I Finished the Rough Draft!!

So, I was just over on Twitter, checking to see when I started writing my current work-in-progress. Here's what I found:

I'm happy to announce that I finished the rough draft tonight, just five and a half weeks after I wrote that first tweet about the book on March 17!

I have never, NEVER in my entire life written a book in such a short amount of time. How in the world did I do it?  Here's what's changed compared to past manuscripts:

1. Both my kids are now in school full time. This factor alone has made a huge difference in my workday. My son skipped ahead from kindergarten to first grade in January, so suddenly I found myself with longer blocks of writing time than I've ever experienced. (He's loving first grade, by the way—and he's tall for his age, so there's no need to envision a scared little six-year-old.)

2. This is the shortest book I've ever written. It currently stands at just over 47,000 words, which is somewhat on the small side, even for young adult fiction.  I'm guessing it will bulk up a little when I go through and edit, but it's a story that doesn't need to be overly long.  As I said in a recent tweet, my manuscript that's currently out with publishers feels like my big-budget movie, while this work-in-progress in my little indie drama.  It could easily be scored to an acoustic guitar.

3. The story is a contemporary tale, set in areas right around where I currently live.  Typically, I write historical fiction, which obviously requires a great deal of research.  Or else I set my books in places where I formerly lived, which requires double-checking info to make sure I've gotten things like street names and tree varieties straight.  This time around I made it pretty easy on myself.  If I needed to feel some inspiration for my setting, all I had to do was walk my dog.

Now I need to revise, polish, and edit before sending the book out to my wonderful critique partners.  But the skeleton has been created.  I can't wait to share more about it.

Photos of the Inspiration for My Novel-in-Progress

I'm now over 12,000 words into my new novel—a contemporary young adult bedtime tale—and I can't wait to eventually share more details. For now, here are some photographs my daughter and I took in our local woods, the inspiration for the story.

New Book!

As I wait to learn the fate of In the Shadow of Blackbirds, I've been trying to figure out what my next writing project should be.  I call this "The First Chapter Stage."  Ideas float around in my head, characters start to come alive, first chapters spill out of me, but the urge to move beyond the opening pages often fizzles.  It takes me a while before I fall in love with a new story after I leave a beloved manuscript behind.   

Well... I'm thrilled to announce that passion has finally struck.  I started a new book last week and just reached the third chapter and 3,450 words.  My characters are growing and deepening in my mind, the plot is almost fully formed, and, most importantly, I can't stop thinking about it!! 

I won't divulge too many details at this point.  Let's just say I've been wanting to write a contemporary fairy tale for a long, long while, and I've finally found my story.  Inspired by the woods near my house, I've come up with a young adult bedtime story I can't wait to share.

More info to follow...  If you need me, I'll be writing.

Five Reasons Why Historical Fiction Rocks

Selling a historical fiction manuscript to publishers sometimes feels as easy as performing amateur home dentistry. Readers young and old frequently view that daunting word— "historical"—as a literary party pooper.  There's an implication that a person might have to learn something from a historical novel, or characters might do boring things like sit and drink tea while talking about military strategies in pompous voices.

If you're one of the cool kids, you already know historicals can be just as hip as contemporary and futuristic fiction.  If you experience historical fiction phobia, however, here are five reasons why trips to the past don't have to equate to dullness.

Reason #1: Escape!!!
We read to slip away from our lives, right? Even if you're reading a realistic, modern tale, you're leaving your own surroundings to see how other people react to familiar conflicts.  I've always considered historical fiction to be a close relative of science fiction and fantasy.  A skilled historical author will submerge the reader into foreign surroundings and build a world that entertains all five of the senses.  History is bursting with oddball characters, eccentric beliefs, larger-than-life settings, and memorable heroes—the very ingredients of unforgettable books.

Reason #2. The Current Crop of Novels
Check out these recent young adult historical releases that will blast you into the past in ways you won't soon forget:

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell: I just finished this 1880s-set, otherworldly novel last night, and I was blown away by the beauty of Mitchell's writing.  The love story at the center is just as supernatural as anything you'd find in Twilight or other paranormal romances, but the characters' magical abilities are highly unique, and the Victorian world pulsates with life.

The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak: A WWII perspective we don't usually see—how the war affected regular Germans, including an adolescent girl (the titular Book Thief).  Oh, and Death is the narrator.

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld: A fantastical, steampunk version of WWI Europe that involves the son of a real-life historical figure, Archduke Ferdinand.  The third book in the series, Goliath, arrives this September.  Historical action-adventure.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly: There are no vampires, explosions, or supernatural beasts in Kelly's Newbery Award winner, but the title character jumps off the page from page one.  More middle-grade fiction than YA, this tale of a girl who wants to become a naturalist in an age of anti-Darwinism and female oppression is hysterical, poignant, and perfect.

Coming in 2012: Libba Bray's The Diviners, which I'm told is the roaring twenties meets the X Files.  I can't wait!

Reason #3: Cool Historical Fiction Review Sites
Here are three virtual hangouts that understand the hipness of historicals:

Reading Rants! Out of the Ordinary Teen Booklists!
Featuring a section called "Historical Fiction for Hipsters: Stories from the past that won’t make you snore!"
http://www.readingrants.org/category/historical-fiction-for-hipsters/

YA Bliss's Historical Fiction Challenge
http://www.yabliss.com/2010/11/ya-historical-fiction-challenge.html

The Fourth Musketeer
http://fourthmusketeer.blogspot.com

Reason # 4: The Authors
This reason is true for YA fiction in general: the authors are amazing. Their websites are gorgeous and entertaining (check out Cassandra Clare's website for The Infernal Devices and Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown's www.picturethedead.com), plus many writers frequently tweet responses to reader questions and offer behind-the-scenes views of their novels.

Reason #5: The Costumes
I read my share of contemporary tales and futuristic novels. Characters dressed in modern jeans and drab dystopian garb can still stand out for their vivid personalities, but let's face it, historical characters get the best clothing.  The continued popularity of steampunk conventions and Renaissance Fairs goes to show that modern folks often fall in love with the look and feel of history.  Plus the addition of complicated undergarments and starched, stiff collars adds one more obstacle for a character to conquer.  Imagine Katniss playing the Hunger Games in a corset and petticoats. 

In other words, historical fiction isn't just for ancient professors and stuffy, old war memorabilia collectors.  The kids in historical YAs are just as savvy and confused and rebellious as modern protagonists, and the themes of good vs evil, love and loss are absolutely timeless.