Stepping Away and Starting Over

I am writing three books right now. And revising - or soon to be revising - three other books right now.  Plus playing editor for all my fantastic authors! And working.

I'm a little crazy right now.

I didn't plan to be writing three books, but here we are. I guess in my defense, I am only actually writing one, book two of the trilogy. The other two books (SALT 2 and my love affair nicknamed SUPERB) I am crazy-detail outlining. I'm doing this while I wait for edits on DAYS (my newly finished MS), FMTD and SALT. And while it seems crazy to be writing so many things at once, I have never done it before and it's oddly satisfying.

And wow, second books are scary. (And exciting!) (But also scary.)

WAY back in October, I wrote this post that my WIP for Boundless 2 didn't feel right. Then, in December, my editor politely helped me see that the almost-finished version of B2 was best suited for the trash. She said to me, "I don't think this is the right story," and I knew she was right. I have to admit that while throwing out 60k words was a hard loss, but this weekend I started writing it anew (after some intense plotting) and I know after only being three chapters into this new draft that starting over was a great decision.

Before I could dive in, I knew I needed to step away. I was so frustrated at that draft that I was burnt out. I didn't want to write because it was so hard (mostly due to the fact that I was telling the wrong story.) I didn't want to start over, right or not. Plus, I started Follow Me Through Darkness in 2010. I'd lived in that world for years, with reprieve only during SALT, and I for the sake of sanity and quality I needed a break.

I had this other project sitting in my head and deadlines that run through early 2014, so it was the only chance I had to write something else. From December to April, I wrote DAYS (not real title.) DAYS is totally, totally different. A contemp from dual POV and out of my comfort zone but it did a really great thing: it reminded me why I love writing. It gave me joy again, brought me comfort, excitement and sparked something awake while the world of B2 took a rest.

DAYS is with my CPs and now I have started outlining SALT2 and SUPERB. I don't really have time to write SUPERB, but it is this great love of my heart that keeps me going when I need to switch gears from B2 or need help getting out of that Neely's head. (She is intense.)

The great thing about taking a break before I started writing B2 has been that I now see things more clearly. Aspects of the world that I forgot or didn't see before are vibrant. Two months stands between FMTD & B2 so sometimes I have to look back on the first book and see what happened, which is what a reader has to do and why authors add those recaps of previous books. Neely has changed a lot in those two months. I feel, that since I have changed too, it's easier to connect with her. Plus, I actually just started but I have 16k because there are things from previous drafts that I get to keep!

Sometimes things seem overwhelming -- like throwing out a whole book -- but don't underestimate the directions they will take you. Or the people who suggest them. Especially if it's your editor! Editors know what they are doing! Trust him/her/them. You are a team.

And as far as writing: it always has to be for you. This is what I am learning. Yes, I have deadlines and I'm not going to miss them, but I can write other things too. When writing stops being enjoyable, then it translates into the story you are writing. So find joy, be happy, have fun, write!

Oh, and enjoy these gifs...because everything is better and happier with Dean Winchester.

In Which I Make an Exciting Announcement

It's hard to believe that a mere three months ago I announced my three book deal for the Boundless Series (Follow Me Through Darkness.) It's hard to believe because I'm here - again - with ANOTHER BOOK DEAL!

I'm thrilled to announce that I have sold SALT (& it's sequel!) to Entangled Publishing! Woo! *happy dance*

Danielle Ellison's SALT, in which a powerless witch suddenly saves herself from a demon attack and must discover the key to her powers in order to prove herself worthy to fight alongside her people to protect humanity, to Liz Pelletier at Entangled, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in August 2013 (World). 

I've been sitting on this news since Halloween - and man, it has been hard. I *love, love* SALT (you've seen it online called Hotboyalicious) and I can't wait to share this book with you. Penelope has a special place in my heart and her world is one I would never leave if I had the choice.

SALT will release in August 2013 -- which is like 7 months from now! Ahh! -- through a new imprint at EP called Entangled DigiTEEN. This imprint is one of the new ones that fall under the distribution merger with Macmillian/St Martin's Press. It's really an exciting time to be joining EP!

