(Work-in-) Progress Report: Steve

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 15,000
Status: On hold for the moment
Attitude: In love!

You’ll notice a couple of curious things about this introduction. First, Steve isn’t Judy. (Sorry, Judy.) Judy was great while she lasted, but I’m all about Steve now, my new MG historical with a dash of science fiction. The idea--actually, just a first line--popped into my head as I was falling asleep one night: “Mama said it was plum foolishness to keep Robby’s dog tags like that, with his blood still stuck between the tiny grooves and ridges of his name.” I wondered what kind of story would start with that kind of line, and Steve was born.

Second, even though I’m totally in love with this one (heck, I wrote those 15,000 words in about eight days), the project is on hold for now. Some things have come up with Bob (no, I don’t have an agent or even an offer of representation, but I do have some promising new leads), and they have to take priority. But I had to make a note of Steve, because he’s the book I’m coming back to after I rewrite Bob. (I’m rewriting Bob? What? WHAT? (More about that later this week…))

So what have you been working on?

(Work-in-) Progress Report: Judy

Word count (to the nearest thousand): 2,000 (oh, yeah!)
Status: Writing the first draft
Attitude: Giddy

I’m giddy because I’m writing a first draft again, because I’m still excited about the last draft of my last project* (better known as Bob), and because I’m feeling like a renegade.

“Like a renegade?” you ask. “Please, Krista, do tell.”

All right, I will, but only if you come a little closer. And a little closer than that. Okay, you ready? Because I'm only going to 'fess up once.

I’m feeling like a renegade because I’m writing without an outline.

Can you believe it? I’m writing without an outline! Bob is only the second manuscript I’ve written WITH an outline, but outlining is such a natural extension of my personality that writing without one almost feels like cheating. I just had this story idea (YA again, of course), and I didn’t want to take the time to figure everything out. So I started writing instead. About three days ago.

We’ll see how long I last:)

I have no idea where I’m going with this idea. I’m not even sure what genre it is yet. (Should I try to tackle a contemporary, or should I add some thriller elements to entertain myself? Or should I just throw this silly real-world notion out the window and turn it into a good old urban fantasy?) I just know that I like writing it. I like writing something.

How about you? What are you working on right now, and how is it going?

*I did finish the revision I was working on, and now I’m just waiting to see what happens to it. That’s what querying mostly is, I think: waiting.