Writing be hard

I'm juggling four projects at once and trying to keep steam with all of them, so I'd say there's no harm on hopping around as long as they're getting somewhere! It can be a problem for some writers if the ones they do want to finish keep getting interrupted by projects that never make it. That can be stressful. So for the best use of my time I'm not really starting things that I won't eventually complete.

Which is why I also set deadlines and consider the long-term schedule on my publishing goals. If I can keep the rhythm of one story per quarter this year, I'd say I managed the process well.

This ultimately may be my career background basing all of this advice, though. As a teacher, I tend to think of a writing project like a fence with a gate, and there's two ways of getting past; either pushing through the front on one project no matter how tough it is because it has to get done (and eventually breaking through) or taking some time to go around the fence and work on other projects that are easier/more interesting to progress with.

There's still more gates on the other side, and you'll have to open all of them eventually because... my metaphor for success is like a car which can't climb over or offroad. It needs someone walking along to manually open the gates. The driver's patient and will wait for you to come back to push the ones you skipped, but you can't forget to.

Part of me wonders how this metaphor might change if I were to offer commissions... Anyway, hope my mindset is worth something!