I'm very curious (and looking for support from other YA writers), as to what everyone else is writing. Sometimes it's a lot of fun to pick the brains of other writers of the same genres.
I myself am writing Young Adult - realistic fiction (since there are many subgenres). I'm a young adult librarian at one of my job (children's at the other), and since picking up my first YA book as an adult (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) I have been hooked on the genre, and truly enjoy writing it. The only year I finished Nano was the year I did YA (last year), so I'm sticking with the winning formula.
How about the rest of this beautiful island?
----------
37,757 / 50,000
Oct 26, 2009 - 12 16
So far I've switched from romance to horror to satire and now it's sort of a weird metafiction thing, and that's just with outlining. When I actually start writing the darn thing, I wouldn't be surprised if the tone changes a bit as the story goes on. For some reason every year I write, the characters seem to take over my brain and the plot morphs into somethings completely different. I've gone from horror to romance to one year, satire to horror the next, and who knows what I'll end up with this year!
----------35,181 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 06 44
My usual forte is erotic fiction. This year I'm trying my hand on historical fiction, which means a lot of research. I selected a turbulent time -- 1870 and a chaotic place -- New York City. I have all these little facts on post-its and notes strewn all over the place, and hopefully I'll get it all together before November 1st.
45,846 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 07 22
I'll be writing an urban fantasy horror novel, but I haven't quite decided whether to make it YA or not. I've been reading quite a bit of YA recently, and I think some of the elements might be over the top for YA, but I guess I'll know for sure when I'm writing it.
----------Sage Darien
http://sagedarien.wordpress.com
50,704 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 09 28
The best way to describe it is “fantasy in a non medieval setting.” My setting is a fantasy equivalent of Colonial America. Instead of the Iroquois I have elves. Goblins live on the equivalent of Long Island (which I call “Grand Island”). Kobolds live in the equivalent of New Jersey (which I call “New Journey”). The novel will approach erotic but not get there (well hopefully not get there, although my first successful NaNoWriMo Novel was erotic fantasy).
The main characters will consist of a Male Human Ranger from Grand Island (who has a half sister who is a Dryad and will talk to him throughout the novel), a Nymph Warlock from New Ent, a Female Halfling Cleric from New Orc, a Male Human Rogue from the colony of Purity, and of course George Washington and his personal Orc slave Billy Lee. (George is a Paladin and Billy is a Fighter.) The characters will be added on throughout the novel in the order presented.
The nice thing about this is what I call “sloppy historical fiction.” George Washington did actually explore the banks of the Ohio River (the main theme of my plot) and did encounter a group of Iroquois who were living outside of the Confederacy, but he certainly didn’t do it with a mixed group of men and women. I’ve got a bunch of events in a note file but they mostly exist as plot points.
Being a slave to historical correctness was the problem that doomed by first attempt at NaNoWriMo and I don’t want to repeat that problem again. (I was bogged down by what a Medieval Knight ate at his castle, the only thing I care about Washington was that he replaced his tobacco crops for more profitable wheat and had a whiskey distillery, and only because it’s cool to get everyone drunk at least once in the novel.)
----------Christopher Beattie
Co-ML - Long Island Region
0 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 18 48
I've settled on my YA idea, which will be more or less contemporary fantasy with a nostalgic feel. It's the first of what I hope will be four books, but this one is the test to see if my characters, ideas, etc. will work or if I've totally gone of the rails in trying YA. I suppose the one advantage I have is my fiancee is also a YA librarian so I imagine she will be a good sounding board for what works and what doesn't.
- Christian
http://manakalita.blogspot.com/
43,583 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 03 48
I, as is the norm for me, will be writing a fantasy novel. I just can't help myself - it's my favorite genre! While the world is probably not our own, it's enough like our own (and is never explicitly stated to be somewhere else; so really only I would know) that I feel comfortable calling it urban fantasy. It's a bit darker than most of the stories that I've worked on, and is going to have a much less satisfying ending if things go as planned (though they never do). I just hope that I'll be able to balance writing with work, since I recently got a job! (I'm still a high school student; senior~)
Ah, well. It happens. We've only got four days left until it begins! I'm so excited! Looking forward to writing frantically with the rest of the LI NaNo'ers (if that's an appropriate term; I've no clue).
----------2007: Realmkeeper (WIN!)
2008: Disjecta Membra (WIN!)
2009: Synchronicity (TBA)
50,312 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 04 35
Hello. I am a teenager. Feel free to pick my brain.
I'm writing realistic fiction.
