How To Stay Sane Juggling Two Novels At Once

On the strange balancing act of debuting and drafting at the same time

[Caitlin note: I have yet to truly juggle two novels at once, but I am currently working three distinct jobs—writing a novel, lawyering at a law office, and teaching for a fellowship—and let me tell you, this was the piece I didn’t know I needed to read. I hope Kristin’s latest guest post *~*hits*~* for other readers like it did for me. And if you have your own thoughts on the two-projects-at-once life, please share them in the comments, for Kristin’s sake and my own!]

I’m the happiest when I’m in the thick of working on one project.

I love feeling the pull of a story when I’m away from it and the obsessive need to stay at the computer a little longer to finish a scene that’s finally coming together. I love daydreaming about my characters and the trouble I’m causing them. I love giving a book my complete and undivided attention.

Once I finish a draft and send it off for feedback, I’ll usually turn to whichever other project has been patiently waiting in the wings and spend some time tinkering with it.

I prefer a one-project-at-a-time approach, but at the moment, I’m in a strange new place where two projects require my attention. I’m less than three months away from publishing my debut novel and I’m simultaneously in the thick of rewriting another book.

It’s the first time I’ve had to balance two projects at such wildly different stages, and it’s a much more complex dance than I anticipated!

For starters, my debut novel is completely done. It’s out of my hands in many ways. But I’m not not thinking about it. Every single day, I’m pondering how I want to help market this book. I’m making plans for the launch. I’m trying to be more intentional with my social media posting. I’m making a point to connect with authors and other bookish people who might enjoy my novel.

My first book is still very much on my mind all the time even though I’m not actively writing or revising it anymore. It’s also starting to sink in that people will read my work very soon…and have opinions about it. That’s taking up its own mental real estate.

When I’m not thinking about all things book launch and debut, my mind is on my work-in-progress. I think about how I can make the story more suspenseful, if I’m hitting the right energetic markers at the right time, if the characters are working. I’m wrapped up in the creative energy of an early draft, when the story is still revealing itself and I’m getting ideas for great twists and character development while I’m in the shower.

But the push and pull of these two different stages of the writing process are complicated to navigate as a writer who prefers a single focus.

If you find yourself in a similar position balancing the needs of two (or more!) novels or projects at once, here are some ways to keep yourself sane.

Do Less

If you’re like me, you might have limited time for your creative work, but a long list of things you want to accomplish during a writing session. Sometimes, having several things to work on motivates me, but a long to-do list often causes me to freeze up. It’s hard to know what to prioritize when everything feels important and the window of time to work on it is short.

Instead of trying to divide my time and focus on all the things in one afternoon, I’ve found it’s better to lower my expectations. Less is more!

I might designate one day for debut novel tasks. Maybe that’s the day I write guest posts like this one, work on some ideas for social media posts, or reach out to the authors on my blurb outreach list. The next day might be for putting words on the page with my new project, reading a craft book, or freewriting in my journal to generate ideas for Act II.

Some unicorn days might even be a mix of both, but it’s always better for me when I put a limit on how much I hope to accomplish.

Have a plan

This one might seem like trivial advice, but I regularly forget to plan ahead for my writing sessions, so I’m throwing it on this list. There’s nothing less motivating for me than sitting down at my desk and feeling the weight of a thousand potential tasks but having no idea which one to start with.

Lately, I’ve been setting aside time on Sundays to make a list of writing to-dos for the week ahead. I’ll look at the blocks of time available in the upcoming week and decide how much I can realistically do (realistically being the key word… I’ve been known to be delulu). If there are too many other things impeding the time I would normally write, I’ll make my list shorter.

It just feels better to have a realistic plan, check off all the boxes, and then have time to do a little extra at the end of the week than to stare down a too-long list and realize most of the items will carry over to next week.

Your plan can be as specific or loose as you like. Some weeks, I tell myself to “work on novel,” and other weeks, I’ll list several specific things I want to work on within the draft. Then I can pick and choose which task is the most enticing when I sit at my desk. Groundbreaking, I know. But it helps!

Stop juggling when you need a break

Burnout is real. If you’re constantly toggling between two (or more!) demanding projects at once, you’ll eventually hit a point of fatigue. It sounds counterintuitive (especially to someone like me who loves to push through until I meet a goal), but resting helps build and maintain stamina.

To prevent myself from burning out, I’ve been trying to take regular breaks from both projects. I would usually write as much as possible during the weekend, but lately I’ve been leaving my laptop untouched and spending those days reading or hanging with my family instead.

When I’m taking a break, however long or short, a major part of me still wants to sit at my desk and do something. I hate feeling like I’m wasting time or losing momentum, but the truth is that I make more progress and have more creative energy when I hit pause on my juggling act every so often. If you can build in stretches of time away from your projects—whether it’s a weekend or even longer—you can return to them with a fresh mind and restored energy.

This has been a learning process for me, and I’m still figuring it out. But if you’re someone who thrives on having multiple irons in the fire at a time, PLEASE leave a comment and share your tips and tricks. I hope to eventually master the art of having several projects simultaneously humming along at different stages, so I’ll take all the advice you multi-project writers can share!

Kristin Offiler holds an MFA from Lesley University. Her short fiction has appeared in the Waccamaw Journal, The Bookends Review, The Bookends Review Best of 2020 print anthology, and the Raleigh Review. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading on the porch of her 130-year-old house or exploring charming corners of New England. She lives in Rhode Island with her husband and son. Her debut novel, THE HOUSEWARMING, comes out August 1st from Thomas & Mercer.

Kristin is also one-half of the duo behind the Substack The Meaning Makers: