Wow, I’ve been lamentably internet-absent lately! But—this is okay, because it has a reasonable explanation, which I will explain.
I’m hard at work on Book Two, and I’d talk more about that if I thought I could come up with anything coherent, but sadly I can’t right now because drafting is one of those things that takes over a person’s life and makes one’s brain start to lock up if one were to think about anything that isn’t demon-related for more than, like . . . two seconds.
So, in lieu of coherent content, I will now share a tiny glimpse into the Book Two process. Apparently, it involves listening to these two songs fifty trillion time on repeat:
(It should be noted that because I am somewhere in the middle of all this, the character relationships are so weird right now that this juxtaposition actually makes sense. I swear.)
Also, check out this page of process notes,* because not only is it vaguely teaser-y, it also makes me look like a straight-up crazy person.
*These notes are very old, but they are gloriously relevant again! Also, these notes are very old, but my handwriting has not gotten better.
Brenna Yovanoff 
Those notes are so cute. And I love your music.
Alas, I have had many teachers who did not find my note-taking skills “cute.”
Ha, love it! This is so fascinating. I always wonder about people’s processes. I tend to do all the outlining in my head, which means I’m often confused when people talk to me because I’m thinking about my story pretty much nonstop.
So your second book is totally different from The Replacement, right? I can’t wait to read both of them!
I’m often confused when people talk to me because I’m thinking about my story pretty much nonstop.
I do this exact thing. Sometimes I answer the phone and whoever’s calling will ask if they woke me up.
Yes! This book is completely different from The Replacement, except that it was written by me, which means it shares some stylistic hallmarks. Mostly, I am apparently obsessed with teeth and moral ambiguity.
Those notes don’t make you look like a crazy person at all! Or maybe I just think that because, compared to mine, they seem downright normal to me. XD
I think notes-to-self are only truly crazy when they get abusive. Which, I will admit, mine sometimes do ;)
Yes! I Will Follow You Into The Dark! I love that song! And I love the notes. Sometimes it’s just that the most incoherent things are the best. And I like your handwriting. :)
I’m a huge fan of notes in general! I love notes by other people, and I love finding notes I wrote that I totally don’t remember writing—it’s like getting a message from the future :)
I love reading stuff that I wrote from a couple years back that I don’t remember at all. Even though the writing sometimes makes me flinch….
It’s interesting to see your process. And I’ve always liked the Greek story of Daphne and Apollo, so this is all intriguing to me!
I don’t usually think about process until I try to think how I’d explain it, and then realize that I don’t know how.
The explanation sounds a lot like, ” . . . so I dump out the junk-drawer and sort through the buttons and spare keys for things that match. Then I bake pie and draw on something and write a note that no one but me can read and eventually, it’s done. Also, blood. And kissing.”
Those notes rock. I love finding my old notes like this. Words scattered crazily across the paper, things that no one else would ever understand. The most interesting ones are the thoughts that come to me while I’m driving. Since I don’t have a voice recorder and can’t look down to write, words are often times overlaying each other. Boy, those are fun to decipher.
By the way I’m really feeling that Gold Guns Girls song. I understand the inability to say much about it yet, but when do you think you will be talking about book 2 more?
Words scattered crazily across the paper, things that no one else would ever understand.
Worst (and best) are the ones that even I don’t understand! I know what you mean about the overlay—when I was a teenager, I’d wake up in the middle of the night and write things down without turning on the light.
I think I can talk more about Book 2 during the next draft(?) I’m a huge reviser, so I always feel stupid talking about things too early, because odds are good that prominent elements are going to change and then I’ll wind up discussing nonexistent plot points and characters that don’t exist!
Her father turned her into a tree… That so reminded me of when we learned Family Guy‘s Seamus’s parentage: “My father was a tree.” ;-)
Hahahaha—that is awesome! I really (really) like tree motifs.
You know, I peeked at your notes at AWP, I admit. I love the “Clarify, Clarify, Clarify” underlined. And because I’m deep in revision mode, seeing “Adam” at the end nearly sent me into convulsions. Adam, a father? Hadn’t considered that angle…
forgot to log in… (sigh)
I have a tendency to get very aggressive with myself in note-form :)
premesso che l’idea non e’ tua, coglione, ci vuole molto a istruire un bot a non riempire i campi che hanno &#nd02;2isplay:8one” nel css?sei proprio un coglion