Ramblings of a YA writer

No. I need a Time-Turner. Sadly, all my pleas to JK Rowling have gone unanswered.

You see, for those who didn’t know, there are two of me: the YA-writer me and the adult-writer me. It isn’t a secret, but I do try to keep the two separate as much as possible. Basically, I don’t want to get angry letters from parents of kids who accidentally pick up some of my adult stuff. Anyway, I’m running into my first real glitch in this “Two of Me” plan. I have sequels due from both of me.

On a high note, all the series I have out (as either of me) are limited-run. They all have a certain number of stories I plan to tell in those worlds. So, this won’t go on forever, but right now I have a draft of one adult story that isn’t ready to send yet (but at least it’s drafted), I’m working on a draft of book 2 for another series, and I have the PRT 2 re-write staring me in the face. I wanted all of that done by the end of summer. (Plus, there’s this other world that I’m dying to introduce people to.)

I don’t think it’s all going to happen by September first.

I write pretty fast. This past 12 months has seen more new fiction from me than I can shake a stick at. However, it’s been a travel-heavy summer and my trips thus far haven’t exactly encouraged writing. So, I’m behind by about a month on my schedule. Fortunately what I’m working on now is a novella, so (since I had a breakthrough last night) I’m hoping to have the draft done very soon. That’ll mean my betas can have it quick-like and I can send it off to my editor next month. But I’ll still be a month behind.

PRT 2.

Cass’s book is written. There is an old draft sitting here on my hard-drive. On the one hand, I could just send it in and hope my editor will help me fix all the issues with it. But I know it isn’t ready. I know the plot isn’t where it should be, and I understand Cassidy so much better now than I did when I drafted it (numerous flash-fiction pieces from her PoV helped). So even though it would mean it’s done quicker to send it now, I want to take the time to make it better first. I want my bad guy badder. I want Cass’s relationships more real. I want Cass more…Cass.

So, I’m putting myself on an official deadline publicly. I will have all of my sequels done (and hopefully submitted) before NaNoWriMo 2011. That gives me until Nov. 1 to finish everything including revisions. It’s not as soon as I’d hoped, but it’s more realistic. For those of you who have been waiting patiently for book 2, it is coming. I just want to make sure I’m not cheating Cass…or you (or myself for that matter).

However, if anyone can get their hands on that Time-Turner for me, I can probably get everything done faster.

Just saying.

Also, for those of you interested, I have a guest blog up at Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf today as part of the Decadent Publishing YA Blog Stomp. Remember, if you comment, you’re entered to win a book from that post, plus entered to win the big prizes at the end!