I'm finishing my write up of BayCon and other awesome May events, but for now, it's time to plan for summer.
Theodora Goss, fantasy author who writes luminous prose, is issuing a YA Novel Challenge, and since it so neatly aligns with my own goals for the summer (June 1 to August 31), I've decided to officially join.
While my current publications consist primarily of poetry sales and short fiction contest wins, I also write novels targeted towards young adult audiences. This summer I will work on not one, not two, but three different novels set in three different worlds (historical, contemporary, fantasy) about three very different protagonists (Chinese-American immigrant, American Born Chinese girl, and a ninja). These novels are in varying stages (late revision, early revision, and first draft or discovery draft).
The goal for each novel will be the same, though the details are different. Thus, for each novel, I will finish a readable draft.
Novel 1 = Historical, Chinese-American = Condense characters and thematic focus. Flesh out back stories of main characters while mourning the loss of tertiary characters who were never really all that useful to the main story, even though I thought they were rather real.
Novel 2 = Contemporary, Chinese-American = Edit 500 pages of discovery draft to a more YA-friendly 300 pages. Make sure it has a coherent beginning, a middle, and an end, NOT five beginnings, a sliver of a middle, and five endings that have nothing to do with the five beginnings.
Novel 3 = Fantasy, All-Asian-All-the-Time = Write 50,000 new words. Try to find the voice somewhere buried deep within those words. Try not to panic as well-laid plans go awry and secondary characters hijack the plot and tell you that no, really, their stories are much more interesting and wouldn't you like to add Korea to your All-Asian-All-the-Time fantasy world, especially after re-watching the awesome Korean historical dramas Painter of the Wind and Sungkyunkwan Scandal? Remind yourself that you need to write 50,000 new words. The End.
This is ambitious, I know. But, now is the time. I am also seriously considering the Clarion Write-a-Thon again, which might be a subset of this project, or something completely different. We'll see.
I plan to blog about my progress at least once a week, even when I'm traveling. Wish me luck.
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3 comments:
Good luck! :)
wow!
You are certainly ambitious. Now you've got me thinking of joining in, even though the challenge time is half over and even though before the end of August I'll have a houseguest for a week, take a vacation, and have jury duty.
How are your three novels coming? Finish first drafts of any yet? Any inspiring words for me?
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