How many Pies Should You Finger?

I don't think I've formally introduced myself here - hi, I'm Sarah.

Anyway, I'm just wondering whether the writers here tend to focus on one project at a time of find themselves doing everything at once?

I worked ridiculously hard during my degree and had burnt myself out by the time I graduated 2.5 years ago. I spent two years being disillusioned and bitter and apathetic then, 6 months ago, pulled my finger out and decided to get on with it. The upshot of this is that I'm in a hurry. I've built up loads of ideas over those two years (that I wasn't really confident enough to follow through at the time) and am now impatient to get them all rolling.

At the moment:
I'm writing a stageplay (though I'm just about finished that),
a sitcom with a friend (just started that one),
I'm doing stand-up,
I'm writing a brief YouTube-fodder series (committed now that I've got a filmmaker interested),
I'm about to send an illustrator friend of mine a sketch to make into an internet-based comic strip (this won't be worth it unless I keep it up and update the page regularly)
I'm part of a workshop so I'm giving feedback on other people's work.

Too much, no? I'm unemployed at the moment and loving spending all day writing but quite concerned that I'm not putting enough effort into looking for work because I...well, spend all day writing.

I'm enjoying myself but is it worth it? How have others here found success? Attacking from all sides or putting ideas to one side and developing them one at a time?

Hi Sarah, as many pies as you have fingers is my advice.

'He had as many fingers in as many dirty pies as Billy Bunter at a mud wrestling contest.'

As long as you're finishing things and not just starting 20 projects and getting nothing done, I think that's fine!

Quote: zooo @ December 3 2009, 1:08 PM GMT

As long as you're finishing things and not just starting 20 projects and getting nothing done, I think that's fine!

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Yeah they all get finished.

This reassures me. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels I'm "doing it wrong"!

Just be careful you don't become Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None.

Quote: chipolata @ December 3 2009, 1:11 PM GMT

Just be careful you don't become Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None.

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Ha! Already am! Everything I do now is comedy, so I've narrowed it down I hope. Trying to be master of that!

Well I'm no suucess story myself, Hello, BTW, Kipper, but Ive done that too many irons in the fire thing and it sucks, to use a quaint Americanism, because one just never seems to finish any one project.

I certainly log all ideas on the PC like you, and when a fitting opportunity appears I take the right idea and develop it totally, completely leaving whatever I was on before, because as you probably know, drafting even a 30 min script (what I usually go for) can just eat up the time, best to have one edited and edited untill you're totally happy with it rather than a one month rush job. IMO.

People will try and pigeon hole you enough as it is, don't do it to yourself. It all comes down to good ideas and good stories in the end. And if you can do funny too that is a bonus.

No, but I think the breakthrough is THE MOST important thing for an unknown - you want that recognition, so choose your strongest style or genre, not simply your best idea or best story, IMO. I tried this with several things and I could see my writing wasn't as relaxed and strong as it was with lesser ideas from my preferred genre. But this is only my own experience, others may be different.

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ December 3 2009, 1:29 PM GMT

No, but I think the breakthrough is THE MOST important thing for an unknown - you want that recognition, so choose your strongest style or genre, not simply your best idea or best story, IMO. I tried this with several things and I could see my writing wasn't as relaxed and strong as it was with lesser ideas from my preferred genre. But this is only my own experience, others may be different.

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By genre do you mean comedy vs drama or are you referring to the medium? I don't bother with drama as even if I start to write one it becomes a comedy. As for medium, I'd have no idea what my preferred medium was! I tend to choose medium according to the joke/story/idea. I might come up with something intended for stand-up, say, and then realise that it would work much better if I character said it in a play etc.

Quote: Griff @ December 3 2009, 1:33 PM GMT

I think you can take on too much by having too many projects on the go at one time, and end up not doing some of them justice. Especially when deadlines are involved. But maybe that's just me.

I do think it's not only desirable but important to get round to trying all kinds of different things. Not just gags, sketch and sitcom but anything from short stories, novels, stand-up, theatre, poetry, songwriting, funny websites, feature film trilogies, T-shirt slogans, drama, documentary, journalism, whatever takes your fancy. You never know which form is going to "click" for you, or, as Mr.Kipper says, which one of them is going to be your way in.

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Totally agree with the scrappy work - nowadays, nothing's finished until it's the best it can be, for me. I work toward competition deadlines then submit whatever I've come up with but end up just doing it again anyway because it's too rushed.

I keep looking toward journalism. I did Film at uni and really wanted to have a go at film crit. It's fun, for a start, but it's also a plan B should nothing work out (and less soul-destroying than Customer Service...) I end up thinking it's too unfocussed, though. That I should choose comedy and stick to it. I'm never sure if I'm right about that.

That's a point actually, I presume most people here have a day job? What are most people aiming for there? Anything for the money while you write or have we all got some Plan B's on the go? Was never sure what the best thing to do was in that area. Don't want to spread myself too thin.

Yes, I suppose I meant medium or sub-genre more than genre, actually, sorry. I've assumed that you're a comedy writer to start with, but like you say the sub-genres in comedy are endless - I was spending lots of time writing comedy short film scripts and I was getting absolutely nowhere with it, so I decided to pool all those ideas into one sitcom and although I'm still waiting for my breakthrough with it, I have never been happier with the drafts I'm producing, it just feels right for me, and looks right on the page. So yes, I mean find your 'true' medium and concentrate on that alone. IMO!

Quote: Alfred J Kipper @ December 3 2009, 1:50 PM GMT

Yes, I suppose I meant medium or sub-genre more than genre, actually, sorry. I've assumed that you're a comedy writer to start with, but like you say the sub-genres in comedy are endless - I was spending lots of time writing comedy short film scripts and I was getting absolutely nowhere with it, so I decided to pool all those ideas into one sitcom and although I'm still waiting for my breakthrough with it, I have never been happier with the drafts I'm producing, it just feels right for me, and looks right on the page. So yes, I mean find your 'true' medium and concentrate on that alone. IMO!

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Cheers, I will probably finish the projects I'm working on then look back and see if one genre stands out, it's difficult to decide what I'm best at at the moment.

I guess there's loads of different ways to do this and no "right" way. I'm equally persuaded by the fingers in all the pies attitude as well. I'm sure I'll find what's best for me.

Thank you, everybody, for your advice. Really helpful!

Quote: chipolata @ December 3 2009, 1:11 PM GMT

Just be careful you don't become Jack Of All Trades, Master Of None.

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And try to avoid clichés in your writing.