3 Ways Smart Writers Easily Manage Multiple Projects

Whether I like it or not, it feels like I always have multiple projects vying for my attention.

Sometimes I want to play by the rules for events like NaNoWriMo—to participate, I need a fresh story idea and a blank page on the first day of the month. Other times, inspiration simply strikes at an inopportune time.

Most of the time, I can handle keeping the story or characters that come to mind in the notes section of my phone, leaving them on the back burner until they become relevant. There are some cases, however, where I can’t—maybe there’s a deadline involved, maybe the story is simply begging to be told. Either way, I must sit down and write, regardless of my current projects. Since I’m a writer, a blogger, and a full-time student, that’s pretty frequent.

When this happens, it’s easy to lose track of the details. I don’t want to cross-contaminate projects, and I also don’t want to take on too many projects at once. If I progress too slowly, I know I might become discouraged. That’s why, whether I’m plotting or not, it’s important to stay organized as a writer.

There are three key things I’ve picked up so far that have helped me juggle multiple projects effectively. Whether you’re writing a book during NaNoWriMo, rounding out a paper or three, or just keeping them in mind for later, hopefully, these key tips will help you, too.

Tip #1: Get in the Zone

I’m a huge proponent of getting in the zone, and I’ve already talked about it in a few other posts like this one, so I won’t go into too much detail here. The basic idea is to train your brain to get ready to write a certain piece by priming yourself for it. This can be done by scrolling through images on Pinterest that remind you of the work, or even listening to a playlist you’ve curated based on the location, characters, or general mood of your piece.

It also might be helpful to sit in the same place when you write, since the physical place can be a cue to your brain that it’s time to make words happen. Writing at the same time every day can also help; if you don’t believe me, just check out the popular #5amwritersclub tag on Twitter. This group of writers pledges to get up early and write first thing, while the words are still fresh. 

Of course, you don’t have to get up before the sun to make writing your priority. Writing at a scheduled time every day just helps signal to your brain that it’s time to get to work. For more information, check out this post on writer’s block.

Tip #2: Write Down the Deets

When multitasking, it can be easy to mix up the details between multiple projects. Be careful not to swap characters, objects, scenes, or even subplots between stories.

The simplest way to keep things straight? Write them down!

Pantsers, relax. I’m not saying you have to become a plotter to make this work. But it can help to jot things down here and there to jog your memory, even if it’s only on sticky notes stuck in your laptop (or in my case, index cards taped to your bedroom wall).

I like to use the notes app on my phone. I keep a bulleted list of random ideas for each story/project I’m working on or thinking of; before I start writing, I scroll through the piece’s corresponding list so the details are all fresh in my mind.

The idea is to keep from cross-contaminating projects. The more you write down (and review!), the less likely you are to misplace a piece of information in your writing later.

If you’re an avid plotter like me, you can look into creating more detailed documents, like the scene list Randy Ingermanson suggests in his Snowflake Method. I had a lot of fun getting really nerdy with my first attempt, color-coding it and adding extra columns. It looked crazy to laymen, but it helped me organize the details of my book, which is all that matters. I’ve since dropped the color-coding, but I still add an extra column for each subplot to help me manage the flow of the story.

Tip #3: Plan Ahead… and Show Up

A wise man once said,

If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

—Benjamin Franklin (according to half of the internet)

Regardless of who said it, the adage holds true. Preparation is the key to success, whether you like it or not (*cough* pantsers! *cough*).

If you’re going to work on multiple projects simultaneously, make a schedule and stick to it. Use a planner if you have to. Try to keep making progress, no matter how slowly you have to go, and keep any of your projects from falling behind—a lack of progress can be disheartening and might keep you from wanting to write.

If you can, try to limit the number of projects you take on at once. Otherwise, it may be hard to keep up. Again, you don’t want to be discouraged if you find you’ve spread yourself too thin.

Essentially, this is the morale tip. After all, no one is forcing you to write. You could be doing so many other things with your life—but you’re choosing to write. That’s great! Now make sure you show up for it. Since no one is making you do this, you need to learn how to motivate yourself, or you won’t finish.

That said, if you do find you’re having a hard time keeping up with all of your projects, see if you can scale back. If a project doesn’t have a deadline, put it on pause so the others can catch up. Be mindful, and adjust your schedule accordingly. And then… make sure you come back to that paused project. Unless, you know, you really don’t want to, I guess. You’re the boss.

Do you often find yourself working on multiple projects at once? How do you keep the stories straight in your head? What do you think of these methods? Tell me all about your process in the comments—I’d love to hear from you. And, as always, happy writing!

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