A New Strategy

I have a new strategy. As a reward for reading and editing at least one chapter each night in my completed book, I get to spend a little time on one of my other projects. Balance; that's what I need.

It feels good to spend a little time with some new characters. Feels a little more like fun than work. I love my book, obviously, but editing is not as much fun as creating the people and places and situations that establish a story.

I've been reading like crazy too, which also helps to get the creative juices flowing. I finished "Sarah's Key," by Tatiana de Rosnay this week for my book club. I wouldn't say I loved it, but I liked it a lot. It wasn't quite as sad and depressing as I expected a book about the Holocaust to be. The ending wasn't ideal, but it was reasonable.

I've also fully immersed myself in the "young adult" world of books -- or "teen fiction" as it's labeled at my local Barnes & Noble. One of the best panels I attended at the San Diego Writers Conference last month was on the young adult market. One of my books is for that audience, so I wanted to learn more about the genre. As I suspected, the agent leading the discussion said adults are increasingly reading those books as well, because of series like "Twilight" and "Harry Potter" and because they want to know what their kids are reading.

Perhaps the best part of the session was the list of subgenres and book recommendations provided by the speaker. So, in the past week or so I also read the amazing "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman. It's an issue-y novel, which is my preferred subgenre of young adult. I also devoured the addicting "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner. My husband read it too and immediately ordered the next book in the series, "The Scorch Trials." I am in awe of people whose minds are creative enough to come up with these multi-faceted worlds. Amazing.

So, now I'm reading "Shiver," by Maggie Stiefvater. It's a werewolf story. I like it, so far. Not quite as compelling or well-written as the Maze Runner, but it's an interesting read. But, of course, I've already got my eyes on the next book. Maybe "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher or "Hate List" by Jennifer Brown -- more issue-y young adult fiction.