Oops, I'm doing it again...

A few months ago, I was more than half way through writing a historical romance set in 1880s France, which I must say I was rather happy with, when I started getting ideas for another, entirely different, story. I was naive and arrogant enough to think I could successfully carry on writing both at the same time even if they had vastly different storylines, settings, periods and sets of characters. I really believed I could bring both to completion. It didn’t work, of course. After a couple of weeks, I completely abandoned the first novel but managed to complete the other. The first story has now been ‘in storage’ for so long I lost the thread, the relationship with the characters and the inclination to finish it. I still believe in it though and keep promising myself that I will. One day.

I have since started a contemporary romance set in Scotland with what I believed were strong, likeable characters, a good plot and enough twists and turns to keep me interested (!). It was going quite well, or so I thought, when out of the blue it happened again. Images and characters from another place and another time started to haunt me. Lines of dialogues popped into my mind all the time. When I woke up one morning with the perfect title for the new story, I knew I just had to start writing.

Only this time, I really don’t want to give up the first story because I know that if I leave it too long, I will lose my connection with it too and it will never get finished.

So what should I do? Is it possible to write two different novels at the same time? How do you do it? Write a little of each every day or on alternate days or weeks? How do I keep everything fresh, exciting and alive in my head? Any suggestions gratefully received.

Several Stories on the go? Does it work for you?

For the first time ever, I am writing two historical novels set in different periods at the same time. One I’d started a few months ago but had come to a complete standstill with. I simply ran out of - I don’t know what ... not ideas exactly, but I seemed to have lost touch with my characters. I couldn’t hear their voices or picture them as clearly as before.   

At the same time, new characters literally sprung out to life and a plot started taking shape in my mind for a new story. At first I pushed them all aside. It wasn’t time yet. I had to finish the story I’d started first. 

Had to? Who said?

May be I needed a break. If I left the story alone for a few weeks, I might come back to it refreshed and able to see and feel what I couldn't see or feel any longer.

So I opened the door to new characters, new sceneries, new sensations...

I don’t know if I was right, but I am really enjoying my new characters and their antics. Funnily enough, the ‘old ones’ have come back to whisper a few changes. Well, major changes, actually. Like cut out one storyline completely and rework the heroin and her relationship to the hero.

So now I am pulled between the two stories, two periods, two countries and there are not enough hours in the day (or night).