Comments on: Between books

By: Jonathan David

Jonathan David — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:31:05 +0000

I’m not a writer, but similarly, Once I have “finished” something, I hate go back to it.. On the other hand, most of the shorter term projects are part of something bigger, that I don’t know if I will ever be done with. In most cases though, I try to find a new “owner of the problem” so that its not _my_ problem to fix any more. As a chip designer though, I’m more in the role of the Editor - needing to get the other designers to fix something for the tapeout, And that comes down to the relationship, which is often how I get mentally “dragged” back into the project, because my friend is in need.
Rest? Since I work at a J.O.B. I have to show up.. but I’ll occasionally coast on the minor stuff, until a “project” gels enough so that I know (and am excited about) what needs to be done next. If an earlier project has an emergency when I’m in this phase, I really don’t want to switch gears.
jbd

By: Patrick McNamara

Patrick McNamara — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:44:49 +0000

I’ve found I tend to take a break from writing around December. It’s like I’ve just got no more ideas, although the business of Christmas tends to make it easier not to try writing.

By: Kelly McCullough

Kelly McCullough — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:35:10 +0000

I tend to “rest” by pushing hard to get stuff in ahead of deadline and then writing spec books in gaps. So, between WebMage and Cybermancy I wrote a spec contemporary fantasy YA and between Cybermancy and CodeSpell I wrote a spec historical fantasy YA.

On the getting quicker front, my novel writing time counted in months has been a big old curve from short to long and back again: 4, 8, 12, 14, 12, 12, 10, 8, 6, 6, 5, 5 (projected). I’m hoping to get it down to 3 months per book and 3 books per year with the summer off.

By: Diana Pharaoh Francis

Diana Pharaoh Francis — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:13:38 +0000

I’m in the middle of edits on The Black Ship. They are really difficult–I’m doing more than I expected, and I think it will make huge improvements, but I’ve been having some of the same difficulties. My head has moved on. So coming back to this is difficult. Plus I’m with Jim . . . rest? What is this holy arc you speak of? Between the day job and the writing job, there ain’t no such thing. And I’m wondering if what I”m experiencing is really burnout. I’m hoping to rejuvinate, just as soon as the edits are done, hopefully in the next couple of days. One good editing technique . . . just cut everything and then you have fewer words to edit. Um. Well, it’s an editing technique anyway.

By: S.C. Butler

S.C. Butler — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:50:35 +0000

Wish I was getting quicker the way you seem to be. My first took four years, the second 18 months, but I’m back up to two years again for number three. I just hope this doesn’t be that number four will be back to four years.

By: Simon Haynes

Simon Haynes — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:53:26 +0000

My first took five years, on and off. The second took 18 months and the third took 8. This one was 6, but I’d already created plot ideas and characters for NanoWrimo 2006.

I guess what I’m getting at is that I usually spend 10-12 months on each book, and my publisher likes to release one a year. I cheat the system by doing NanoWrimo at the same time I’m doing final edits and revisions on the previous one, but you can only burn a candle at both ends for so long.

By: Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:47:18 +0000

Please explain this “rest” concept…

In my case, because it takes me most of a year to get a book finished, I never feel like I have time to stop. I’ll usually take a break to work on a short fiction project or two, but that’s about as much of a break as I can give myself.