you could always get a die that has a multiple of three numbered sides and asign each multiple one of the stories... Lot of work, but it beats sitting and not working on your stories at all.

 

[Trey Greyjoy]

Isnt any one of them in particular "speaking" to you?

 

[Paige Turner]

Just use a dice. (a die?)

1 or 6: the story about the farm kid in the big city
2 or 5: the one about the mysterious stranger whose arrival coincides with strange occurrences
3 or 4: the smutty one

 

[philoSCIFI]

Just use a dice. (a die?)

1 or 6: the story about the farm kid in the big city
2 or 5: the one about the mysterious stranger whose arrival coincides with strange occurrences
3 or 4: the smutty one

Haha... there we go. Good job Paige.

 

[epicfantasy7]

I say don't worry about it at all. If you are writing then you are moving forward. It doesn't matter which story you work on, as long as you are working. Every day you should work on whichever one you feel like working on. And work on it as much as you want. If you only do a few paragraphs then feel like moving on to the next one then so be it.
They will all get done as long as you keep writing

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

My advice would be to choose any one of the stories (it doesn't matter so much which one, because if it did matter you would know which one, and there would be no dilemma) and work on it exclusively for a while. If, after a couple of weeks, that kind of total immersion hasn't pulled you into the story in a whole new way, put it aside and go on to one of the others. Repeat if necessary.

I do know writers who are able to work on more than one project at once. I, however, am not one of them. I need to live with my characters, eat, sleep, and go about my daily activities with those characters always in my head. When I don't do that, the writing suffers.

If someone who works on more than one story at a time is consistently turning out excellent and satisfying work, then I would be the last person to suggest that they do anything different. But if you are dissatisfied with your progress as a writer, or if you never seem to finish anything, it might be because you are scattering your energies.