As the sole Muse representing the “aspiring author,” I could easily write about the couple stories I’ve got under my belt (one WIP and one in the dreaded drawer) or the slutty next novel, but, really, we’ve talked about all that before. So instead, I wanted to share some insights I’ve pieced together from being backstage with the other Muses as they all tackle Book 2 of their contracts.

I’m horribly lucky in that I’ve seen not one…but four of my closest writing friends make it into multiple-book-contract-land. Many of us aspiring authors view this as a magical world similar to Willy Wonka’s Factory, where we’ve finally mastered this writing thing and our biggest concern is if we buy the ski house or private island first. Unfortunately, friends, the lickable wallpaper still has some wrinkles. All this is to say: Even though I’ve never written a Book 2 on contract, I know for darn-sure it’s hard. Very hard.

Whether it’s a sequel or stand alone, publishers want Book 2 to be just the same as the first, without being the first. It’s got to have more fizz-bang, but be cozy in the same market space…after all, you’ve created a brand with #1. You’re no longer a debut author, so *gasp* the writing has to be even better. And, of course, there’s the deadlines…even the most lenient drop-dead-dates change the writing game forever. You and your manuscript now have an entire publishing machine in the bed with you.

I’m not going to be the guy that says Book 2 is harder than breaking into the industry with numero uno. Because I don’t think it is…both are gigantic pains. The difficulties morph like Violet Beauregarde, but they’re still there waiting to trip you up, slow you down, and kill your creativity.

In summary: Writing is hard, no matter what stage you’re at. Or as one of the Muses told me (Veronica, forgive me for paraphrasing):

“The prize for this pie eating contest is more pie.”

I LOVE that! It’s so, so true.

Obviously, I’m not a sucker duped into taking a golden ticket and thinking the everlasting gobstoppers are truly everlasting. I’m a knowing participant heading into my dream knowing the dangers lurking beyond. So, why…WHY…if it never lightens up, do I still do it?

And, for me, the answer is that I have to. It’s not about the money (though it’d be nice) or the fame (ditto). I’m a writer because I’m a writer. Like most authors, it defines a big chunk of my personality.

As masochistic as it sounds, I’m drawn to the pain, because if it were easy, well…everyone would ACTUALLY write that book they always wanted to. If it were simple, there’d be no art and no craft. Without the sweat, there’d be none of them lovely endorphins that come when you nail a character or figure out a plot point.

If it were cake, who’d eat the pie?

It's fitting that we're shining the spotlight on Book Two (B2) this week. I am currently at an undisclosed, secret location working very hard on Book Two of the Never Sky trilogy. Right now, I can hear seagulls crying, and sea lions barking and the rhythmic note of a foghorn. As far as sitting with my laptop twelve hours a day goes, this is a pretty great place to do it.

Talia really nailed it yesterday. B2s introduce so many new elements to the writing process, it's amazing. I'm going to focus on the loss of focus. More specifically, the many voices that begin to chime in with B2.

Wait a minute. Before I continue, I want to say one thing, because it's important: I recognize that the B2 problem is a very good one to have. If you're on your B1, I feel you. I was there, wishing someone--anyone--would just read the darn thing. So these are fortunate problems... another stretch on the writer's road. We stand on wobbly legs, then we figure out walking, then running, and driving, and on we go, taking a left turn at new problems, then figuring that out and moving on. It's all in the journey, not the destination, as they say.

(Wow! Can you tell I've been spending a lot of time alone? Anyway. Let's continue.)

So back to the many voices... I have an editor, an agent, mentors, and now, the crazy thing--the coolest thing--is that I have readers. (I love you guys! Group hug!) And they have voices, and I love their voices. They have things to say about my writing and my characters and the story. And I want to know what they (you?) think! It's so exciting--I mean epic--to hear someone praise your book, or talk about it. Even the not-so-positive things amaze me, because someone read my writing. Read my writing.

But the thing about many voices is this: the more you listen, the more your own voice can fade, growing quieter and quieter. I admire those for whom that's not true, but for me, it's a struggle. I have a hard time hearing criticism, and then not trying to fix it, or to better it somehow, or, totally unproductively, to just plain stew in the unfixableness of the thing, which is to make other people happy. And guys... we're all grown ups, yes? We know happiness is our own charge. It's a responsibility we have to ourselves. We know this, right?

(OK..... I promise I'll get out soon and, you know, interact with people.... Moving on.)

