I start book 3 tomorrow (or I guess later today)

[Toothpaste]

I am going to start on book 3 tomorrow. I have a very very basic idea of what I want to do, but my hope is to be able to play and explore more with this one than I got to with book 2 (which I finished 5 months after the due date). I am attempting to write 1000 words a day during the week, be more businesslike about it. And hopefully then I will be able to get more joy out of the process with not having the deadline looming over my shoulder.

So, does anyone have any pep talks for jumping in again? It's kind of crazy to me that I am starting fresh all over again, almost in a weird way like the other two books never happened (though I know I am wiser for the experience).

Anyone else starting any new projects? Anyone else got a bit of nerves at the thought?

[JeanneTGC]

I'm starting a new one -- started it today, in fact -- but I'm not nervous about it. I'm excited, because this one's uncharted territory. I like charted territory, too, of course.

I'm working on ther 5th book in one series at the same time -- it's suffering because I already started and wrote another new one earlier. But that's Book 5's job -- get written while others are being written around you. (I like to test myself. Because I'm freaking insane, I think.)

I just love writing, I almost never consider it a chore -- when it is, I write on something else, sometimes only for a little bit, but to get into the swing. My only advice would be to find the joy that you had when you first started Book 1, and look at all the things, new and old, you can do with Book 3.

[triceretops]

Yep, I've started one and I've got the heebie jeebies. I'm trying to do for the ghost world what J.K. Rowling did for the wizard and witch world. Throw in time travel, and three different periods (all of them rescue missions), and I've got something so complex and daunting that I have seizures every time I sit in front of this thing. It's four books in one. Oh, I couldn't pick anything easy and linear--I had to lay out an impossible gauntlet.

Instead of hitting a normal pace of 14--17 grand a week, I'm nudging four or five grand. Which is really awful for me. The fact that it's still slogging along is a good sign, I guess. I'm just waiting for that white hot streak to pick me up and blitz this thing. It ain't happening.

Tri

[JoNightshade]

I'm preparing to start my next book. Well, first I have to do a few rewrites on an older manuscript I want to show my agent. But anyway, I'm starting to get into the groove mentally. I'm actually pretty excited, because I usually end up doing what triceretops described - biting off way more than I can chew.

This one? It's simple. Linear. Two main characters. Five parts, each self-contained. Not overlapping, not convoluted, not impossibly complex.

I am really, really looking forward to writing something that doesn't make me tear out my hair. :)

[Zoombie]

I should really re-write my short story some more, but have instead decided to write a new highschool romance.

The twist being they're both aliens on a planet that's been occupied by humanity's interstellar army for the past eight years.

[MissLadyRae]

I should really re-write my short story some more, but have instead decided to write a new highschool romance.

The twist being they're both aliens on a planet that's been occupied by humanity's interstellar army for the past eight years.

I'd so totally read that.


So, does anyone have any pep talks for jumping in again? It's kind of crazy to me that I am starting fresh all over again, almost in a weird way like the other two books never happened (though I know I am wiser for the experience).

Anyone else starting any new projects? Anyone else got a bit of nerves at the thought?

Just think about the newest adventure you'll be experiencing along with your characters! That's the cool thing about a series whether reading it or writing it. There's always things to explore with the characters as they react to new situations thrown their way. :)

I just started my new music theme love story but I stopped it for a while to work on my urban fantasy romance since I had a breakthrough with the latter. I'm pretty jazzed because the world is continuously growing and I'm figuring out little ways to build the history and main plot twist in. I usually tend to write on the short end and one of my goals is to write longer, more in depth books. I think this book may come in longer than the others. :)

Happy writing on Book 3!

[Varthikes]

I'm halfway through the third quarter of Book 2. Just finished Chapter 17 and now on Chapter 18. I'm going to try to get a chapter done each day so that I'll have the third quarter finished by next week.

That's my goal.

Question: what happens when you go over a due date?

[Straka]

I'm just editing, editing and..... oh ya editing right now.

[johnzakour]

Is book three a sequel to the first two or an entirely new concept? I find shooting for 2000 words a day helps to keep my editors off my back and lets me finish closer to deadlines. You have to condition yourself to love the deadlines. It takes some of the pressure off.

[maddythemad]

Adrienne, you are a BEAST!

You finished TIMOTHY recently, did you not? Well, I applaud you for jumping right back in. (Er... even if it's because of deadlines.) And I don't know about pep talks, but I definitely have a lot of nerves about the project I'm starting... which I've been starting for about five months now.

Recently, my friend suggested I give myself an artificial deadline, so as to keep moving, and now I'm in the same boat as you (minus the impatient publishers, tapping their feet and looking at their watches.) If you want, we could even be "word-count watchers"-- PMing each other with how many words we wrote each week or something. I should also be doing about 1k a day, so we can engage in bitter competition. :D

[C.bronco]

Adrienne, your book was sold out at my Barnes and Noble a few days before Xmas.
:)

[ClaudiaGray]

I'm starting my third next week, Toothpaste, so I definitely know how you feel. Things I'm trying to do this week:

* Finish up a couple of things I want to do around the house (so I won't have that to procrastinate with)

* Complete my edits on a freelance project I did over the holidays (ditto)

* Spend more time with my outline, refining the story arcs and getting into the groove with the story

I'm hoping to do this one quickly -- I feel good about it -- but we'll see. Good luck to us both!

