This morning as I was browsing through one of my email feeds I discovered
this interesting post written by author
Ann Aguire. It's about working on different manuscripts and having your head in more than once place at the same time. It particularly resonated with me because I've been worrying recently about whether it's possible for me to do this.
Gray has his new Historical Romance in the research and plotting stages, while I'm getting deep into my contemporary Romance. Although the historicals are primarily Gray's turf and the contemporaries are mine, we still work together on both manuscripts during the inital plotting and first draft stages. For the first time we have both reached different stages of our respective books at the same time, and until now this has concerned me.
Then, as I was reading
Writing in more than one world I realised that if it's approached right it
is possible. I'm now seeing it as an advantage that Gray and I are at different places with our mss. I'm currently reacquainting myself with Kate & Matt and the structure of the plot before revising/rewriting. For this I need to work alone and immerse myself deeply with their backstories and motivations for their actions. Gray needs to continue with his deeper research and draft ideas on his own until the characters and setting become vibrant in
his mind.
We're still talking to each other about our progress and brainstorming the odd plot point, but for the historical I'm not 'in deep' and likewise Gray with the contemporary. By the time Gray needs me for the writing of the historical's first draft, I should (hopefully) be done and dusted with my current revisions.
The good thing about this is I'll know enough about the historical and I'll be ready to go deeper with the historical on the emotional level.
Complicated - in writing, yes but in practice, no.
How do you work and deal with different works-in-progress?
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