Hey Reader,

Longtime readers might remember when I used to do the 3@3. New readers, welcome to the explanation: a few years back, I used to go live once a week at 3pm and answer 3 questions that had been pre-submitted. It was all live, no editing, just raw talk. Turns out, I've got a pile of those clips sitting around, and honestly, most of the advice hasn't aged a day. Would I add some information or say it a bit different? Maybe. But these are still so solid, I decided to resurrect them and share them with you again!

The question this time:

I'm stuck before I even get started. I have two first chapters for two different books and I'm thinking of two others. I want to do NaNoWriMo this year but can't decide which to pick. Any tips on choosing which project to work on?

Note: You can tell this is from a few years ago because of the NaNo mention. While people still do the challenge, the whole organization fell apart, but the mention is still relevant and this is the specific question that was asked.

This is such a common place to get stuck, especially before you've finished your first book. A few things I'd actually suggest thinking about:

Which project do you know the most about, even if you're not a plotter? If you can say "here's what happens, then this, then this," you're less likely to get stranded two chapters in with no idea where to go next.

Which one are you genuinely most excited about? For anyone who hasn't finished a book yet, I'd pick the one you're most passionate about over anything else. Right now the goal isn't the perfect project, it's proving to yourself you can get to the end of one.

Also ask yourself: which one feels most doable? If one idea is dense with world-building and complicated plotting, that might not be the one to tackle first.

And do you know what you actually want out of your publishing career? If you're not sure, this is a good moment to figure that out, because it can help you choose the project most likely to get you where you're trying to go.

For writing challenges like NaNo specifically, unless you're an experienced juggler of multiple projects, pick one. Don't split your attention across two or four ideas. NaNo works because it builds the daily habit of moving a single project forward, and that habit is the whole point.

Break time: My full answer for this question is here in my new video!​

If you're deep in decision paralysis and want to talk it through with other writers doing NaNo, Just Keep Writing is free and open 24/7.

And still asking: would you want live 3@3 back, or something like it, so you could bring your own questions?

Happy writing!

~Angela
​

This is a paid sponsorship. If you click, we get a small commission. No further action is needed from you, so just clicking on the sponsorship helps us pay for this newsletter!