Monday, November 12, 2007

NaNo

I'm going to catch up. I swear! *sigh*

Well, I'm falling behind, but I'm still managing to get something written everyday and as my husband reminded me last night, that really is more important. But I still want the little winner icon to put on my blog when this is all over.

So I am really curious about what all of you are working on. I know there's a bunch of you and I'd love to see you come out of lurk mode, at least for one comment. Here's what I want to know.

What are you working on? (Book, poem, short story, etc.)

Genre?

If it's a book, what number is it for you? (First, second, eighth, etc.)

How long have you been working on it?

Is it a stand-alone, or part of a series? If it's a series, how big of a series?

And any other little tidbits you'd like to share.:)

I'll go first, of course.:)

I am working on a novel. It is a YA fantasy (paranormal, whatever you want to call it.) It is my fifth or sixth book depending on how you count (long story.) I have been planning it for months, but started writing it on November first for NaNoWriMo. It is the sequel to the book my agent is shopping right now and the second of a four book series.

How about you?

And as a special request, if you are not a writer at all, I would like to know three of your favorite books. please list the genre with each one in case they are titles I (and my lovely readers!) don't recognize.:)

Thanks in advance for sharing!

Ciao!

18 comments:

Tyhitia Green said...

Aprilynne,
I am rewriting/editing my dark urban fantasy, which is the first in a proposed series. It is the 3rd book I've written. The 2nd completed book. I have been working on it for over a year after editing and advice from other writers. I think I've finally got it right this time. I have betas who are professional writers this go around.

Aprilynne Pike said...

Go you!!

Anonymous said...

I'm working on a YA paranormal...something. I've been thinking about it for a few weeks, but didn't start writing until Nov. 1, of course ;)

This is my (long pause while I figure it out)...11th book (egads!), though number 10 is only 2/3 done (I stopped it to do NaNo). Those are YA books -- my first book ever (which I didn't count) was adult fantasy (and truly unreadable).

Numbers 9 and 7 are garnering their fair share of attention, and I can always hope that both of them will sell (before I die, of course).

I've seen you on Verla's and Absolute Write, btw.

Aprilynne Pike said...

Thanks for de-lurking Robin. Eleven books, wow! You're quite a bit further in the game than I am!

moonrat said...

i'm just cheerleading.

i can't do my three favorite books, sorry. i can't even pick my three favorite historical novels about japan by white americans...how could i pick three favorite books ever?! wow, spelling it out like that makes me feel a little sheepish.

Katherine Hazen said...

I'm working on my YA novel Queen of Freaks. I think I would call it contemporary fantasy. It's in that nice grey zone where it shares the tone of many urban fantasies but lacks the urban setting. Yay for small towns and the woods of Michigan. :)
I've been planning it since mid to late August, and wrote a few important scenes before November 1st, but am doing it for NaNoWriMo. I am now about 12,500 words in.
It will be my first completed novel. Before now I had only written bits and pieces of novels, short stories, and poetry. I started a YA novel last December but stopped at about 40k words because I deemed it unmarketable and was anxious to move on to something that I could see going somewhere.
Queen of Freaks is the first in a proposed series. I have planned at least 4 books, but could easily see there being more as long as I come up with a story for them. The series is set up so there could also easily be several spin-offs with secondary or tertiary characters without losing anything.
I'm still looking for a few good betas at varying stages of their careers but have several trusted friends/family members who are avid readers and blunt enough to tell me what's broken/what's not.

Kiersten White said...

Hi Aprilynne,
I'm a friend of Chelmo, who directed me to your site. I've enjoyed it so far!

I'm not doing NaNo, but I have written one novel (going on five months waiting to hear back from some editors, yippee,) that is middle-grade to young adult fantasy-ish. I also have a novella, a retelling of Rapunzel, that I wrote this last summer. I'm currently in the planning (okay, stalling and procrastinating) stage for another novel about libraries...dangerous places, those.

Anyway, that's me. Chelsea and I envy your Stephenie Meyer connection...

David L. McAfee said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
David L. McAfee said...

