WIP?

[Michelle Witte]

I'd love to hear what other YA writers are working on at the moment. I realize a lot of you are participating in NaNoWriMo, so tell us a bit about the story, or even just the genre.

At the moment I'm in the pondering/planning stage with a few possible books, trying to flesh out a workable idea. The genre will most likely be fantasy.

[June Goodwin]

Will do! So, you're published already? That's exciting. What's the name of your book?

[Peter Taylor]

Many thanks for the welcome, June and Georgia. I'll certainly provide all I learn at Bologna, LM. I wouldn't be going if it wasn't that I can easily travel from there to my aunt's 90th birthday in the UK. Here are some notes from a SCBWI Conference in Australia - but there's not much YA info. If folk haven't joined SCBWI yet, I highly recommend it, particularly if you can get to meetings and events. There are things happening in every state and country, and though I hope to get to the big conferences sometime, the smaller ones are often fantastic for meeting and networking, which can give you a huge advantage (see my profile info). We usually get about 100 attendees at the Aus ones, which is really personal. Come on over! The next one is in September. Tax deductible. As always, the more you contribute, the more you get out of it.

Peter :)

[Ella Press]

My current WIP is tentatively called "Darkest Nights".
It's told from my FMC's POV, Cora.
Cora is a 17 year-old-girl who begins having strange dreams that later come true. She dreams about a car crash where her friend Kaitlyn gets killed, and she survives, along with her friend Audrey. They both feel guilty and after talking about it, Cora finds a confident in Audrey. She's the only one who knows about Cora's ability.
One day, (this'll sound cliche, but it's absolutely necessary for the story) Cora and Audrey hear there's a new guy at school. They'll meet him, and something will happen that'll change hers and the boy's lives forever. She has a dream about him. And it doesn't have a happy ending.
Cora'll find out the truth about her nature, while Ben shows little interest in her... at first.
They'll find themselves in the middle of a battle over Power, White magic versus Black magic.
But they won't be alone. Cora's uncle and Ben's aunt will be there to help them. And soon, a new group of people'll join Cora and Ben's side. Because what the dark side's really after is Cora.
But there's mor to Cora's Power than she thought she knew.
And Cora'll meet a new guy, someone who does show interest in her. You can imagine what'll happen here.

I'm in its 20k, and considering it'd been on hold for quite some time, and that I've been writing more and more every day, I think I'll have it finished by the end of January, more likely February. LOL

I'm proud of myself! *happy dance*

I'm more of a short story type of writer, so, being this far along in my story makes me really happy.

[Buffy Andrews]

My WIP, which I am way loving, involves two teens with special abilities conceived by parents from parallel universes who must save the universe they live in from the ruler of the other universe. It involves love, suspense, mystery and gifts with hidden flash drives that turn the teens' worlds upside down and inside out. What fun!

[LM Preston]

Oooh! I like this.. I too write YA, SciFi many others here do also. Sounds awesome.

[Lyla Elizabeth Calm]

I have a WIP called The Secret of Willowyn Harbor, I think it's been almost a year since I started it. I'm at 15,000 words and I'm approaching the end of the plot, but I'll probably end up adding some stuff when I finish.

The plot involves a group of five teenagers living in a small town called Willowyn. Six days before Halloween 2009, they discover the body of a 17-year-old girl who disappeared exactly thirty years ago. When the teenagers start to investigate the reason for the girl's death, they discover a secret--a secret that has to do with Willowyn Lake and a music group whose members all died brutal deaths (supposed "accidents"). With the help of a local police officer, they begin to solve the mystery--but will they all come out alive?

[Martha Martin]

I'm shopping for an agent for my first completed YA, a humorous chick lit romance tentatively titled Summer Camp Diaries. That's consuming lots of my time, as I keep second-guessing myself about plot and length. It's longer than most YA chick lit, and I'm not sure if that is a "niche I can fill" or me needing to cut out the subplot! HA! The main character, Kat, is looking for her Lifelong Soulmate, a "hot Studly Wonder" who will love her despite her "personal challenges: big boobs, wild hair, and the habit of always saying exactly the wrong thing at the wrong time!" Think Bridget Jones at Summer Camp, with a creepy step-cousin, crazy campers, a mysterious diary, some blatant Jane Austenisms, and a co-ed canoe trip. Good times...

My second YA is standing at 35 k and I expect will be about 45 when I'm done. It's a contemporary murder mystery with a historical fiction backstory, and a 15-year-old protagonist who is horrified to discover her hot dreams of her secret crush have lately turned to glimpses of mysterious murders when she tucks in at night.

I also have three picture books that are completed...but are obviously not YA.

[June Goodwin]

I never though of myself as a lover of chick lit, but I did love Confessions of a Shopaholic much to my surprise. It was laugh out loud funny. Your Summer Camp Diaries sounds good; sounds like it has a good dose of humor.

[Martha Martin]

Thanks for that vote of confidence. The funny I seem to be able to pull off, but the plot and pacing is my challenge. I ADORED Confessions of a Shopaholic...and my fave writer of YA humor is Louise Rennison. She wrote the Georgia Nicolson books, that start with Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. LOVE THEM!

[June Goodwin]

Thanks for that tip. I'll have to check those books out. I too, find plotting to be one of the weaker elements for myself. I'm always told by people how funny I am, but I' m not too confident about being able to pull humor off in my writing. Go figure!

[elissajanine]

My YA/NA WIP The Dharma Bum Business is querying right now, and I'm editing my first fantasy YA book with the working title A Tangled Web. In my plotting/first drafting stages I have another sort of "new adult" book with a protagonist in grad school--sort of a magical realism with a mystery element...or a major revision of a YA contemporary realism book I wrote last year.

It's so interesting to hear about what everyone's writing! :)

[Mary Brebner]

Wow-there's some great stuff in progress out there! Can't wait to hear more about all of your projects--and, hopefully, published novels!

As for me, I just finished my final (hopefully) round of revisions of UNVEILED, a YA paranormal with romantic elements. My MC, Reagan, is a Fae living in the human realm, just about to graduate high school. Once she graduates, she has to return to Faerie to teach modern humanity, something she has no desire to do. The Fae King, in cooperation with human leaders, is about to unveil (ha-get it? Yeah, I suck at titles, too, JJ!) the existence of the Fae to the world and some of the Fae are not happy about it (they're all about ruling the puny humans, not trading or allying with them). Reagan must help stop a rebel attack, while figuring out her future. I still have some editing to do on it but it's pretty much done.

My other WIP, tentatively titled ACCIDENTAL HERO, is tongue-in-cheek superhero story. My MC, Peter, has an accident with an industrial microwave and wakes up with super powers. Bad guys are after him, determined to use him for their own nefarious purposes. The Suits of the Department of Extraordinary Occurrences kidnap Peter's mom and use her as bait to draw him out. Peter joins forces with his friend, who was also in the accident and got some minor powers (side kick, anyone?), and some others to rescue their parents and save the day.

I'm in planning mode for sequels to UNVEILED, also. I think we're all in for a busy 2010! Happy New Year, all.