So. What I'm learning is to protect the writing space fiercely. What I'm learning is that there can be many voices, but that when it's time to write, what I want to hear, what I need to hear is me. Okay, and maybe some seagulls, foghorns and sea lions, too.

Thanks for listening to my voice, and if you're into it, if you'll indulge me, I'd love to hear yours below.

Finally, for no good reason other than that David Gray is playing as I write this, I want to say: let's go where we can shine.

When we decided to write on the Book 2 freak out many months ago, I don't think we realized that four of us would be right smack in the middle of Book 2 when it came time to write this post.  I feel like this is a post that should be written years later, or at least after  book 2 is published.  When we can look back at our struggles with some perspective.  No wonder Donna opted for covering the amazing book launch (which deserved it's own day) and Katy is contemplating cradling her chocolate-stained copy of GILT in her arms.

The bottom line is that Book 2 is hard.

Me Time v. Deadlines

For many writers (for me at least), writing starts as a hobby.  No matter how you start, if you're not under contract, the first book can be written on your own timetable, when and where you feel like it.  Sure, it might take over a year to get through the first draft, but no one is waiting for the book to be done. Writing for yourself is an indulgence. A pleasure.

Fast forward to Book 2.  I was given roughly three months to turn in a draft. Instead of looking for free moments to write, I had to dedicate every spare minute to writing, setting word count goals and sacrificing a lot of social activities.  Writing under deadline has its advantages.  It's motivating, and it's productive.  But as a writer, I love feeling my way into a novel and savoring every moment of discovery.  When you write quickly, you lose some of that. 

Bottom line: It's critical to find a balance between productivity and pleasure.  It's a lot harder to do on a tight timetable, but you have to find your way back to your writing happy place.

And yes, it's hard.

A Blank Slate v. A Brand

In Book 1, you have the luxury of creating a world and characters from scratch. You can make things up as you go along, experimenting with characters and plot points. You can try out different writing styles and find the story's voice.  If something doesn't work for the plot, it can be thrown out and reimagined without constraints beyond what the story calls for.

With a sequel, you have to find that voice and rhythm again.  The characters' backstory and traits are largely known, and the known facts limit the possibilities going forward.  The main character has already gone through a transformation by the end of Book 1, but still needs to grow in Book 2.  The story needs to be different, but similar enough to the first book to appeal to the same readers. The stakes need to be higher.  The writing needs to be better. And you've already used twenty years worth of your best lines in Book 1.

Bottom line:  You have to find a new goal for your character and raise the stakes while staying true to the world and the story.

This is hard.


The Book You Want to Write v. The Book You are Contractually Obligated to Write

When writing on your own, you have complete freedom to write the book that is screaming to get out.  You can let your subconscious take charge and write the story that won't let you alone.  Book 2 is the book you have to write, whether it speaks to you or not.  You have to work to find the inspiration, you can't wait for it to find you.  This is one of the reasons Book 2 sometimes feels like trying to force a square peg into a round hole.

Bottom line: you have to push through and find the magic, even when it feels like a job.

And, you guessed it, it's hard.

Writing for Yourself v. Writing for an Editor

When writing on your own, you only have to please yourself.  I'm not saying that the first book that you sell is easy by any means.  Any author that writes with the goal of publication strives to a) write a book that people want to read; and b) write a book that publishers want to sell.  It takes a combination of personal sacrifice and blood-letting all over the page, combined with a fair amount of skill with a pen, luck and market timing.  Before that first sale comes a lot of rejection.  It's disheartening and gut wrenching, but it's not personal.  You wrote that book for yourself first.  You created it from scratch and perfected the story until you loved it. If the market isn't ready for Book 1, you can tuck it safely in a drawer and start again.  Yes, you can revise, rework or rewrite it, but you don't have to. If it does sell, chances are the editor that buys it will already be the book's biggest fan.

Book 2 is written on demand, and the opinion of one reader has never been so important. Your editor bought this book when it was an idea that held only promise. The pressure to live up to that promise is huge.  It can bring out your own inner editor and make you second guess your decisions before you've even made them. Sometimes you can feel that person reading over your shoulder as you type.

Bottom line:  you have to put all expectations (readers, your editor's, even your own) aside and let the characters and the story grow organically (while staying true to the story and your world).

Yeah, this is really hard.

First Draft v. Finished Book

After revising Book 1 for your critique group, agent and editor, it is polished so perfectly that you can see your reflection in it.  And a year or more has gone by since you've tackled a rough draft.  It's hard to look at the rough jumble of words in Book 2 without feeling like you have no idea how to write anymore.  The wooden dialogue, lack of conflict and complete absence of setting in the story make you want to flip shut the screen and go for the chocolate.