----------http://wherewestart.proboards100.com/index.cgi
Arky
68,921 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 06 32
Hey! I write YA as well! YA romance. I'm actually working on the second novel for my agent. My first YA was multi-culti YA romance. This one's going to be a romance, too.
Yeay! YA writers unite!
<3Nisha
----------Nisha Sharma
Author of Young Adult Fiction
www.nisha-sharma.com
15,025 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 06 36
I shall be assaulting NanoWrimo this year with erotic fantasy!!
41,962 / 50,000
Oct 29, 2009 - 19 31
I'm tackling my first year of NaNoWriMo with some good ol' apocalyptic science-fiction! =D
----------NaNoWriMo 2009 - Forsaken Paradise
5,078 / 50,000
Oct 30, 2009 - 18 56
I'll be attempting to tackle a mystery/supernatural/a dash of romance all-in-one plot for my first NaNo. Good luck everyone.
----------1,262 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 02 47
Young Adult this year. I really hope to succeed with trying out a new style of writing for my first nanowrimo.
----------18,504 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 07 39
Young Adult. I mean, some will say it's leaning on fantasy, but the premise of the story is pretty realistic. Good luck!
----------"Character is action."
F. Scott Fitzgerald
80,341 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 09 52
This year I'll be writing book three in the series that I've been working on for the past two Nanos. When people ask what genre it is, I usually describe it as paranormal/historical/gothic romance. There's really no simpler way to describe it. I haven't even started book three yet and already I feel like I'm in over my head. I'm hoping for a lot of miraculous inspiration with this one. I am definitely going to need it.
----------NaNoWriMo 2006: The Loyalist and the Librarian (100k)
NaNoWriMo 2007: Moonlight Waltz (103k)
NaNoWriMo 2008: Howling at the Moon (105k)
NaNoWriMo 2009: Bad Moon Rising
32,069 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 10 23
I'm writing a paranormal romance.
----------2006: True Love Is Magic (Won)
2007: Under A Southern Moon (Won)
2008: The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Beasts (Won)
2009: Into the Woods
Proud Member of the Trebuchet Club
10,833 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 11 35
I've decided to return to historical romance once again.
----------NaNoWriMo 2006: His Wild English Rose (Won)
NaNoWriMo 2007: Spy Master (Won)
NaNoWriMo 2008: Murder at the Con (Won)
NaNoWriMo 2009: Hellfire and Damnation
19,246 / 50,000
Oct 31, 2009 - 13 19
Mainstream mystery, meaning one with an actual life for my sleuth and real (or so I hope) characters around him.
I need to get me one of those cool banner dealies.
----------Mudge the Expendable
4,084 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 12 24
Zombie satire, in a sense.
King George III gets revived and tries to retake the United States.
4,510 / 50,000
Nov 1, 2009 - 12 45
I'll be doing a mainstream fiction novel. It's about a girl who has a family who is torn apart by everything tthey encounter.
----------NaNoWriMo 2009- Dying- unfinished
0 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 08 38
Mainstream fiction, a thriller really (at least I hope so at the end of this!)
41,391 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 10 46
Good ol' fantasy.
13,538 / 50,000
Nov 2, 2009 - 17 38
I'm going for a Fantasy / Adventure as my first ever NaNo. I was just informed of this whole event but a few weeks ago. Will be working on an idea I've wanted to tackle for quite some time, possibly a multiple-book series, but always ended up going back and editing too often. With the deadline, I'm hoping I'll end up pushing myself and not bothering to read it over so often. So far it's worked well.
3,726 / 50,000
Nov 6, 2009 - 15 44
I am going to try my hand at chick lit, except the characters are older. Chicken Lit? Hen Lit? Old Chick Lit? You can call it what you want. I started late and expected to be writing as fast as I can.
22,032 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2009 - 22 16
Near-future science-fiction, I think. It's become this whole anti-corporate, pro-anarchist, gritty urban mess though.
18,023 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2009 - 23 20
Usually I do a kind of futuristic, sci-fi deal but this year I've decided to try my hand at mainstream fiction. I'm a pastry chef, and people say to write what you know, so I'm writing about a pastry chef who wants to open her own bakery :) Hopefully I finally finish!
----------61,514 / 50,000
Nov 20, 2009 - 08 42
I'm working on a fantasy/adventure/satire. There are a lot of elements in it, though. There isn't a romance in this book, but future books shall have a romance. There are a few unique things that could make this a very generally based book. I mean, its got everything in fantasy like dragons and talking animals and elves, as well as things from horror like crazy madmen killing people and talking to dead bodies.