Waiting on Wednesday - Simon & Schuster Australia Edition

I was on the Simon and Schuster Australia website today and there were many titles that got me excited. Mind you these are all Australian release dates!

Chasing Brooklyn (Lisa Schroeder)
Released: January 2010
Summary -

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Nothing Like You (Lauren Strasnick)
Released: December 2009
Summary -

When Holly loses her virginity to Paul, a guy she barely knows, she assumes their encounter is a one-night stand. After all, Paul is too popular to even be speaking to Holly...and he happens to have a long-term girlfriend, Saskia. But ever since Holly’s mom died six months ago, Holly has been numb to the world, and she’s getting desperate to feel something, anything--so when Paul keeps pursuing her, Holly relents. Paul’s kisses are a welcome diversion...and it’s nice to feel like the kind of girl that a guy like Paul would choose.

But things aren’t so simple with Saskia around. Paul’s real girlfriend is willowy and perfect... and nothing like Holly. To make matters worse, she and Holly are becoming friends. Suddenly the consequences of Holly’s choices are all too real, and Holly stands to lose more than she ever realized she had.

Ex-mas (Kate Brian)
Released: December 2009
Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Lila Beckwith's parents just left for vacation, and Lila's all set to throw the holiday party of the season. But when her Christmas-obsessed little brother, Cooper, discovers that global warming is melting the North Pole, he and his best friend, Tyler, take off on a runaway mission to save Santa.

Lila has to get Cooper safely home before her parents get back on Christmas Eve. But the only person who can help her is Tyler's older brother, Beau -- a.k.a. Lila's musician, anti-everything ex-boyfriend.

It'll take more than a Christmas miracle for Lila and Beau to overcome their differences and find their fugitive brothers. But could a journey destined for disaster help these polar opposites fall in love...all over again?

NaNoWriMo - The Half Way Mark

To be completely honest I didn't think it was possible. Not NaNo in it's entire context but me reaching the 26,000 word mark. I am someone who talks a lot about what I would like to do and then chickens out. NaNo was an event where I suspected this would happen. I am wrong...so far.

It's peculiar to think about how breaking a story into the smallest of segments makes it a possible exercise.

What I have learnt so far...

• I have a tendency to get lost every 5 days (or 8,000 words) and drive myself crazy with a possible solution.
• As above implies, I am totally regretting not plotting my story. Or even thinking about it all that much before hand - AdeleFail.
• Dialogue has somehow become my favourite and easiest element...after years of it being my most loathed part.
• I am itching to edit.
• Don't include a sport (say bowling) into your story when you know NOTHING about it. You spend more time online trying to figure out what is supposed to be happening.
• Grade eight students are a fantastic resource in bowling knowledge.
• I don't have the time to re-read my previous pages and as such I think there will be giant flow and tone issues. I am psyching myself out about this already.
• Naming characters is super hard. My best friend character has changed names 5 times and with each version becoming increasingly traditional in choices. I am not kidding, first time around his name was Gangle - seriously, what was I thinking?
• Having a bitter shrewish character is a great release when you're in a foul mood.
• My love (read as sarcasm) of footy boys during my teen years has totally informed this novel.
• I freaked out last Sunday as I skipped two days as I couldn't think of what to write. I couldn't see myself catching up but I tried. I ended up pushing through the half way mark by writing 5k in one day. Go figure!

As I have tweeted, I don't see this novel seeing the light of day. I don't plan on sharing it with anyone as I consider it my dry run, my learning curve. It's not particularly cohesive but I have enjoyed reading it. I have also realised what kind of YA authors I want to be - contemporary and snarky in the vein of Jenn Echols and Elizabeth Scott. Not that I think I will ever be able to be that. It's the style of novel I like reading the most and echoes my own voice in normal life so it makes sense.

For me this has been a great realisation of my capabilities.

• I am not as bad as I thought I was, though an outside eye might disagree.
• I am capable of setting an established pace in my writing habits.
• Planning isn't my thing.
• I like writing dialogue.
• My family issues haven't popped up once in my character's family...peculiar.
• I draw from interesting places - already there's a Picnic in Hanging Rock, Grease and BBC reference. Weird.
• It's fun.
• Competition is good for the soul.

Now how about you?