Old People Writing for Teens, IV

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allisonrussell

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How do you guys with kids and jobs juggle all of that with writing? Do you have a set word count that you try to reach each day? Do you write on your lunch break? Can you even write every day or are you forced to binge write over the weekend?
 

wampuscat

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Yes, I think that's why it's so hard to break into YA - and then all the authors of adult lit., who are established, seem to be trying it too!

Makes it even harder I think. :(

I know there's been a huge growth in YA and MG in the past decade, and I'm sure things like Harry Potter, Twilight, Percy Jackson, and Hunger Games have inspired some people to write YA and MG. But, I also wonder if the writers of YA are just more active online than writers of some other kinds of fiction, particularly since it seems like a lot of younger people are writing YA.
 

amschilling

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How do you guys with kids and jobs juggle all of that with writing? Do you have a set word count that you try to reach each day? Do you write on your lunch break? Can you even write every day or are you forced to binge write over the weekend?

I write on breaks from work. 10 minutes here and there at home until the kidlet is asleep. Then I put on my "sleep-deprived mommy" pants and stay up too late. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Who knew getting 3 hours a night when she was a baby would come in handy now? :ROFL:
 

Dorothy

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How do you guys with kids and jobs juggle all of that with writing? Do you have a set word count that you try to reach each day? Do you write on your lunch break? Can you even write every day or are you forced to binge write over the weekend?

I write in the evening after I've made dinner and helped my kids with homework. I do give myself a word count I like to hit (usually 1K) - BUT I do give myself passes for days that are just so overly hectic that my writing would suffer if I tried. Sometimes I have a weekend where there's not too much planned and I can get in 4 or 5 K in one shot.

But a little every day can take you a long way. :)
 

J.S.F.

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I write in the evening after my kids have gone to bed. Try to get at least five to ten pages done although I don't always reach that goal.

Just got word one of my e-publishers folded which is a major bummer but these things happen. Good thing is the story reverted back to me with no trouble so I'll freshen it up, rework a couple of passages and start the ol' submission process again. Have three others out and a maybe from a couple of agents so we'll see. YA is a tough market to break into but all the same it's a challenge and one which I like.
 

parumpdragon

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I usually only have one story done at a time [right now I have 2 completed], but it's hectic enough trying to keep track of all the subs and replies just for one MS. I don't think I'd want to query more than one. Just me
 

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Keeping track of queries when you have multiple novels out there is pretty confusing. Plus, every agent you come to, you have to decide which you want to send to them, which can make an already stressful process more stressful.

Right now I'm slowly querying H/V, but I know I want to start querying In a Pear Tree in April again (I figure that's enough time for agents to not be tired of Christmas anymore), so for every H/V query I send, I have to consider whether I might prefer querying that same agent with IaPT in a month instead. Sometimes this decision is easy (some agents only take YA and IaPT is MG) and sometimes it's not.
 

parumpdragon

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I think I'll finish querying the one and then query the other one. :)
 

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It makes me REALLY miss my agent spreadsheet (which is lost until I get Microsoft Office on this comp :( )
 

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All right, what am I doing here when I'm supposed to be writing?
 

CinthiaX

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How do you guys with kids and jobs juggle all of that with writing? Do you have a set word count that you try to reach each day? Do you write on your lunch break? Can you even write every day or are you forced to binge write over the weekend?

Totally binge write:)
 

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:tongue I'm writing romance, and I don't like writing romance, and yet, here I am writing a book dependent on it, lol. This used to be easier. I used to love writing romantic scenes. Somewhere along the way, everything started to feel either too cheesy or too bland.
 

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I'm really busy right now because I'm in grad school. I usually get up early (not crazy early, like 30 minutes) and do a little writing before class. I also write in between classes (my student lunch break). I don't set goals; I just do what I can. But, my thing is when I'm not able to write, I'm still thinking about my WIP. i.e. I think about it in the car, in the shower, while I'm blow drying my hair...
 

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Oh, thank goodness. I'm done with that scene. May I never write another date scene again (that's the fourth of this book!).
 

allisonrussell

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:tongue I'm writing romance, and I don't like writing romance, and yet, here I am writing a book dependent on it, lol. This used to be easier. I used to love writing romantic scenes. Somewhere along the way, everything started to feel either too cheesy or too bland.

I'm writing romance scenes now, and I'm having a harder time with them than action scenes. I sneak over to B&N on my lunch break and pick up random books in the romance section to see how the experts do it. And now, of course, I'm addicted to romance novels.
 

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I was totally considering taking out some YA PR from the library just to see how they do it.

The thing is that every time I try to read actual romance, I end up rolling my eyes. I like romantic subplots, but anytime I try straight-up romance, it feels like everything's either a cliche or ridiculously over-the-top. But, tbf, I'm trying for ridiculously over-the-top in the first half of this book
 

parumpdragon

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I like to play it awkward or obvious - my MC are in their late teens. It's not going to be a cassanova moment, or Romeo and Juliet when the word "dude" is part of the plot :D

Just saying
 

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I think I'm more worried about the description and attraction part of romance writing. I'm good with awkward dates. (Not-so-good with smooth dates, actually)
 

parumpdragon

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I think I'm more worried about the description and attraction part of romance writing. I'm good with awkward dates. (Not-so-good with smooth dates, actually)

Then I would just go for the obvious. ;)

In other news, sigh, I wish I had a cover for LS.

I wish the agent would get back to me, but one of her clients who is on here said she is super-busy.

So I'm not holding my breath. I'll hear back when I hear back.
 
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