How I Work on a Bunch of Projects and Still Publish

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Danielle Steele is well-known for working on multiple projects at once. Most writers, especially working writers, are working on more than one project at once. One of the questions I get asked is how I work on multiple projects and still publish. So I decided to pull back the curtain on my process and explain how I manage to work on 7-9 books at once, plus The Cameron Journal and still publish work regularly.

Organization

If you like to work on multiple projects like me, then organization is key. For years, I used Evernote to organize all my projects across The Cameron Journal and all my books. I have recently moved over to Ulysses and although its only available on MacOS and iOS, it’s a great app. No matter what tool that you use, organizing your projects is key. Having each project in its own space means that you can find it easily. Within a project notebook, I also like to organize my notes, ideas, research, outline, and the draft. I keep all of these as separate documents. Ulysses makes this process easier than Evernote did but keeping that organized means I can drop into a project and work on it without having to organize things or try to read through material that makes no sense.

I like to keep an ideas note going in each project so that I can write down things that I think of to work on later. I like to do this on my phone so having that note available is key. I keep my drafts organized by chapter and I have a dedicated note for research, especially in a historical fiction project where I have tons of historical facts that need to be cataloged.

Write What You Have

One of the best ways to start and keep writing to write what is on your mind. When I have a scene in my head, no matter the project, I will write down that scene. Oftentimes, this means that I have a variety of chapters and scenes going. Writing is difficult and so it is best to write what is on your heart. When I have a scene or an idea, I like to write it down and write it out. I need to clear my mind in this manner so that I can use my mental bandwidth for other projects.

When people say they struggle with starting writing to getting their ideas out I give them the same advice, “write what you have.” Start with an idea; write that idea down. Even if it’s a scrap of dialogue, a setting, or a new character. From those pieces you can begin to draft your story. This is also where outlining can be helpful. It can help organize thoughts, scenes, and ideas.

Priorities

Having clear priorities around your projects is important to make sure that you actually get things done. I like to prioritize projects by how complete they are and when I plan to release them. Ulysses allows me to move around my projects and order them exactly the way I want them ordered. It’s helpful to know where I am in each project. the farther up the list they move, the closer to completion the project has become. When a project gets close to being finished, I will take time to focus on it so I can move it onto my editorial process. It’s important to prioritize your projects and make sure to move them through to completion.

For projects that I’m not working on currently, I have what is called “the icebox.” These are projects I’d like to get to one day but am not currently working on and aren’t planned to be released any time soon. But if I have an idea, I will put it in the icebox. So, if you have a new book idea but you don’t want to leave your current project (or collection of projects) put it in a similar file. That way, you can get it out of your mind without breaking your focus.