What do Screenwriting, eBooks, Final Cut, Photoshop & Super Mario Galaxy 2 have in common?

That’s how I spent my afternoons over the last few weeks.

It seems like a lot and it got me thinking:

Is it better to split my time and work on multiple projects or focus only on one?

Where do you stand?

Each morning, I wake up more and more determined to reach the ambitious goals I’ve set for myself.  Every day before work I have about 4 hours or so to work on various projects and I like to think I’ve been productive.

Personally, I like having different types of projects on the go. I like the variety.  I still focus and prioritize but it’s nice to take a break and work on something else too.

For example:

I’m still hammering away at my latest feature screenplay. It’s been getting in the way of some exciting new ideas for far too long and it’s time to finish the story.

I don’t mean to suggest that I just want to get it over with. I simply operate under the theory that you shouldn’t start a new project before you finish the old one.

Before you accuse me of being a hypocrite rest assured I only have one feature screenplay in the scripting stage.  I can’t bring myself to start a new one without wrapping this one up.

I can’t wait to print it out.

The idea has been in my head for nearly 5 years now and I’m extremely happy it’s almost done.

So what are these other projects?

I’ve been working on a top secret eBook that consists of 32 chapters and a February-March target to release.

Can I pull off one chapter a week? Do the math.  Probably not but I’m definitely going to try.

There is still a lot of work to be done to meet that deadline. This week, I finally moved passed the intro and broke some ground on the first few chapters.  A lot of it will come together quickly as I’ve already finished the design and overall style of each page.  It’s just a matter of filling in the details.

Next up on the daily to-do list involves 17 West’s latest short film, Final Cut Pro and me!

It’s been over two months since we wrapped shooting on The Climb and editing is well under way. It’s an exciting project because for the first time I’ll be handling most of the post production process myself.

Hopefully it turns out.

Forgive the pun but editing is a nice change of pace in my daily routine.  Even though my television career revolves around editing, it’s still nice to slow things down and cut a film instead of faster paced sports highlights.

Next…

I love Photoshop!

It’s a great way to let your brain relax while still being creative.  While I love messing around with the program, I also had a few assignments to finish.  First on my list is a poster for The Climb as well as a top secret web series I’ve been developing for a while now.

I like to design posters for screenplays I’m working on.  It’s a good way to really hammer out a tone for the film.

It also gives me a chance to think about the story before writing begins.  I firmly believe that Photoshop as a hobby has helped my writing immensely.

Lets go back to that web series…

Final Draft makes a second appearance in my daily routine as somehow, I managed to write the first two chapters of a new horror story I’m calling AFTER.

I’m having a blast with the new characters and setting up cliffhangers between each chapter.

I’ve always wanted to write a series of short scripts to see how I can pace the different episodes and develop characters over time.  It’s a pretty exciting experiment.

I’ll have more on that series soon.

What else?

I also make time to eat, watch movies and play the odd video game.

Currently, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is dominating my spare time.  I can’t get enough of that game.  It’s incredible.

I think it’s vital to give your brain a rest every once in a while.  It’s a tough lesson I learned long ago after I burnt myself out one too many times.

Sports.  Video games.  Outdoors.  Trips.

General life type stuff should never come second.

The Important Question

The beauty of this routine is that my deadlines are self imposed so I really can take my time with each.  I love working on these projects. (I haven’t even mentioned working on this blog!)

It’s important to keep an eye on the finish line and find a good balance so you are constantly making progress.

But I still wonder if it would be better to drop everything and focus on one project.

Do you focus on one project or pick away at a few?

Personally, I think it depends on the person.

I like to switch things up to keep my mind working.  So far, the system has worked pretty well.

We will find out soon enough if this momentum I’ve generated pays off!