Juggling

I've always one of the people who like to finish one task completely before I go on to the next. Even eating, I tend to eat one thing at a time rather than a bite of this and then a bite of that. I have always read one book cover to cover before starting the next. Being an author has changed all that for me.
I remember the first time I had to set aside the manuscript I was working on to make changes in another book for an editor. It was so stressful and difficult from me to stop thinking about one set of characters and return to the lives of people I had finished with months before. Then when I finished it was nearly as challenging to go back to my WIP.
That part of the business did not come easily to me. I still don't like working on more than one book at a time, but I can do it. I know many writers who seem to easily juggle numerous projects without breaking a sweat. I'm not sure if I'll ever have that talent.
In the meantime, I have learned to read more than one book at once. There's the one I carry in my bag for timeouts during my children's sporting events. There is the one in my bedroom, the one in my desk at school and the one beside my chair in the living room. Who knows? Maybe I'll starting mixing my foods together on my plate.
Hopefully, someday I'll have to really learn to juggle. I think I could live with that kind of stress.