Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Finding a Balance

Obviously I love writing... I also love each of my manuscripts at any given moment, depending on which one is flowing and which one I've spent the most time on (or not). It's like having ten different children and loving them all but discovering you've spoiled one a little more than the others.
At the moment my Nocturne Bites novella is my priority as I have only a certain amount of time to get it polished and pretty, but I'm also discovering my very restless mind needs a break occasionally - and then I'll spend some of the day and a good portion of the night on another manuscript (currently Ice-Cold Lover).
Everyone works differently, but for me it's amazing how much more work I get done doing things this way, how much more exciting things are when you 'rediscover' them. Tomorrow and another two or three days at least I'll refocus on Blood Chance (Noc Bites working title) and then spend some quality time on Believe, which I have handwritten notes to transfer onto screen - and get to that elusive 45K mark!!

10 comments:

Laurann Dohner said...

Hi Mel,

I write more than one book at a time too. It keeps me from writer's block. If I get hung up on one, I have one or two more to work on and give myself enough of a break to come back at it in a few days. I also write depending on my moods. Bar fight scene = some jerk cut me off in traffic (lol), Love scene = my hubby teasing me (we have younger kids, we have to wait sometimes for alone time...LOL) I hope you make your 45K mark! Good luck, I know you can do it!

Mel Teshco said...

Hey Laurann,
good points there. Whatever mood you're in gets put onto paper - frustration and all! LOL

Cathryn Hein said...

Interesting post, Mel. I can work on more than one ms but only if they're in their early stages. Once they get past the 10K mark I have to pick one and concentrate on it fully. Then I usually become so immersed I couldn't drop it if I tried. Makes me feel a bit in awe of people who can write across several mss.

Congratulations on your Bites sale!

Suzanne Brandyn Author said...

Hi Mel,
I prefer not to work on more than one, but I did at one stage. It wasn't good for me. I almost pulled my hair out. lol...
One at a time, slow and steady gets there. That's my motto and I'm sticking to it. lol..

Suz :)

Mel Teshco said...

Hi Cathryn & Suzanne!
That's so interesting to me, shows how different we are =)

Christina Phillips said...

I only work on one ms at a time. A few years ago I tried writing two at the same time and made a complete dog's dinner of them both!!

Mel Teshco said...

LOL!! Christina! I know what you mean, sometimes you have to immerse yourself in one story and no others. I guess because most of mine are novellas it's easy to pick back up where I was. Harder for Believe though which is the single title, and very very complex =(

Anna Hackett said...

Hi Mel --
I only work on one at a time. I find I get so pulled into whatever I'm working on it's hard to focus on something else.

Maybe I'll give it another try though.

Mel Teshco said...

Hey Anna!
Let me know how you go =)

Eleni Konstantine said...

Interesting to know your process Mel. To some extent I'm the same. I can edit one book and write another. Writing two at the same time...I've done that with short stories, not so much for longer lengths.

Damaris - coming soon!

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