Maintaining a Regular Practice
War emergency pipeline from Longview, Texas to Norris City, Illinois. Pipeline approaching canal. Wooden plug in end of pipe will keep dirt and animals out. (https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8d09020/)
It’s good to focus on a single project, but most projects hit periods when it’s inefficient to work on them. At those times, it’s good to have other projects to which you can profitably turn your attention.
The pipeline
In academia, it’s pretty common to talk about the “pipeline” of projects, a set of projects in different stages of maturity: some you’re just beginning; some you’re developing as a project proposal; some you’re actively writing/creating; some you’re editing; some are in the hands of other people and you’re waiting to hear back. Maybe you don’t have all of these at once, but having multiple projects keeps the overall writing process smoother for writers, whether academic or not.
Natural interruptions
There are good reasons to put aside a project for a time. If you just completed a draft, it’s useful to set it aside for at least a few days before diving into revision. If you’re collaborating with others, hiring an editor, seeking publication, or in the publication process, then there are periods when working on your manuscript may be inefficient, for example if you decide to change something that someone else liked, or you fine-tune something that needs major revision. And sometimes we just get frustrated with a project, and would benefit from taking a break from it.
Continuity of practice
Many writers have a regular writing practice. They write every day or almost every day. Their writing time is built into their calendar. This regularity of practice is a huge benefit to the writer, not only because it keeps the writing space in your schedule occupied, but because it keeps your neurophysiology in a more consistent rhythm: you’re used to writing, which helps you turn your attention to writing and away from other distractions.
When an interruption arises, whatever the cause, if you have other projects, then you can keep working without an interruption to your writing practice.
Switching focus from one project to another has some difficulties: you may need to remind yourself of what you were doing with a project that hasn’t gotten attention for days or weeks. In such moments, distractions have an easier time grabbing your attention, and the continuity of practice helps manage the switch between projects without the practice being interrupted.
Emotional stability
Interruptions can be frustrating and emotionally challenging. Waiting to hear back about a submission can be stressful. Waiting for colleagues to respond can be frustrating. There are also times when the frustrations within a project also motivate taking a break. Whatever the cause of the interruption, your other projects offer a chance to work on something that interests and motivates you. (Hopefully you have some projects that do interest you and motivate you; if you don’t that’s a different problem.)
Since a good emotional state facilitates writing, having these other projects present will help prevent frustration. To be sure, there are times when it’s important to work through frustration, and I’m not suggesting switching projects every time you get frustrated, it’s easier to work through the specific frustrations of one project when you have a good relationship with writing and you don’t feel trapped by your project.
Projects, big and small
The bigger the project, the more likely there will be an interruption. The smaller the project, the more often you need to start a new one. Often it can be nice to have some of both in your pipeline. The big ones let you go deep; the small ones fill the cracks. A combination of big and small projects will commonly arise for professional writers and academics. There are books, articles, requests (e.g., query letters, applications for grants/fellowships), presentations, and possibly blogs and social media.
Satisfaction and a flowing pipeline
Getting projects out into the world, whether small or big, helps me feel like I’m making progress. It helps me feel like my efforts are more than spinning my wheels. I mostly write to help other writers, and when I do help others, that provides positive feedback. (I consider writing editorial feedback to an author to be one of the forms of writing on which I work. I don’t limit my view of writing to only material for publication.) You may have other motivations — to entertain, educate, express yourself, etc. — whatever the motivation, if your pipeline is producing stuff, or at least moving toward production, that feels good. And, again, a good mental state facilitates writing.
So keep your pipeline flowing. Yes, focus on one project when that project is moving. And yes, start new projects, or work on others, when you come to an interruption.
How many projects do you have in your pipeline at present?
Originally posted on Medium: https://thoughtclearing.medium.com/the-project-pipeline-and-interruptions-in-the-writing-process-40a59fcd8de7
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