Once my editor does get back to me about it (she hasn't returned from her extremely well deserved holiday yet, I don't think, so it'll probably be a little while) and I've got some ideas about her intial thoughts, hopefully I should be able to share some more details with you about FrostFire. It really is completely different to anything I've written before and very different to pretty much anything I've seen on the YA shelves, so I'm excited and scared!
With all this, naturally I ought to be taking the opportunity to live it up on a beach in Malibu, paddling in the warm water, working on my tan and drinking strange substances that come in coconut husks and have little umbrellas in them. But I can't afford it (and I don't tan anyway). Instead I should probably take a little bit of time off and recharge my batteries, loll about, read some new books. But I'm obsessive compulsive and forcing myself to take time off causes anxiety attacks, especially when I've only just had a week off for Christmas. So instead, I'm going to start putting down some ideas for book #5, which is the last book I have contracted with my publisher and which must be completed before I can start work on Big Secret Project (assuming anyone wants to buy Big Secret Project).
Book #5 is tentatively entitled Immortal Flesh, and is fondly known amongst long-time fans as The Giant Praying Mantis Killer Clockwork Death Robot Book. See how that slips off the tongue?
More random stuff: 2010 in Facebook Statuses..es..eses...
This is quite fun for me to look at, like a mini-diary, although it's a shame that I didn't actually start bothering to update my Facebook status until April.
Slightly less random is that Walker Books have launched UnderCover Reading, which has its own blog here. Shadows on the Moon will be the featured title in July, which means that readers will have access to exclusive online content and extras, so it's well worth bookmarking/following. Lynsey at Narratively Speaking (hi Lynsey!) blogs about this in more detail here.
Okay, back to my drawing board. Read you all on Friday!
29 comments:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! ZOE, I'M ON THE VERGE OF TEARS!!!!!!! I WROTE THEEEEE LOOONGGESSTT POST AND THEN PRESSED SOMETHING AND IT WAS ALL LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M LITERALLY COMPLETELY ABOUT TO CRY NOW OHHHH MYYY GOOD AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
This exact thing happened to me last week, darling. I know it feels dreadful, but it really isn't the end of the world. If you feel like it, just run over the main points of the post - if not, leave it and go have some hot chocolate instead. Don't cry.
Okay. I am going to take deep breaths now. And start over. I'm pretty sure that comment took an hour for me to write. No joke. From now on, long comments I will write on word document and then cut and paste. *Sigh*. You have no idea how horrible I feel right now.
I do, I do - I've been there. Copying and pasting is a very good idea, though.
I can't believe there's no way to get your work back. But you're right. Not the end of the world. I'll just try again...
Argh. Lunch. I'll post later.
Oh noo! Isabel I know how horrible that is, I once spend ages writing out a reply on my friend's blackberry with it's stupid tiny buttons and then it decided I wasn't allowed to post!
YEY ZOE! I can't wait to find out more about FF and I'm so glad that you're going back to The Giant Praying Mantis Killer Clockwork Death Robot Book, I know how much it stressed you outbut it's realy intriguing!
P.S. Zoe didyou get my email? I'm really not being rude it's just my internet is awful so I want to make sure it actually sent! x
*spent
And sorry about my space bar being a pain! lol
Thanks, Emma. I know I probably sounded overdramatic, but it took me a while to really polish up that comment and I was pretty proud of it. Also it had a complicated writing question. *Sigh*. I think I'll do it in bits - the thought of recapping all of that is daunting. *Stalls*
When I finish THE SWEET FAR THING, I'm going to read FIRE, by Kristin Cashore. My sister wouldn't let me read it before, because she said it was too inappropriate, but now she finally gave in. Yay! I can't wait—it looks so good.
How to sum up my writing question. Okay, so my problem is that I’ve been having some trouble with my main character. All my other characters I am quite proud of: they have a lot of depth and personality (some more so than others) and I can’t wait to work with a very certain someone that I think is going to be the most interesting, complex, and controversial character I’ve ever written about before. I know I shouldn’t (for reasons you could only understand if you knew my story plot) but I really love her. But my problem is with my main character. I’ve been having some trouble with her character development. I think about her a certain way, but she just won’t cooperate. I know this may sound like a good thing: that my character is so real that I have no control over her, but it’s not like that. She just doesn’t have enough depth. Do you know this feeling? That every other character seems so real, and yet when it comes to your procrastinator, you’re hopeless? I hope it’s not just me who feels this way. I’ve been making some progress on her development today, but I just don’t know. Is this unusual? Shouldn’t my main character be the one that is easiest to make come to life?
Emma: I did get your email and I'm really moved by everything you said - I've been trying to figure out how to answer. Stand by and I'll get back to you a little later, okay?
