Remember how I’ve been working on a book about contemporary YA fiction for VOYA Press?

I’ve been not talking about it a whole lot because I don’t think the process is all that interesting TO talk about. But after writing for the last many months, as well as revising for the last as many months, I have spent this weekend eating ice cream since I turned in a finished draft to my editor.

Rereading my initial post on the topic, I’m pleased that it’s almost exactly the same vision I had when I started. If maybe not even a little bit better.

Things will likely change through editing and more revision, but it’s not a thin little book. When I turned it in, it was roughly 95,000 words long. Which is a long book. I’m not sure how long, since it’s in a few different pieces.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to write an introduction to a book? I’ve always been one of those people who reads them (a preface is another story…) but sitting down to actually write one might have been more challenging than any other part of the book. I didn’t realize how hard writing a page and a half could be, but it was tough. And it’s likely the most personal part of the book.

I know nothing more about the process from here, other than I’ll know more when my editor gets the chance to read it all. I’ve sent her multiple “I hope you like it” emails over the course of the weekend, so if that’s any sign, I’m really hopeful she’s as pleased with it as I am. I am so grateful for the two lovely ladies who offered to read this for me, as I know their keen eyes and insight helped me sharpen some elements and tie my ideas into something more cohesive.

Writing a book is hard but it is also kind of fun. When things are more clear and I have a better idea of what this will look like as a finished product, I’ll talk more about the challenges. But for now, I had to share that there is a finished draft, and I am quite happy with it. It does have a title, which is likely subject to change, but you can add it on Goodreads now, if you so desire.

I’d prepared myself, too, to hate contemporary fiction after. But I’m still finding it the genre I love most of all — maybe even more now.