Last week, I was told I’m crazy
I hope you're crazy too!
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 299
Last week, I was told I’m crazy. Well, maybe it was two weeks ago, but who’s counting?
The "diagnosis" came after I mentioned my current workflow to a friend: I’m currently writing a series of five books, three of which are already in the final editing stage.
To some, I’m sure this looks like a recipe for disaster and/or burnout (probably both), or it turns into a classic case of biting off more than I can chew. But here’s the truth: having massive plans—and actually sitting your ass down to execute them—doesn’t just make you productive.
It makes you a better writer.
Here’s why "thinking too big" is actually the most logical way to sharpen your craft.
1. The power of the macro-perspective
When you write a single book, you are focused on a single narrative arc. When you write a series of books you are forced into becoming an architect of populations and ecosystems. You begin to see how a minor character’s choice in Book One ripples into a catastrophe in Book Five. This macro-perspective forces a level of discipline that a standalone project never could. You aren't just writing sentences; you’re engineering a world and you’re crafting communities.
2. Cross-pollination of ideas
Editing three books while drafting two more creates a unique mental friction. While I’m tightening the prose in a final edit, my brain is looking at a hole in the manuscript I haven't even finished yet. The skills are transferable and simultaneous:
Editing teaches you what to avoid while drafting.
Drafting keeps your creative muscles limber so your edits don't become overly clinical.
3. Killing the "preciousness" trap
Many writers fail because they treat their one and only manuscript as if it’s a sacred relic. They over-polish every sentence because they have nowhere else for their energy to go. When you have five books on the stove, you don't have time to be precious. You have to be prolific. This volume forces you to trust your gut, to move quickly, and to let the narrative unfold as it breathes and grows.
Efficiency is the byproduct of necessity. When the plan is big, the work must be bold.
What was it the architect Danial Burnham said?
“Make no little plans
—they have no magic to stir men’s blood,
and probably will not themselves be realized.
“Make big plans
—aim high in hope and work,
remembering that a noble, logical diagram,
once recorded, will never die,
but, long after we are gone,
will be a living thing,
asserting itself with ever-growing insistency.
The verdict: Is it "crazy" to juggle five manuscripts?
Maybe to those who view writing as a hobby of convenience.
But for those of us who view it as a craft of commitment, big plans are the only things worth acting on.
Doing the "impossible" doesn't just result in more books on the shelf—it results in a sharper mind, a more resilient spirit, and a voice that knows exactly what it wants to say.
So, what big plans will you set in motion for the rest of the year?
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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Next time on Shaking the Tree: It might get loud!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.