Isabel: Interesting question. I'll have a think and try to come up with an answer for you probably on Monday.
FIRE is a great book, but your sister is right - it's got some very strong content. I actually had to put it down only a few chapters in the first time I tried to read it. It was too much. Don't you be afraid to do the same thing, if it starts to get to you.
Isabel: You lost all that? I hate it when that happens to me.
Zoe: CONGRATSSSS! I'm really really happy for you! GOOD LUCK IN WRITING THE GIANT KILLER CLOCK THINGY. I mean, Immortal Flesh.
Thank you, Megha :)
Zoe: I will, if it's too much. Thanks for the advice.
Megha: Go post on *your* blog? Pleeease?
Yes of course :) Sorry if I seemed impatient, I honestly was just checking whether my internet had destroyed it! x
Good Luck Zoe.
Isabel: That's crap I hate when that happens. I've just finished A great and Terrible Beauty today (in work no less was raging when people kept coming in when the book was getting really interesting).
Emma: That's okay - I'm resisting the urge to check with my agent RIGHT NOW, so I understand!
Nattasha: thanks!
Nattasha: YAY!! Did you like it? REBEL ANGELS is even better.
Sorry. That was a rather pointless question. Obviously you really enjoyed it. Yeee!!
Zoe: Oh, yes, I forgot! (Well, in my first comment I didn't, but whatever.) Congrats on FF! I can't wait to learn more about it! (And book #5, otherwise knows as Immortal Flesh, otherwise known as The Giant Preying Mantis Killer Clockwork Death Robot Book.) I feel guilty that I haven't read much today at all. But you all definitely saved me from complete boredom today, so thank you! My guilt is also because Kesanet (who practically lives off of my bookshelf nowadays) is patiently waiting for me to finish THE SWEET FAR THING so that she can borrow it. Imagine having to be left in suspense at the end of REBEL ANGELS! So I guess I'll have to go read. (Oh, no, not READ!) Don't worry, sarcasm there.
Yes Isabel I did like it :). I'm on chapter 2 of Rebel Angels they are just on their way to see Pippa.
Zoe - Congratulations! I can't wait until it comes out (although I'll have to wait for Shadows first!)
Isabel- I have that a lot. I didn't notice at the time, but when I read over my work I though ewww, this is bad. It wasn't terrible but it just felt like my main character was only a device for telling the story and nothing more. But, I re-wrote loads of bits, and tried to concentrate on my main character throughout this.
Diagrams help, and forms do too. If you devise a form for your character with stuff like greatest fear, favourite animal, hobbies, talents, friendships, what they want to achieve in the story, etc etc. . . I know the questions are really quite random and seem pointless, but it does help so much to come to know your character better.
Thanks, Nara. There'll be a teaser post on Friday.
Isabel: Sorry I haven't been posting. I've been so busy...
Zoe: Yay!!! I can't wait.
Nara: Thanks for the tip. I'm glad I'm not alone. The thing is, I always try to develop my characters' personalities before writing, but it never really works. The only way that ever works for me is to just have an idea in my mind about the the characters, and get started. They evolve the way they want to, and I have very little control over that. But I always get stuck with my main characters. You're right about them being just "a device for telling the story". I'll try your idea out and see if it works. After all, everyone writes in different ways, and what works for one person doesn't for another.
Zoë: In June, after school, my family and I are all going to go to South Africa for and African safari. (The three-year-old toddler, too! Yikes! My family travels *a lot*, thanks to my mother, who should be a travel agent. Maybe not. Writing's ten times better. :)) I'm really excited, but I was talking with my mom about SOTM, and she said that maybe they would have it in the airport on our way back to Boston. In Johannesburg, they speak English, as they were once a colony of England, I think. (Right?) I really, really, really hope so, but I thought before I got my hopes up too high I'd ask you. Do you think it would be likely I'd find it in the airport in Johannesburg (Or in a bookstore, possibly)? If not, my mom has an old college friend that we're still in touch with that moved to England not too long ago, and we'll probably ask her to try to get a hold of it and ship it over here. =) (We'd pay her back, of course.) So it's not the end of the world. But I just would really love if I could pick it up in Johannesburg (South Africa) on my way back to Boston, if it's being released there the same time. I know you'll say to try UK Amazon or one of those other websites, but I've tried them before, and they say you have to be in the UK to purchase. Of course, it would be worth a shot.
Isabel, once again you ask an interesting question. I will check with my publisher and answer you hopefully on the blog on Monday, okay?
Okay!! (Wow, I feel special that you're actually going to ask your *publisher* about it. Thanks!
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