Thursday, November 15, 2012

Writing Update

I haven't blogged about any of my writing projects for a while, so this post is just to let you know which ones I'm focusing on right now. If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them in the comments.

YA Novels: Near the beginning of the year, Star Swans took a backseat to The Binder's Web. TBW comes first, chronologically (same world), and I needed a break from SS. I'd reached a point where I wasn't improving SS so much as I was changing it, and it wasn't turning into what I wanted it to be. Right now I'm nearing the end of my 7th draft of TBW, and I'm hoping to squeeze in an 8th before the holidays. I still like the changes I'm incorporating, and I feel more confident about revising SS (once I have TBW ready to query).

For those of you who remember my NaNoWriMo draft from three years ago, I did print it out in August to see if it's worth salvaging. Set in the 1990's (because the rise and fall of the ratite industry threads through one of the subplots), it's more contemporary than historical. This story is probably the funniest thing I've ever written, and yet the shiny is pitted with darkness. It's also NOT speculative fiction, which makes it a bad choice for my debut novel, since most of my story ideas ARE speculative fiction.

And speaking of story ideas, my next first draft will be loosely based on a fairy tale, though I would rather not say which one. Not yet. It's based as much on a nursery rhyme as it is on a fairy tale. Once again, the sequel idea came first, but the ideas I have for that will make the fairy tale very much my own. I'm not allowing myself to start writing yet, but I have been thinking an awful lot about what the world and characters are like. :o)

Picture Books: I am querying agents with one of these right now, and I'm hoping to polish two of the others once I have TBW off to my critique partners next month. My biggest problem with picture books is that my mind wants to spin them out into novels. I complicate them, and then I have to simplify them.

Poetry: I also have one poem out on submission and another that I just need to write a cover letter for and put in the mail. We've had a lot of sickness at our house this past month, and I haven't made it to the post office at all this week.

So what have YOU been working on lately? Have a great weekend!


10 comments:

  1. You have been a busy girl. Sounds like lots of creative fun is going on for you.

    As for me, I've been working mostly on poetry, but I am beginning my Christmas short story very soon. I should also start compiling the past stories, along with my Christmas poems and songs, for an anthology. I just cant' get myself to begin because I will have to edit the short stories to be even shorter, and I don't look forward to the prospect.

    =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds like a huge project. Your Thanksgiving short was hilarious. :o)

      Delete
  2. You are one busy lady! I love that you come up with a sequel first. That's just awesome. :) And I think you are smart to consider your whole career as you write and query. I need to be as productive as you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't come up with the sequels first. It just kind of happens that way. Thanks, Janet! With kids and work and everything else, sometimes it feels like I'm not getting anything accomplished. Writing it out like this helps me refocus. Besides, I like reading other blogger's writing updates! :o)

      Delete
  3. You are getting a lot accomplished! Way to go! And best of luck with the picture book querying. That's exciting. :D

    I'm working on the second draft of a YA contemporary. Really fun! :D

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks, Amy! Is this the one you wrote a first draft for in the spring?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good job on all of your progress.

    I had several agents and editors tell me that my picture book needed to be a novel...so that is what I have been working on for the past year. I'm hoping I will only need one more round of revisions before I am ready to query it. :)

    Best wishes with your agent search. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. That's exciting, Sharon! Wishing you the best! :o)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Happy writing. It looks like you've done a lot. Good luck querying. I tried writing PB and I always wanted to make them longer.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks, Medeia! The PB I'm querying is around 700 words, but there's a part of me that wants to turn it into a novel.

    ReplyDelete