How I Write Multiple Books at Once

Writing multiple projects at once can be a practical way to keep a writer energized, reduce burnout, and stay productive—especially for people who get bored or temporarily lose momentum when they work on a single book for too long. Jaylen’s core case is that variety isn’t just a preference; it can protect the quality of a writer’s voice and help prevent the “shiny new idea syndrome,” where a fresh concept repeatedly derails ongoing drafts. By rotating between projects, new ideas can be explored without abandoning older work, and the energy from one project can carry into the next.

The approach also functions like a built-in system for breaks. Instead of taking a full break from writing when a specific draft stalls or fatigue sets in, a writer can step away from the stuck project and move to another task. That flexibility matters during feedback cycles too: when a book is waiting on a critique partner, or when a draft is resting between revisions, other projects provide “something to do” without forcing progress on the wrong timeline. In this framework, multiple projects aren’t a distraction—they’re a buffer that keeps writing moving even when one piece can’t advance.

Still, the method comes with tradeoffs. Drafting multiple projects generally takes longer overall because attention is split, so each individual book may progress more slowly than if it were the only focus. Over a multi-year span, one writer might finish two books concurrently while another finishes one book at a time; neither path is automatically more productive, but the time-to-completion for each project changes. The system also isn’t universal: some writers are more “singularly focused,” and others can get overwhelmed by juggling too much. Jaylen emphasizes that the right setup depends on personality and capacity.

To make the juggling workable, Jaylen uses a flexible structure called “working in blocks.” A block is a task tied to a specific project—examples include drafting chapters, revising a short story after feedback, or doing line edits. Blocks can last anywhere from days to months, but each has a generous deadline and a clear next step. Rather than tracking daily word counts, the writer sets broad goals for when each block should be completed, often planning a couple blocks ahead so the workflow stays organized while still adapting to what’s practical.

Short stories play a key role in the rotation. When ideas strike, Jaylen treats short fiction as a “magical moment” that can be paused into the schedule, especially during long novel drafts when progress can feel invisible. Finishing a short story provides the satisfaction of completion, which helps counter the stagnation that can come from being “dead in the middle” of a novel.

Finally, the system requires restraint. Jaylen warns against overloading—pruning the number of active projects when stages pile up. When overwhelmed, the fix is to finish what’s already in motion (for example, completing editing tasks before starting new work) and then ramp up again more slowly. The takeaway is less about writing many books at once and more about managing momentum: enough variety to stay fresh, enough structure to stay on track, and enough pruning to avoid chaos.