Courage and old friends

I don’t usually talk much about what I’m working on because I have this problem where if I talk too much about it before it’s written, I seem to lose interest in the story. Plus, I ALWAYS change my mind about plots halfway through so if I tell you what it’s about when I start the book, it probably won’t be the same as what it’s about when I finish the book.

But I did want to say that after finishing another book I was working on (the huge messy book that is way too confusing for anyone to take a look at any time soon) I started work on a new project: the Troy High novella I’ve wanted to write. I had forgotten how much fun it is to write about Cassie and Greg and Elena and Hunter and everyone else. It’s like going back and catching up with some old friends. They’re already surprising me with the things they’ve been up to since the end of the book (this new story takes place about five months later). But I’ve found that there are a few things about the book I can’t remember right away. Like, what’s the name of the place where the Trojans like to hang out after school? (The Ice Cream Factory.) What are Mallory and Kelsey’s last names? (Um, they don’t have last names. Or at least none that are ever mentioned.)

Now the trick is seeing if I can actually write a novella without it turning into a full-length novel. There’s a reason I don’t write short stories: I have a hard time telling a story in just a few pages.

Also, for all you aspiring authors, I did a guest post yesterday at All-Consuming Books where I talked about my tips for getting past self-doubts when writing. Because we all have them at some point! Just before publishing The Boyfriend Thief I convinced myself it was the worst thing I had ever written and I wanted to hide it away forever. But a big part of writing is courage, to take a chance and to put yourself out there.