I was planning to write lots of stories while I was on holiday but somehow I couldn't find the inspiration. I came up with a few new ideas but on reflection, they all seemed a bit run of the mill. The feedback I've had recently is that although my stories are well written, the themes are well used, with nothing to make them stand out from the crowd. So I kept rejecting my ideas because I didn't think they were original enough to be worth writing up.
The other thing is that I'm working on my novel for the RNA's New Writer's Scheme and I'm finding it hard to switch between long and short fiction. I did manage to work out some plot problems I had with the novel and I've been working on that since I came back which is taking up rather a lot of my time. The trouble is I fear its taking up too much time so I can't get my head round writing and submitting short stories. Part of me tells me not to worry, to get the novel finished and then go back to the stories, but I don't want to loose the momentum.
Redundancy looms and I would really like to have a bit of time to try and earn some money from writing, but if I concentrate on the novel now and it bombs, I'm back to square one. Now, while I'm getting paid, should I be concentrating on getting my stories out there or should I pin my hopes on the novel? Or can I find a way to do both?
So, my question to all you freelancers out there is - how do you balance short term projects against long term ones? Answers on a postcard - or in the comments box - please.
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