The Between Book
I recently turned in two YA novels--one to my publisher, the other to my agent--and then I didn't know what to do. It was the first time in all of 2014 I wasn't on a deadline. I have plenty ideas for what I want to do next, which is great but also problematic. Do I try out one of these ideas with the November beast that is National Novel Writing Month? Do I take a couple weeks to reenergize? I can't not write, but I also don't feel 100% ready to throw myself into a new book just yet. I opened a new file and saved it as The Between Book.
The Between Book is my playground to keep my creative muscles flexed while I'm in-between books. The premise is whatever I want it to be. It can be a about a a boy with so many misfortunes that he thinks the gods of all religions must be in some sort of celestial court betting against him. Or it can be about a girl who is creating a coloring book for her one year anniversary with her girlfriend. ANYTHING! The only rule I have is that I must narrator-hop when one character touches another. This way, when it's time for me to return to a contracted book it'll also be easy for me to jump back into The Between Book in a way I wouldn't be able to with a project I'm considering for publication. All I have to do is have the most recent character shake someone's hand, kiss them, or punch them in the face. And boom, next character, next story. There's zero pressure to get the wording right. It allows me to experiment with style, different tenses, different POVs, whatever. And because I often feel like I have a waiting room of characters who want me to call on their names already and tell their stories, the other benefit of narrator-hopping is how it allows me to sort of "audition" their voices on this book's stage. I don't know where The Between Book will take me, but I'm expecting many surprising and unconventional turns knowing it's for my eyes only. Maybe something cool will come from it that I can share with readers. Maybe not. No pressure. Is The Between Book something you can see yourself doing? Do you always throw yourself into a new book, even when on submission with agents and publishers? Or do you have your own method?