Thanks for the great writing advice, Jolene!

You’re right, Rhys, you *do* have to be mindful of the pieces you choose to work on! I’m generally working actively on only two or three pieces at a time. I keep an ideas folder where I jot down topics, titles, etc. that come to me, and I’ll come back to them as time allows–this allows me to save those ideas and perhaps let them marinate, but they don’t disrupt my other work because I’ve documented them and move on. I also use deadlines to help keep me focused. I’m often reworking a piece that I’m planning to submit, and many submissions are time-sensitive. An editor might say, “Could you have this to me by next month?” or I may have a submission window because of a conference I’ve attended, so I focus my work based on those deadlines. Because I work at a school, the school calendar helps me impose deadlines for myself as well, like wanting to have a rough draft done by the time summer break is over, getting through edits during the week of spring break, etc., so setting these personal deadlines helps keep me moving forward. There’s also something to be said about putting a piece aside for a period of time so you can look at it with “fresh” eyes as you’re editing, and working on more than one manuscript can also help with that. Regarding MAC AND CHEESE, every time my editor Callie and I met, she had such great suggestions that I was always eager to get back to working on the manuscript. And once illustrator Heather Bell and art director Mira Reisberg came on board, I had this sense of urgency because others were waiting for my edits.

You are not alone! I think it’s easy for us to get wrapped up into letting our work define who we are or become a basis for our identity. For example, I love picture books so I am a picture book author. But wait…I also love self-development! And MG! And YA! And science fiction! I think you’re just still in the valley of finding your passion. You obviously love to write, so I encourage you to keep writing, and I think in time what you love to write and your love for writing will come together with such force the world will take notice. Don’t give up to all those shiny distractions and keep writing! But also, you say “unfinished posts and ideas”. I challenge you to finish them. They don’t need to be perfect. But bring them to a close. Do the hard work of wrapping them up. Edit them. Share them. And then let them be free to benefit other people! It’ll remove a big burden from your shoulders of content just waiting and waiting on you.

Being open to working on or starting lots of different pieces and ideas is a great way to keep writing and not get stuck in a writing funk. It is a fine balance between starting too many projects (shiny object syndrome anyone?) and working hard to complete projects. Any advice on what’s helped you stick to single projects, Jolene, like you did with MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE CASE?