What's the story behind this book deal? Well, one of my betas read SALT & told me I should sub to EP. But I was totally Going To Get An Agent With This Book because I was so close last time. Then, I queried A LOT of agents & everyone loved the book, the world, the characters, the writing -- but I got a resounding plea that the market wasn't taking this kind of paranormal (witches/demons) no matter how unique it was. While waiting in the query trenches I told my beta I would sub it and I did.

Meanwhile, I'm still querying away and getting a lot of request--seriously sent 100 queries & had about 30 MSs out in a month-ish--and all of that starts dwindling down with "query me later," and "I love this but..." and "paranormal doesn't sell."

And then, the day after Halloween, I got an email from Liz saying they wanted to pub SALT. After some discussions with agents, phone calls with Liz & Guillian (editorial assistan), some rearranging with FMTD schedule and a lot of flailing, I now have a two-book deal!

I'm very pumped because SALT & FTMD couldn't be more different - and you'll get to see two sides of my writing. It also means I have A LOT of books to work on!

My new release schedule looks like this:

August 2013 - Salt (digital only)
Feb/March 2014 - Salt sequel (digital only)
October 2014 - Follow Me Through Darkness (print/digital)
April 2015 - Boundless series #2 (print/digital)
October 2015 - Boundless series #3 (print/digital)

FIVE books. It's sorta crazy & I still feel like a kid at Christmas pinching myself over & over again because this can not be real. I'm beyond blessed - and I can't wait share my stories with you!!!

*bounces* *hooks up electricity in writing cave*

YA is Exploding the Internet

Alright, if you haven't noticed...this week has brought a HUGE in-flux of YA buzz. It's probably rebounding from the success of The Hunger Games movie this weekend, but it's certainly everywhere. At least in my world. Today especially--even though it's only 9:30 am when I'm starting this--the New York Times has a slew of posts about YA fiction. (Check all these out here!)

My favorite pieces are the last paragraph of this article and this quote from a teenager who wrote an article: 

Teenagers do not passively love young adult fiction and its authors. The ferocity of our devotion rivals the heartbreak caused by the very same novels. 

And I really liked this one too: 

Bottom line, there's one thing that young adult novels rarely are, and that's boring. They're built to grab your attention and hold it. And I'm not as young as I once was. At my age, I don't have time to be bored.

Why am I sharing this right now?

A few reasons.

First, this is really exciting to me. I love that people in the world are talking about YA books, even if some opinions seem completely ridiculous.  I love it because I am an adult reading YA, writing YA, talking about it, passing it to friends, getting excited. I can't even attempt to read adult fiction for reasons that the people in these articles point out. I know how good YA books are. How amazing the authors are. I am passionate about these books. So if people are talking about them, that's awesome! Because I want other people to be passionate about them too, to see them for what they are and to discover something about themselves from reading. That's what makes YA so special I think.

Second, as much as it excites me, it makes me nervous. I want to build up this little protective shield that says STAY AWAY. This is threefold.

1. I am a writer. This industry is hard already and the more people who fall in love with YA, who branch out into it, the harder it will be for me. Now, I get that it's totally selfish--but that's okay. My selfishness doesn't mean I don't want YA to be talked about or read--because I do--it's just part of my nervousness/shielding.

2. Quality. YA books are quality. What if that changes? What if we get so focused on the popularity and the next big thing that we (as a genre) loose the essence of what makes us so amazing and connectable? Now, this is a weird nervousness because I don't really believe that would happen. But it's something to think about. YA books stand out because they are supposed to. Because they are well-written and deal with hard issues. They are not afraid. I don't ever want to see us become afraid.

3. It's a territory thing. You know how some of us are "originals" in the Hunger Games phenom? Like, we read the books first! I can't help but feel this way in regards to the genre as a whole. "I was here first!" I know that's kinda silly. But I get really protective of things that I love, be it a book or an author. What would happen if they get lost or changed in the rush? I don't even know what I'm trying to say with this point...but hopefully you get it.

Ultimately, I think it's a good thing. It's exciting! I love YA and I'm glad people are talking about it. It allows me to talk about it too in avenues that I wouldn't normally. I can't wait to see where this growth takes us. It's all about getting people to read, to connect and to grow. And as long as YA keeps doing that, then I think we're going to keep taking people by surprise.


What do you guys think about all this talk???