Kiersten – you said it wrong. It’s supposed to be “I envy Stephenie Meyer her Aprilynne Pike connection.” :)

As for me, I have completed two paranormal(ish) novels. One contemporary, one historical, and have started two others (both horrors). I had to put one aside for a little while because my agent wanted me to work on the other, so that’s what I am doing. Thus far, my advance beta (who insists on reading everything I write.,..and no, she’s not my wife), likes it better than my previous two. Here’s hoping I can stay motivated to finish it and that it sells.

Carrie Ryan said...

I'm working on a YA, just turned in edits to my editor yesterday on Book 1 and am starting on Untitled Book 2 under contract. This will be my fourth book actually written and is part of a series, or at least is set in the same world as book one.

I havnen't written since April when I finished book 1 and started revising... hopefully I won't be too rusty!

Happy writing everyone!

cindy said...

i'm working on the final edit (so i hope) of my first novel. a fantasy story which takes place in the ancient china-like kingdom of xia. it is stand alone, but the story can certainly go on.

the thought of it terrifies me, tho. to write a second novel. those of you who are on your 8th or 10th, i'm in awe.

ORION said...

I'm deep in the creation of novel number 2...
Hi maprilynne!!!
*writer goes back down into belly of boat*

J m mcdermott said...

I'm all about the short fiction right now.

I'm still writing books, but they take a back seat to the short fiction until January.

Thus, no NaNo.

If I did NaNo, my project would be about drinking whiskey. Because that's what I'd end up doing instead of NaNo-ing.

NaNo would only encourage me to drink. I'm glad other people enjoy it, though.

Aprilynne Pike said...

Thanks so much for sharing, everyone! I didn't realize there were so many YA writers. Yea for us!

And for those of you who may not know, Carrie's YA just sold a few wees ago. Look for it in 2009.:)

Michael said...

Yeah, apparently YA it popular these days ... LOL.

Wow, Demon Hunter, that's really cool, because my WIP is a dark urban fantasy too! I have the first book finished and I'm shopping for an agent. So far I've written about 50,000 words on the sequel.

The number? We-ell, that depends. I wrote a draft for a future fantasy about 20 years ago, and I co-wrote a superhero fantasy with my friend Daniel Henderson (T-Bird). So I guess you could say I'm working on my fourth(?) book now.

I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been working on it! :(

It's part of a series. The finished book is called Estranged Earth, and that's Book One. I'm working on Book Two.

Anonymous said...

I'm editing a YA fantasy novel right now. It's the first book I ever started ... second book I've ever finished a rough draft of ... first book I've ever come this far with. I've been working on it on-and-off for about six or seven years. It's part one of a duology.

And, just for fun, my three favourite books (at the moment):

- Say Goodnight, Gracie (Julie Reece Deaver) -- YA contemporary ... not extraordinarily well-written, but it never fails to touch my heart
- Time Traveller's Wife (Audrey Niffenegger) -- time travel romance literary tragedy
- Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)

I pop in now and again to say hello, but I haven't for a while, so ... hi! :)

Darlene said...

Hi, just found your blog. I did NaNoWriMo this year, only I did it in October instead of November, so no official recognition. I finished my first novel (YA). Before this, I've published short fiction and poetry. I'm revising the novel now.

I like your blog.

tomdg said...

Ok, I'll delurk ... I found your blog via Miss Snark during the final Crapometer. I'm not a real writer like you, but I have won NaNoWriMo the last four years so technically I could say I've written four novels :) although this year's is the first I've let anyone else read (or even read through completely myself).

My latest is a romance with pseudo-literary pretensions; it's not part of a series. (I have this idea for a sequel, but it'll probably never hit the top of my "what to write this November" list). The original idea was a contemporary take on Jane Austen's Persuasion but from the guy's point-of view. Apart from the romance plotline, I was interested by the whole idea of this guy returning home after many years and having to cope with how things have changed (both the town and the FMC).

So, that's me - and now I'll disappear back into anonymity :) Congratulations on your book deal.