Coming Up in 2010

I was reading Justine’s blog the other day and saw her post talking about which of her old ideas she was writing and how few of them were things she thought she’d be working on. I went and looked back at my most recent post about the subject, which is from May of this year, and was kind of shocked. Because, um, I don’t even remember what two of the four projects I mentioned are right now. I do write all my ideas down, though, so I’m sure they are still around, but I haven’t the foggiest what in particular I was talking about.

As for the other two, things are still in progress. I’m still working on one of the projects, and I recently submitted a proposal that included the other. So… yay. We shall see if anything comes of those.

The two untitled 2010 releases I mentioned in that post now have titles: Ascendant, the second of the killer unicorn books; and “The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn”, which will be released as part of the Zombies Vs. Unicorns anthology.

Also, in Brazil, we shall see the release of Rites of Spring (Break).

I also have two more releases planned for 2010, and hopefully I shall be able to talk about them soon. (!!!) Speaking of those two unnamed releases, that’s what I’m working on finishing up right now. Hardcore. And that’s basically the first month of 2010 for me right there.

And after that, we’ll see. What I work on come February of 2010 is a bright and beautiful mystery, dependent on the far more prosaic circumstances of what I sell. One of the interesting facets of this job is how much it changes depending on where I am in my contracts. What my “job” was in 2009 was a very different thing than it was in the three years of full time-writing that came before that.

2009 started out in a rough patch. One of my imprints was folded up; one of my books had its release date pushed back. That winter, I was pretty depressed about both of these things, but in retrospect, I realize I was lucky. Unlike a lot of titles in this recession, neither of my books was canceled. When Tap & Gown came out, it was well-received by my fans, and Rampant had an amazing release. During the spring, however, I was pretty sure the publication delay was going to kill me. I wasn’t used to the scheduling of YA, and I’d already waited so long for it to hit the shelves. To my regret, I let my disappointment and anxiety drag on me way too much last spring and summer. I’ve always thought my publisher made the correct decision in delaying the release, but given my massive anticipation, I felt like a kid being told I had to wait until Easter to open my Christmas presents. I’ve learned my lesson in that regard. Sometimes books come out when you expect them to. Sometimes not. Either way, moping’s not going to do me much good.

As the year progressed, things got considerably better, in large part because I was working hard. I was offered two short story contracts (my first two ever), as well as the secret project. I got my first-ever royalty check. I had my first viable “new ideas” since 2005 (the year I came up with Secret Society Girl and killer unicorns), and wrote proposals for them both. It actually turned out to be a pretty good year, though there were parts of it that had me worried.

My career is very young, and though I’ve been warned that in this business that there are up years and down years, I hadn’t properly prepared for it. And again, I’m really lucky. A NYT bestselling friend of mine told me about how she went 12 years between releases at one point in her career. Seen in perspective, 2009 wasn’t actually a “down year.” I had two books out (and a non-fiction collection) and I ended up selling several new projects. The moral of 2009 can be best summed up in the immortal words of Dorie the fish from FINDING NEMO: “Just keep swimming.” Just keep writing, keep getting projects out there, and see what happens. I took this mantra to heart especially in the latter half of 2009, accepting opportunities that came my way, and seeking out new ones.

(In fact, I just (this week) got an offer, which goes to show you that things do happen at Christmastime.)

That my takeaway from this last year is about focusing on my work will doubtless surprise no one who has been in this industry for any length of time. “Protect the work” is a truism for career writers, not only because the work is the only thing we have utter control over, but also because it’s the only thing that truly satisfies. However much I love a good review (and believe me, it’s a LOT), the thing that has me singing and skipping after a long day at the keyboard is having had a long, productive day at the keyboard. I adore “having written” (to misquote Dorothy Parker), because that — more than seeing my book on the shelves or getting an email from a fan or reading a good review — is what reminds me that I am working at my dream job. Creating these stories, getting so excited about them — that’s the very heart of my job.

Now I’m looking at 2010. What exactly it will contain isn’t clear to me yet. If everything goes as I hope it will, 2010 will be whirlwind of writing, even as it’s also a whirlwind of releases. (Again: four!!!). My goals are pretty lofty this year. We’ll see if I can hack them.

Goals for 2010:

1. Paint rooms in house I want painted.
2. Write at least two novels.
3. Finish Secret Project #2. (Please note: this might be one of the 2 novels, but I’m listing it separately, since I really want to write THIS ONE especially.)
4. Take Rio to agility classes.
5. Install bookshelves in rec room.
6. Go on a real vacation with Sailor Boy.
7. Redecorate master bedroom.
8. Make a podcast.
9. Sign a new contract.
10. Plant a garden again.
11. Read at least 50 books.
12. Write a totally unexpected project of some sort. (I did this in 2009 and it was inspiring.)