Do you have several different writing projects on the go?
Perhaps you’ve got a half-written novel, a few chapters of another novel, a couple of unfinished short stories, a book you wrote years ago and keep meaning to go back to, regular freelance work from several different clients, a blog, another blog you want to relaunch …
… or maybe that’s just me. ;-)
You might well like to have several projects to work on. I know I do! I’m not very good at just doing one thing: I like to switch between different types of writing depending on my mood and energy levels.
But however much time you have to write, you can only have one project as your priority. Whether you’re trying to figure out what to write today, or what to concentrate on this month, one project needs to win out.
There’s no “correct” way to decide what that project should be. You can flip a coin or roll a die, if you want to. But if you’re looking for more guidance than that, try one of these methods for picking the project to work on first:
#1: Smallest Project First
This is a good way to get something out the way and off your list of projects, if you feel that you’ve taken on rather too many.
#2: Most Exciting Project First
If you’re struggling to find much motivation to write, give yourself permission to focus on the project that excites you the most – at least for a few weeks.
#3: Best-Paying Project First
Often, as writers, we have to be a bit pragmatic. If you’re writing for a living (or hoping to do so), it might well make sense to tackle your best-paying project first.
#4: Oldest Project First
Has a project been hanging around on your list for a really long time? Getting it finished could give everything else a bit more breathing room.
#5: Most Impactful Project First
Perhaps one of your projects will help you get more name recognition in your field, or will make a real difference to people. That could be a great one to tackle before turning to others.
If you want to work on two or more projects each week, then try setting different days for different projects so that you can build up consistent momentum on each one.
For instance, you might write blog posts on Mondays and Wednesdays and work on your novel on Friday and Saturdays.
Tip: As you look through your list of projects, you may find that some simply aren’t ones you want to devote time to at the moment. You might decide to let them go altogether – but if you’re not sure whether you want to carry on with them or not, put them on hold to review in a few months. By then, you might feel more certain one way or another.
