Help! I have too many WIPs!

[Guest pookha]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who suffers from toomanyWIPs-itis, and was looking for some help focusing on them. How do y'all manage it?

 

For example: I have a story that I've been meaning to finish re-writing for, oh, about six years now, but when I open it in Word, I just go bleah and close it again. I did recently finish a story I'd been working on for the same amount of time, but in the time it took to finish it the Brexit vote ruined the planned ending (which was going to be Brexiting in the Magical World, lolz, I'm a seer, I guess). I have 2 stories that I've been working on for a few years and will write new chapters for occasionally, but then I get distracted by writing one-shots and challenges. I also have a story that I've abandoned, but really, really want to come back to, but I'm afraid that I don't have the technical skills for it. I have so many ideas that I want to work on, but prioritizing them and finding time in my schedule to write is hard right now.

 

;TLDR --how do you prioritize so your WIPs don't overwhelm you?

[Vilja]

I'm not sure I can be of any help here, as I myself don't even dare to start a proper multi-chaptered fic...

 

What caught my eyes is you saying that Brexit ruined your fic about Brexiting in the Magical World, I just can't see why that would be - if anything it makes it even more exciting! Which fic of yours is that? I want to read it

 

As for prioritization, as I see it, this shouldn't be something to think about a lot - you write for fun, you write what you want, there is no need to force yourself to finish anything, just go where your muse takes you <3

[GinnyPotter242]

I don't know if I'm the best person to help with this, considering I've barely written anything for the better part of  year and have left so many WIPS just sitting there...on my computer....gathering dust. But maybe I can take my own advice, yeah?

 

I'd say pick one story that you have a lot of ideas for and that you enjoy writing and open it. Close all other stories- if anything, move to a different computer so you don't have the option of opening another one. Write that one story- at least outline a few chapters. That way you have something to go off of, and hopefully will get it done quicker.

 

For your "bleh" re-writing story, I think all you can do is make yourself write. It may be work, but if you want to get it done, you just have to push through the bleh. As for the one-shots and challenges- well, try not to enter any challenges. Just stay off the page altogether  and for oneshots, maybe write down the idea you have so you don't lose it? I have no idea how long it takes you to write oneshots, but maybe you could use it as motivation- for every chapter of the story you're working on you complete, you write one of your oneshot ideas (or enter 1 challenge). Again, not sure how well that will work...but it's all about motivation!

 

I think the Brexiting the magical world will still work! It's a nice parallel to real world stuff going on, and you could probably add in a lot more personal attitudes and effects of it now that it's happened irl.

[Guest Tanda]

As I'm not a native speaker of English, I'm not sure how much I can help. I like some works you wrote, fantasy mixed with mystery and investigation. I think the reason why people read a novel is they feel for the main character who experiences various hardships and we wish the character will overcome them and find the answer. So finishing a novel is important. 

It was hard for me to find the answer how to finish 'Tengu and a Daughter of Ninja' during NaNo in the past. I struggled with gathering some hints for the mystery I targeted. Then I could, all blurry clouds were cleared. I felt happy with the moment, I could find how to finish the story.

To me, when I started one-shot, I feel like continuing the story. I use story challenges as a tool for writing next. My writing skill is not enough though, some of my works went well with the story challenges.

[LunaStellaCat]

Here's what I I try to do.  I do this with both fan fiction and actual writing.  Make a mental calendar.   You don't have to write every day although authors do suggest that.  Sit down and jot a note that says, "I am going to have a roadmap and finish this today.   Or at least right a roadmap for this, or do a rough draft."  Set yourself a deadline to work towards a goal.  And you might argue this takes the fun out of writing and is too much adulting, but you will find you're finishing stuff.  If you do a to do list and tell all the plot bunnies to go on another list, they're still out there!  But you started a plan of attack.  That's what I've been doing of late. 

 

You find you close more doors.  But I rewrite and throw away till the cows cometh hope, so....

 

I have decided in OF to stick to short stories for this reason and not do novels.  

[1917farmgirl]

Okay, so I'm the biggest hypocrite in the world for commenting on this, but maybe you can take some comfort from the struggles of a fellow toomanyWIPs-itis sufferer.  (I now have 29 started or planned novel length stories...I should be shot.)

Honestly, I'm failing pretty badly at this, and would love all the same answers you are seeking, but I have been trying to do SOMETHING about it.  Because I'm so busy, and not always able to be by my computer, and often lose the muse for LONG periods, I decided to be a little odd.  I've been working on outlines.  Detailed outlines, for all the unfinished parts of my stories, or for the ideas that won't go away.  I've been forcing myself to get all the information I want that helps me organize a story (pictures, plots, chapters notes, character details) into one usable document.  And then...and this part is kinda unorthodox...I've been printing them out and taping them into the front of notebooks.  One notebook (or two depending on length) for each story.  So far, I've only completed six (notebooks that is, not stories), but it's helping.  The outlines have focused my writing so when the muse tries to flee, it's easier to bring her back because I am not just floundering, wondering what to write next.  And the fact they are in notebooks means I can write anywhere, even when I don't have a computer or the internet.  I've still been doing the bulk of the writing on the computer, but having the outline taped in the front of the notebook means I can easily pick up where I was writing even if I don't have the whole document in front of me.  (If you read the "writing" section of my notebooks, they are a mess of pieces of chapters that then get finished later on the computer when I'm back to it.)

It's probably not a system that would work for many, but it's helping me.  I find if I'm carrying the notebook around, I stay more focused on that story, and I can write even if I just have a few minutes.  Also, I can easily switch notebooks for a day and try to get some inspiration for different novel working.   If it's the only thing you have to keep yourself from being bored in the waiting room or something, you tend to use it.

Like I said, progress has been slow.  Six outlines done this summer, a lot of writing on one story, a little writing on two others.  But it's more than I've done for years so I'm going to keep going at it.

Maybe that will help someone else?