A novel is a marathon, but it's easy to forget that Book 1 did not appear on the page in the form that was ultimately published on the first try.

Bottom line:  you have to recognize that it's okay to write an ugly first draft and remember that it's part of the process.  Draft 2 will be better.  Draft 17 will be awesome!

Bottom line:  hard.

If writing a first book involves baring your soul, writing a second book involves crushing it.  Maybe it's not this way for everyone, but based on the four of us, I'd say it's more common than I thought.   Luckily, writers are a tough group.  We've been prepared by years of rejection.

Someday, sooner than we think, we will look back on this and laugh.

Or at least not cry.

Thank you, each and every one, for all of your enthusiasm and excitement for UNDER THE NEVER SKY.  I know Veronica is overjoyed, and I think I speak for the rest of us when I say that I am absolutely thrilled to see such an outpouring of love for a book I've loved from the start.  It's been wonderful to see it go out into the world.

However, we only had four copies to give away.  And with no further ado, here are our winners:

PB Rippey
Tez Miller
Dani Nguyen
Aik (aikchien)

Please e-mai us at yamuses(at)aol(dot)com, give us an address and the name of the person to whom you want your book signed.  We'll get those out as soon as we can.

If you look carefully, you'll notice something strange about this post.  It's a tiny thing.  Minor.  But to me, it indicates a lot.

Posting time.  Normally, I write my post the night before -- or even the weekend before -- it goes up, and schedule it.  For whatever reason, I schedule it for four in the morning -- I think my original plan was to catch east coasters before work.  So I start my Tuesdays like any other day -- e-mail, read the blog, Twitter, school run, and then I have a long period of work time.  Call me a creature of habit.

Not this week.  This week I've been putting off my blog post.  I noticed that Donna neatly side-stepped our topic with her brilliant post-party run-down (a much needed addition, so I certainly don't blame her!).  Why?  Because this week's topic is "Writing Book 2".  Not an easy task, either the topic or the work itself.

I'm sure if you ask any published author about the sophomore novel, he will cringe or laugh hysterically or roll his eyes or start to gag and sweat.  It doesn't seem to matter if it's a second stand-alone, the second in a trilogy, a companion novel or the second in a five-book series.  That Book 2 is like the monster in the closet.

The crazy thing is, Book 2 is not my second book.  It's my fourth.  I believe Donna and Veronica can say something similar.  And Talia?  Well, I can't wait to read her post this week.

I suppose there is something about the second book for publication that gets the inner editor working overtime.  It certainly gives my inner procrastinator a full-time job (thus the late post this morning).  Because there is a large degree of fear that accompanies the sophomore novel.

Fear of failure (Book 1 was a fluke. I'm going to disappoint my agent/editor/readers.)
Fear of deadlines (I'll never make it. If I squeeze all the work in, it will be hackneyed and rushed.)
Fear of self. (I'm procrastinating like crazy!)
Fear for characters (I won't do them justice.)
Fear of the business (What if the first book doesn't do well?  What if the series is cancelled? What if I never sell another book and die unloved and alone hugging my single venture to my chest with chocolate-stained hands?)

Fear can be immobilizing. It certainly gives my inner procrastinator a lot of tools to work with.  So every day, I have to move to the edge, look over, cross my fingers and start.  I can't tell you how it will end.  I still don't know.  At some point in 2013, when Book 2 is on the shelves, you'll have to come tell me.  But until then, I have to give my inner procrastinator a run for its money.

I'm kind of brain fried today, but in a totally good way. I flew out to California this weekend to surprise Veronica at her book launch on Saturday. I can't believe we were all able to keep the secret and the expression on her face was priceless. So worth the trip! If you weren't able to enjoy the bash, I thought I'd take a break from regularly scheduled programing and let you experience it a bit virtually.

So here are Katy, Talia, Sammy (Talia's daughter) and me at Rakestraw Books. It was packed with people from all over the country!




This picture is quite symbolic for me. The original Muses met in a critique group led by Ellen Hopkins and here Ellen is getting Veronica's autograph on her debut novel.



After all the signing, we went next door to a wonderful wine bar to continue the party. When you read UNDER THE NEVER SKY, you'll fall in love with Roar. Who knew Roar was named after a fabulous California wine? Not me, but I so approve! It was delicious.



It was a fabulous party and a fantastic launch. Veronica, we're so proud of you! Here's to UNDER THE NEVER SKY taking the world by storm.