Thursday, June 20, 2024

Writing More than One Series At a Time by Marilyn Levinson

For years I marveled at how so many authors I know managed to write more than one series at a time. I have friends who write three cozy series. How? I wondered. Don't you get your plots mixed up? Call your characters by the wrong name? A few told me they finished one book, then wrote another. But some, because of their contracts, ended up writing at least two books simultaneously. How did they do it?

Eventually, I found out when I was in a similar situation. My agent, now deceased, got me a four-book deal for a middle-grade series. The first book had been published; the second book was written and about to be released when the publisher went kaput. I'd even written two-thirds of the third book, Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic, so I hadn't much farther to go.

Meanwhile, I'd been writing an 80,000 plus word cozy mystery every year. This year I was writing the first book in a brand-new series that required a good deal of planning. I had to finish Rufus and the Dark Side of Magic. Now I had two books due within a few months of each other. I felt a surge of panic. What to do? What to do?

First off, I went over my Rufus book, made sure it was in good shape, and plotted out the final third which includes a lot of conflict. Then I concentrated on Death on Dickens Island, my first Dickens Island mystery, and its complications. I told myself I'd try to write a little more than I had been each day. But as the due date for my Rufus book was fast approaching, I now had to write pages for both books. I wasn't sure if I could manage this.

I reminded myself that I read and listened to several books at the same time. I'd been doing this for years and never got the stories mixed up. Hopefully, this ability would work when I wrote my books as well. I discovered that going over the pages I'd written the day before helped get me into my work In progress. When I was writing my cozy, I was in the head of a thirty-eight year old divorcée who often didn't know how to deal with her teenaged son because she'd left him in the care of her parents for twelve years. Next, I was writing about ten-year-old Rufus who'd been lured to the dark side of magic by his evil uncle. Because the books are so different, I had no trouble going from one manuscript to the other.

I am managing to write two series simultaneously, though there are days I only write pages for one of my WIPs. The truth is I prefer writing one book at a time because other writerly "homework" always crops up in the form of edits for a previously-written book, blogs, newsletters, and answering interview questions. 

If you are a writer, are you comfortable writing more than one book at a time?


19 comments:

  1. I haven't done what you are doing, although I am writing a spin-off series at the same time as the original series. That does require remembering whose story I am working on and since I write using real time, one of the stories is after the other. I need to make sure nothing from the later novel leaks back into the earlier one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim, That's almost trickier than writing two completely different stories.

      Delete
    2. That was me, not Anonymous.:)

      Delete
  2. I much prefer working on one book at a time, although I'm not sure how realistic that preference is. I'm reaching a point where I don't enjoy the pressure of tight deadlines AT ALL. Currently, I'm taking a breather from that frantic pace. I'm only working on one book, one series, although I am anticipating copyedits on another book in that same series to drop into my inbox any day now. Will I continue with this more leisurely writing lifestyle? Probably not. But I sensed I was heading toward burnout and needed a a break.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Annette, I'm with you, though my deadlines aren't tight. Once we start writing books and series, we have work to do on various books at different stages, and as you point out, we never know when edits will be coming with their own deadline.

      Delete
  3. I can work on one book at a time, but what I can't do is write short stories and books simultaneously. I take a month to write my stories in batches, usually twice a year.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, my. I have to say that I really admire your dedication and abilities.
    I can't even work on more than one short story at a time. That's not to say I can't switch back and forth--I often "leave the pot on the back burner to simmer," so to speak, and go back to it with fresh eyes.
    But when I'm in the throes of working on one project, I often can't even remember other stories. To the point that sometimes when a story is accepted, I no recollection of what it's about and have to go back and reread it to refresh my memory.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Debra H. GoldsteinJune 20, 2024 at 8:39 AM

    I usually only write one book at a time, but do multiple short stories at the same time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wrote my one recent short story while writing a novel. I once read somewhere, though I can't verify it, that a famous author would stop writing her WIP for the day and then write a short story. Impressive!

      Delete
  6. I don't believe I could pull that off--and probably will never have to. I admire you, Marilyn!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Not sure I could do two series together, Marilyn. Separately, yes. Even so, when I proofread my Art Center Mysteries, I do a word search to make sure I didn't mention "Endurance" instead of Apple Grove, and vice versa. Great job, you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Susan. It's a help that these two series are as different as can be.

      Delete
  8. I am not a writer (wish I had the talent} but appreciate and admire the ability to write even one book and the work you all put into the writing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you. It is work, but it's work that we love.

      Delete
  9. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I recently wrote four books almost simultaneously. The first came out in May, the second in June, and the third inJuly. The fourth book will come out in November. It's tricky, but it can be done! Congratulations on yours!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you. And congratulations on your achievement.

    ReplyDelete