It's a pretty daunting task to write a novel. So only a fool would try to write more than one at the same time, right?
Not necessarily. If you're working on a project that's dear to your heart and taking a lot of your time and energy, sometimes the stress can get to you. And if you're like me, trying to unwind by not writing will just make you feel like you're wasting time you should be spending writing. It's a horrible cycle. I'm finding myself particularly prone at the moment because my current primary WIP is a follow-up to my first novel and I want it ready for submission soon enough that it could be scheduled for release in a good timeframe after the first. I know that, realistically, I shouldn't need to worry about having it submitted for almost another year, but the desire is there to write the thing, to keep Nathan's story going, even for my own sake.
So when I remembered an idea I had long, long ago for a book about a boy who turns into a winged monster after dark, I had an inkling that this could be a way for me to keep writing, even when taking breaks from writing book 2 of The Memory Chronicles. I shared the idea with my wife and a friend, and both loved the idea.
Now, whenever writing The Silent Oath becomes a bit too heavy or I just feel like having fun with an unrelated project, I'll sit down to Nightfall, the story of Bradley Rook, a teenager suffering under an ancient curse which he tries to hide from his classmates. Unfortunately, his best-laid plans fall apart when he meets the girl of his dreams, and finds out that he's not the only monster in town.
What do you guys think? Do you have any fun secondary projects you like to crack into every now and again?
Don't forget, this Friday is the first of my recipe posts! Tomato rice with chicken.