Tuesday, December 6, 2011

YAPUNI

I need to get the writing ball rolling again. So what do I do? Temporarily put my MG WiP on hold. I plan on returning to finish it after the new year. The reason?

YAPUNI.

Sort of sounds like the sound I'd make while spitting out burnt spinach. But what it really stands for is: Young Adult Paranormal Unnamed Novel Idea.

Ever since NaNoWriMo 2010 (which I did not come close to finishing, btw), I’ve had an outline and the first thousand words or so of a YA ghost story saved in my notebook. Heck, I even have a playlist for this potential novel! My intention was to finish Nitpicky and put it aside in 2011 before diving into this novel idea.

But a few things have changed this mindset. The first is the fact that I still haven't finished it and 2011 is coming to a close. The second came from listening to Laini Taylor speak about giving herself permission to put aside the ms that she had been writing to work on a new idea. This “cheat” novel eventually became the incredible, Daughter of Smoke and Bone. The third reason may seem cliché but has become very relevant to me over the past couple of months in my personal life: Life is too short. Why not seize the day with the idea I’m passionate about rather than putting it on hold?

And so I am going to explore YAPUNI and see where it takes me. It could very well fizzle out after a couple of chapters. But I won’t know until I try and it’s all I’ve been thinking about lately. My goal for this week is to flesh out my outline a bit and work on character development before I write. I feel strongly about structure this time around and so that will be my focus.

Hee! I’m excited to get started!

Do you have any new projects rattling around in your mind? What do you hope to finish before the end of year?

11 comments:

  1. Good luck with it. Sometimes starting something totally new is exactly the right thing to do.

    I have lots of in-progress things on the go, and not a single new idea at all!

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  2. YAPUNI . . . I love it. And there's nothing like feeling passionate about a story and finally letting yourself go with it. Good decision, I think. Keep us informed.

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  3. I think in writing you have to follow the passion. Go for it. :)

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  4. YAPUNI, good one! Mine is called MPS or Make the Prose Sing. That's what I've got to do my current wip before I can start another.

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  5. End of 2011 - finish the novel I put aside for my cheat novel. The cheat novel was completely different from anything I did before - but when I was finished I discovered the return of the fire to finish the first book.

    Good luck with Yapuni! A 2011 finish or a New Year's resolution?

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  6. KarenG - I love that name!

    Ryshia - That's what I'm hoping for with YAPUNI. I'm sure I won't finish it in 2011 - I'm usually not a fast writer. And I do plan to return to my other WiP next year.

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  7. GOOD LUCK!

    I have a few other ideas up there, but they aren't big yet. they're just threads waiting to unravel when I'm ready, but I'm not ready. I'm still in love with my WIP, which I plan on finishing this draft before the end of the year. but we'll see :) I'm giving myself permission to write at the pace that works, not the pace that I wish worked.

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  8. Go for it, Suzie. I have a couple of ideas knocking around for next year but...I NEED MORE TIME!!!

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  9. Exciting! I'm glad you're going back to YAPUNI. Best of luck!

    For me, I'm waaaay too excited to finish my 2011 NaNo simply so I can tuck it away for a very long time and return to my 2010 NaNo, which calls to me more and more each day. I think by January I should be able to make it back to that novel. I can't wait.

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  10. @Jessica - Good luck with finishing your draft. How awesome that you have a few ideas waiting in the wings while letting your draft rest for a bit.

    @Donna - Who was the last person with that timeturner? Was it Donna Weaver? I want a turn! (pun intended :P)

    Thanks, TL. YAPUNI originated from a very weak attempt at NaNo 2010, but I can't get the idea out of my head. Good luck with your projects. I'd love an update after the holidays.

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  11. You Are Fun!

    I popped on over from The Green Bathtub to see who might have chosen the healing awesomeness of the purple coneflower as their pic. (sisters)

    I've been struggling with, where exactly my WiP falls. Right in place with YAPUNI, I suspect! Though, lately, it's sounding more like a YAPUNIAT. (YAPUNI w/Adult Themes) I like it.

    Now, when my kids take over MY Work Space, I can holler through the house, "Where's my YAPUNI-AT?!"

    Coming from a family of English Majors, there is only one response to ending a sentence with a preposition, as I have done. Hence, my adult themes. (I'm no E major, btw. Hence, MY over-use of commas and not giving a rat's behind about it.)

    Given the fact that I am STILL working on this novel, I hope to have nailed down a workable writing schedule by Christmas! That's Christmas, as in, 10 days from now. (Note to self: Make a schedule to make a schedule to write.)

    So glad I found you!
    ~Scarlett

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