Two vs. One

In Chapter 13, “Work with Balance,” Boice suggests that we “use balance to keep a second writing project going.” I have already found it difficult to work on two writing projects at the same time, especially if they’re of different genres. So far, I haven’t been able to write both poetry and fiction during the same period of time. If I couldn’t finish one writing project before moving on to the next, I would have to mentally tell myself that the current project needs to be laid aside for a while and I wouldn’t revisit it until the new project is done. Writing has meant immersion to me and having two projects going on would feel like diving in and out of two creative pools. Though part of me does wonder whether that’s just a habit of mind, as some writers certainly prove to be able to do otherwise. Borges for example, had written a number of poems in between short stories. I wonder how their mind switches gears.

Boice suggests that having a second project going helps the first project proceed in a patient and unrushed manner. Moderation and constancy, according to him, are essential to good work. To have a second project going prevents a writer from either rushing his or her first project to an unfulfilling end or risking a block and abandoning the project for good. He also believes that having two projects “reduce the sameness” and produce “interplay of ideas.” All those make sense to me. I’d actually like to try it during the winter break, as I have a strong desire to write both poetry and short stories. I’ll see how being mindful can help me create a balance in writing different genres. Right now, my mind is also full, but in a bad way.