How Many Is Too Many?

I should probably not be allowed to talk because all my ish (save for my contest pieces) are unfinished but if you've got like twenty pages I need to scroll through put a stop to it.

I do really like having three very different pieces going on with the addition of an occasional contest piece to get the creative juices flowing.

I think it's fine to have as many works on here as you want. One-shots, yes, those are totally fine with me, as well as completed works. However, when it comes to in-progress chaptered fics, I'd say at the max two. You have to have a lot of dedication to the fics to get them finished, and I feel like any more than two is too much.

... Unless you're me, who has never finished a story in her life and is constantly working on twelve various fics that clogs her brain. It is the ultimate struggle.

I don't think you can have too many especially if you have many ideas at once like I usually do. The problem (for me at least) is actually finishing the story. I think I only finished one of my fan-fics. Another could be finished, but I wanted to stop it on Chapter 50 which is like 2 more chapters, but I lost interest in it years ago. Most of the time I lose interest in either the story itself or writing in general. Then a few months later I want to write again, but different stories. This is why I have quite a few stories.

I have ten stories up at the moment, and six that are unpublished. I tend to only update stories during my uni breaks and very occasionally during the year. 5 of the stories are meant to be short stories (under 10 chapters or so) so they're not all long stories with heaps of depth in them, which I like. It's a lot easier to finish short stories than it is long, obviously

As of right now, I'm focusing on finishing short stories and either working on outlines for my longer ones or updating them slowly. One story I've planned out to the end so technically I should've finished it by now, but I have not. Oops.

I would not recommend 10 stories, by the way. I think I'm going to stick to two or three of varying genres/fiction types so I don't get bored but can still update somewhat regularly.

I believe it depends on the person but it's easy to get overwhelmed when you're constantly starting a lot of stories but at the same time you can run out of steam and inspiration while working on just one story, if that makes sense.

I still stand by what I said in this thread years ago, which is that it depends on what the author can handle work-load-wise and that as long as the stories don't suffer as a result then there is no "too many".

However, I have recently tried to keep my attentions focused predominantly on one main project with only small, occasional dalliances with side projects and for those projects that actually seems to really be what is best. So, I guess it all depends on what a particular project demands of you.

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I think there is a NEVER a limit for writing. More than just skill-building and basic maintenance, story writing serves to be mode of expression. It allows you the power to create, which brings you competence and ability. You can look at what is within you and know it will always have a mean of externalizing itself, which I believe is a great comfort and tool for reflection. Even if you start 99,999,999 stories that all only have one chapter, it may not be readable for others, but it's valuable for you, and that's what matters.

The only "too many" limit is when you're working in a library and have to shelve the STACKS of Steele, Patterson, Griffin, etc.

There's not an ideal number of stories because every writer is different. That's the beauty of writing. We don't fit into one mold and there's never one single way to do something when it comes to writing. Some writers can manage their time enough and/or have enough time to write more than one story - perhaps even exceeding five - and still update them regularly. Other authors can only handle one or two stories with regular updates while other authors can't handle regular updates at all.

A writer should work on however many stories they feel comfortable working on at one time.

I am guilty of getting ideas and starting new stories, which I usually end up deleting due to lack of motivation and not having fully developed the story's concept. I think it's good to have one story that's your main priority and then have side projects to work on when you get stuck. But I also agree with everyone else, it just depends on the person and how much they can handle at one time.