My First Novel

I'm quickly realizing how terrible I am at writing on my blog! I mostly blame it on the fact that I'm a student nearing finals and simply don't have time, but in all honesty, I use every free writing moment to work on my story.

I haven't written about my story--or my first novel--yet, so I decided it was about time. I keep saying that I'm going to be a children's and YA author someday, but without the proof, it's hard to believe. So, for the past 5 years now (that's really a guesstimate...I think I began it in 2004), I've been working on a YA novel whenever I can. Currently, I've written 224 pages and counting. My goal is to finish it by April 23, as I am using it (a FINISHED manuscript) for my final project in my Children's Publishing Class. This has been just what I need--an excuse to work on it without feeling bad! I've been trying to follow Shannon Hale's advise of writing 1,000 words a day, but between school and homework and social life and sleep...sometimes I can't meet that goal. Now, I'm reaching the finish line and I'm pushing myself harder than ever before.

The first question everyone asks me when I tell them that I'm writing a novel is, "What's it about?" And my answer: "It's kind of hard to explain." Yes, it is a YA romance (although I wouldn't quite compare it to Bella and Edward), and yes, it is a fantasy, but only because I completely made up the land where it takes place (sorry--no vampires or witches). It does take place in Medieval time, and there is a prince and a servant girl. In summary, my story is about a servant girl who has to make a great sacrifice in order to save the Princes' life...and hopefully gain the "happily ever after" that she deserves.

The second question I often get asked is, "Are you going to get your novel published?" And my answer is: "YES!!! (well, at least, I hope so.) I do have some plans as to where I will send my novel after I finish writing and editing it (which will probably be 5 or 6 times). Of course, I've learned a lot about the children's publishing world this past semester, so I would really like to find an agent first. Agents are the best way to get your foot in the door.

I might share a few scenes from my novel on my blog someday, keeping in my copyright issues, but not today. My story is really the love of my life right now, and I can get a little over protective. You definitely know you're a writer when you catch yourself thinking about your story and your characters ALL the time, which I do. But I LOVE it. There are very few things I would rather be doing than working on it, which reminds me...I need to get writing!