spring break joys

Today is the second official day of Spring Break. I mean, I guess it technically started after school Friday night, but the weekend is different from the actual week off.

I'm feeling really good about writing and life right now. I wrote a bunch yesterday, and I'm writing a bunch again today. In fact, I just hit the 20,000 word mark in Awaking. (Considering draft one was only 53,000 words, it makes me feel pretty accomplished.) Now, I've never been one to really focus on word count of a book, but according to something I was reading, young adult novels should be between 50,000 and 70,000 words (with a "compelling" reason if over 70,000). I'm trying to bear that in mind as I write.

I'm having fun with this draft. Over the weekend, I reread the first draft. To say it was lame would be kind. The concept was there, but, if I'm honest, if I hadn't written it, I probably wouldn't have suffered through it. True, there were some funny parts, but the overall story was just kind of...a little out there. There was something missing. My second draft (into which I only got 8,000 words) solved some of the problems, but it was still missing something.

With draft three, I think I've made the tweaks and adjustments to the plot that are necessary to sustain it for a whole trilogy (which has always been the plan for this book).

The best thing, of course, is that the characters are coming alive. Writing this draft is reminding me of what it was like when I used to write back in high school. I'd go in with a general plan, but once I started writing, the characters did things I hadn't planned on. I love that. It's like...I point the characters in a direction, and then I just watch as they tell me what happens next.

I'm really enjoying getting to know the characters. Many of them have changed a lot since draft one. Ris, who, in draft one, was mostly a groupie now has a real friendship with the protagonist, Morgan. She's funny and she's got a personality of her own. I don't think she's annoying the way she was in draft one. Lucas is less of a puss. Corbin is more believable. And Morgan is more real.

I guess the point here is that I'm excited. My dream is still to have this draft finished by the end of the week so I can then solicit feedback from my peeps and do any editing necessary. The plan is to have this book published as an ebook (and perhaps print-on-demand, too) by June. And with my progress so far this week, I'm thinking that plan might actually reach fruition.

So, on that note, I'm going to stop blogging and get back to writing.