Previously in April ...

"Previously..." is a Bloghop recapping the previous month's goals and accomplishments. It's hosted by the lovely Miss Cole on the last Wednesday of every month. For more details on how to participate visit the Previously page!

Previously in Writing

This month (and in March), spurned on by an amazing brainstorming Skype session with my agent, I ended up re-visiting my YA sci-fi WIP after a long hiatus and added two new threads to the story that I'm SUPER excited about. Squee! It's so nice to be excited about this project again after so long feeling a bit stuck with it. Now my agent's reading it and we shall see what he thinks. Eeep!

I sent out my my NaNoWriMo MG novel #IslandGirlWIP  in March to a second wave of readers to get more of my target audience's thoughts on the manuscript and am still waiting on that feedback.

In April I also participated in #CampNaNoWriMo -- like National Novel Writing Month, but where you set your own goals. I set a goal of 40K for my new WIP -- a YA Contemporary about a Teen Journalist (#TeenJournalistWIP) and *fingers crossed* I will meet that goal!! Right now I'm sitting at 32K  -- well, 54K total ... I had some written beforehand. Unfortunately, due to a new plot thread I just invented *whoops!* it looks like I won't technically "finish" the novel by the end of April. That's okay. I might actually just skip a few scenes and write the end ones I know and then go back and fill in the other ones in May. It is a SUPER research heavy MS. The most researchy I've ever attempted. May is going to be filled with non-fic books and journal articles to do some serious fact-checking and adding of technical details I glossed over!


Previously in Reading

This month, I did a LOT of critting for #DVPit entries so I haven't done quite as much novel reading as usual. Right now I am reading Sarah Jamila Stevenson's THE LATTE REBELLION ... which is super fun so far. It pairs well with #TeenJournalistWIP thematically, so that's good! I started I'LL GIVE YOU THE SUN by Jandy Nelson, which was flat out gorgeous (as I expected) but alas the library stole it back from me before I had a chance to finish :oO I also started THE BLOSSOMING UNIVERSE OF VIOLET DIAMOND, which I was loving, but set it aside because I think it will pair better for me reading at a time when I'm working on my MG book again.

(I'm so matchy-matchy like that!)


Next Time in Goals

Next month, I hope to be finished with a round of additions and first-round edits on #TeenJournalistWIP and hopefully done outlining my next book, which is going to be an MG Steampunky-Victorianesque Fantasy ... it also needs a hashtag. Hmm ... she helps solve arson cases so ... #FiregirlWIP ? Right now I have two chapters and a very loose idea, but I need the key plot points. It's actually a story that's been in my head way back from the very beginning of time { aka five years ago when I realized I wanted to be an author ;o) }

In May I hope to read A LOT for #TeenJounalistWIP research. Like  A LOT A LOT. But maybe not fiction. Which makes me kind of sad. Except I guess I will actually be reading fiction too because I have a big beta backlog!!! Whee!!!

A Word of Advice

Moral of the story? There's no better motivator for getting work done than an impending 2nd child!!!  o.O

Is that advice? No, not really. Don't try this at home. Or do. But not because you want to get a lot of projects done. Although that aspect of it HAS worked in my favor.

... I'm just sayin'