[johnzakour]

* Spend more time with my outline, refining the story arcs and getting into the groove with the story


I find this is key for me. If I had a good solid outline the deadlines never worry me because I know the story is sound and I will make it. (Though there is always the nagging doubt: What if I forget how to write? I just beat that doubt down!)

[Toothpaste]

Thanks everyone word the words of advice! I'm about to jump in, like right now. I have decided not to outline very much this time because when I do I find writing much more of a chore and not as fun. But it also means I'm rather scared as I have no idea what's going to come out!

[Carrie R.]

I'm starting a new book too (as soon as I finish the lingering line edits from my current book). This is my first book under contract and I'm curious to see what that's going to be like. Right now my fear is that I've had the story languishing in my head for too long and when I try to write it down it just won't feel right or do the idea justice. I'm just going to have to get over that :)

[JeanneTGC]

Thanks everyone word the words of advice! I'm about to jump in, like right now. I have decided not to outline very much this time because when I do I find writing much more of a chore and not as fun. But it also means I'm rather scared as I have no idea what's going to come out!
It's more fun that way! And you know you'll come up with something great, so just let it flow!

[johnzakour]

Thanks everyone word the words of advice! I'm about to jump in, like right now. I have decided not to outline very much this time because when I do I find writing much more of a chore and not as fun. But it also means I'm rather scared as I have no idea what's going to come out!

Fear can be a great motivator. :)

I use to write without an outline all the time. Now that I'm older and usually working on 5 projects at once I find I need to outline or I just forget too much.

[Straka]

For me I don't count words. I just write until I feel like I'm done or I fall asleep at my keyboard. Then again I don't have any deadlines but my own.

[Toothpaste]

YAY!!! I did it! Just over 1000 words! I am so proud of me!! lol!

[maddythemad]

I'm proud of you, too!

And I'm... oh, wait, I'm at negative words today. Because I cut a paragraph. And have been sitting here for an hour and a half, but haven't been able to write anything. :cry:

[Shadow_Ferret]

Those of you starting sequels or third, fourth, or fifth books in a series... are these all sequels to PUBLISHED works or are you just writing in the hopes that your book will be picked up and then you have a series too offer as part of the package?

I'm just curious because I'm working on the sequel to a novel I haven't even got representation for and I'm wondering if I'm just wasting my time if the first book isn't ever picked up.

[johnzakour]

Those of you starting sequels or third, fourth, or fifth books in a series... are these all sequels to PUBLISHED works or are you just writing in the hopes that your book will be picked up and then you have a series too offer as part of the package?


The ones I'm working on have already been bought and I've even cashed the advance. So I really need to make my deadlines.

I am working on a spec piece though that hasn't even been seen by human eyes yet. It's quite serious and far different than the stuff I usually write. So it's a risk...

[Prawn]

I started my fourth last week! It is so much fun to start something new! I had spent the last two months in editing mode, which is rewarding, but nowhere near as fun for me.

[Carrie R.]

Those of you starting sequels or third, fourth, or fifth books in a series... are these all sequels to PUBLISHED works or are you just writing in the hopes that your book will be picked up and then you have a series too offer as part of the package?

I'm just curious because I'm working on the sequel to a novel I haven't even got representation for and I'm wondering if I'm just wasting my time if the first book isn't ever picked up.

I was in a similar boat right before I sold my book -- I'd finished one book and didn't know what to start on next. I had an idea for two more books in the series, but was afraid of spinning my wheels if I didn't sell the first one. I finally decided that I'd write the proposal for the second book in the series (just in case I needed it to sell a multi-book deal) but then I'd move on to something else. Then I sold before I even had a chance to write the proposal. Of course, even now that the book is sold I'm writing my second book on something else (my contract didn't specify what book 2 had to be).

[Varthikes]

Those of you starting sequels or third, fourth, or fifth books in a series... are these all sequels to PUBLISHED works or are you just writing in the hopes that your book will be picked up and then you have a series too offer as part of the package?

I'm just curious because I'm working on the sequel to a novel I haven't even got representation for and I'm wondering if I'm just wasting my time if the first book isn't ever picked up.

You've basically described my situation. I'm working on the second book while still trying to sell the first one. Just so that I can be prepared when the time DOES arrive.

[bluemoonscribe]

How about a chant?


TOOTHPASTE!
TOOTHPASTE!
TOOTHPASTE!

(Imagine this in a enthustiastic, jock-tone.)

[ClaudiaGray]

The ones I'm working on have already been bought and I've even cashed the advance. So I really need to make my deadlines.


I'm in the same boat - Evernight is at the ARC stage and comes out May 27, I'm finishing final-final revisions to Stargazer, which will come out sometime around early December, and beginning Hourglass, which is coming out summer 2009 and therefore needs to get hopping. This summer and fall, I'll work on the fourth and final book on the Evernight series contract. The nice editor who paid me the money is waiting.