Back at the end of 2016, I posted my creative goals for 2017:
- Finish Salt Novel.
- Find the soul of Yes Novel.
So. Yeah. Life.
Salt Novel is getting closer, but it won’t be done before the end of the year. The exciting news is that my agent, my editor, and I all want another pair of eyes on the manuscript, so I’m getting to work with an editor I really admire who has worked on NYT Bestsellers in the YA world. I’ll get notes from her in mid-January, which means a 2.5 month break from my novel! It’s quite needed. I’ve been working on this since I finished Truest back in 2013– well, along with a time where I wrote out a draft of Yes Novel. Speaking of …
Yes Novel. For those of you who didn’t know what it was about, it’s about a boy named Asa with OCD. If you’re active in the YA community, you’ll know that John Green’s latest novel just came out last month. About a girl named Aza with OCD.
Yup. So Yes Novel is headed to the backburner for now.
But all this means that I have 2.5 months to brainstorm new ideas. Or, as my therapist put it, to “be playful.” I am truly, deeply excited to just explore ideas and characters and names without any stressful deadlines I have to meet. I have a handful of ideas (Fox Novel, Ivy Novel, Glass Novel, Gold Novel, Egg Novel) and a handful of characters that have been … percolating. It’ll be fun to mix and match and dream.
JACKIE LEA SOMMERS 
That gif is perfect, so awkward! Ugh. New ideas are exciting and fun. Can’t wait to see what comes of it. Go, Jackie, go!
Wow! I didn’t know that about Yes Novel. So wild… but as I learn more about art and invention and ideas, that kind of coincidence seems to happen more often than I imagined. (Have you heard Liz Gilbert’s story about Ann Patchett and their weird same novel idea?!)
Well, just means there’s an even better novel out there for you to write! So excited to read it.
Hi Jackie! My literary sympathies for Yes Novel. The coincidence is amazing! But I have a few questions for Salt Novel and publishing in general:
1) When an author signs a deal with a traditional publishing company, approximately how many books are they expected to write? I suppose that number is determined between the publisher and author.
2) When an author debuts their novel with a company, are they expected to stay in the same genre? I’ve seen a few authors write different genres (e.g. Kate DiCamillo and JK Rowling, for example, wrote kids books before adult books).
Thank you very much! My prayers for Salt and Yes Novel.
I’ve seen quite a few story coincidences in the past few years, and they’re the wooooooooorst. For so many reasons. And for it to be John Green of all people! [Cue Luke Skywalker’s drawn-out “No!” as he clings for his life]
I sure hope that after some time, Yes Novel will be able to breathe and stand on its own without awkward or annoying comparisons.
Good work there, John Green. Just…great.
Lol!