Work in Progress

WIP

So, I'm working on edits for Book #1, along with polishing my query and synopsis.  To help my brain not fry out completely, I am also working hard on Book #2.  (It helps me to have multiple things going on at once so my brain can stretch and not collapse in on itself)

Book 2 has an interesting history.  After I finished Book 1, I was so in love with my characters I wanted to write more.  So I came up with the most horrific thing that could happen, and made it happen.  I wrote Book 2's first draft in about 6 weeks (contrast that to the 9 months it took me to write draft one of Book 1).  I was so frantic to write the sucker I just vomited it out as fast as I could.  It was only about 35k, and after I wrote it I let it sit.

Book 1 went through some serious rewrites (right now it sits at about Draft #14 or so).  Then I started looking at Book 2.  And the more I thought about it, the more I thought that I could turn Book 2 into Books 2 and Book 3.  Which is working because the first draft was so bare bones.  And, the first draft was all from one POV (and book 1 had morphed into a 3 person POV story).  Lots to add.

Drafting is hard for me (I much prefer rewriting and editing).  So I set a goal to have the first draft of the new Book 2 done by May 1.  On March 30 it was at 28,700 words.  As of last night I was at 44,119 words.  That is pretty stinkin' good.  I've hit a groove a couple of evenings and words just keep flying.  A lot of them will end up getting cut or changed, but I just need something on paper to work with.

Average length for a YA is 55-90k.  This second book isn't going to be as long as the first (or the third I think though who knows, because I haven't started that one).  My goal for this one is around 60k.  Not that I'm aiming for a specific word count--I just want to tell the story well--but I think 60k is about where it'll land once it has all it needs to.

First week of April and I'm only 15k or so words short of my goal.  (Fist pump!)

Back to typing!