Update-arooni

Life is crazy, isn't it? Blog taking a back seat to kids and books. Can't seem to find anything extra to devote to thoughtful blog posts. Here's just a general update.

I don't have any Austenland: The Movie news, but here's a short video that shows the set and interviews with Bret McKenzie, JJ Feild (who, I just read, is expecting a baby with girlfriend Neve Campbell!), Ricky Whittle, and Georgia King. I don't even know who did this video. Also, Stephenie Meyer put an update about the movie on her website. I think I tweeted both these things but never blogged them.

Sending a 5th-ish draft of my current book to my editor today. She and Dean read 2/3 of the first draft several years ago, and then I put aside this one (formerly called Daisy Danger Brown) to work on Midnight in Austenland and Palace of Stone. I'm really liking it right now. I love working on it. It's getting huge, though, at 145,000 words. I've been cutting like crazy, having trimmed 40,000 words in large chunks and many thousands more in smaller chunks. Add and delete, add and delete. I'll do at least seven more drafts before its done.

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone will be out in August. There's a cover out there somewhere but its not final, so I'm waiting for a final version to post it. It will have a photograph to match the style of the Princess Academy paperback.

I'm very excited about The Princess in Black! No illustrator yet, but I will post as soon as the publisher makes the choice. This book series was directly inspired by our kids. It's been fun to write for them for the first time.

Writing for Charity was amazing! Thanks to all who came. We raised a good amount of money and will be able to buy a lot of books for kids in disadvantaged areas. There will be another conference next year.

Comments

[Bridget]

By the paperback, do you mean the image posted to the left of this blog? I have to admit, I love all the old "original" covers of your books, meaning Princess Academy and Goose Girl especially. I'll be sad if Palace of Stone doesn't match my copy of PA :(

[Lori Folkman]

I cannot wait for the movie! Can you tell them to hurry up please?:)

How do you trim 40,000 words? That amazes me. That has to be as painful as taking a potato peeler to your skin.

[Meredith]

I agree with Lori. Movie please? Also, I crazy loved Midnight in Austenland, so let's get that turned into a movie as well. Cool.

[Allthingscampbell.blogspot.com]

I think The Princess in Black sounds great. I'm surprised you get around to blogging at all with all your projects in the works. I'm glad you do though!

P.S. I wrote a summary of my favorite parts of Writing for Charity on my blog. It was fun to see/hear you there!

[Emily]

Last night my father was talking about those restuarant pagers that vibrate and called them, well.....(sorry I don't want you targeted for insane internet searches.) My mother was embarressed and I acted like nothing was out of the ordinary. But inside all I could think of was my all time favorite scene from Midnight in Austenland. Thanks for the best belly laugh in a long time! :)

[MelissaPete]

I'm so happy that you are getting to do what you love--raising cute babies/kids and writing too. My daughter (12 yrs) is set to start the Goose Girl series after she's finished with her current one. Your books were the buzz in the tween/teen girls' dressing room at our recent Stake production. Lots of young girls reading and loving them.

[Alysa (Ruby Diamond)]

"No movie news. Ok. I can wait." (I keep telling myself.)

Do you have a better idea of the process than I do, Shannon? I mean, are they in editing and then they go to effects and then ...?

What are the possible ways that it could be released? National one day, sporadic, etc? I need a vocab lesson.

Also so excited for the book formerly known as Daisy Danger Brown. I assume the working title has changed because the character's name changed?

[Amelia Kynaston]

I don't know what is more amazing: that you wrote 145,000 words, or that you cut 40,000! Meeting you at the Writing For Charity Conference, and hearing you talk about "writing the crap out of it" has really inspired me as I work on my book. It was a dream come true having you critique my prologue! Thank you!!!

[McKenna]

CCCCCAAAAAANNNNNOOOOOOTTTTTT WAIT FOR THE SECOND PRINCESS ACADEMY BOOK!!!!

[Julia]

Do you know when the Austenland Movie trailer will be released?

[Katie]

I saw that you wanted YA science fiction recommendations on your Twitter. Have you read Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series? It it utterly fantastic.

[Katie]

Sorry, I meant to write "is." Whoops!

[Allerednic]

I watched the video -- it was fun :) I liked how after you watch that, youtube pulls up a video from your Midnight in Austenland book launch, where you tell the story about signing underwear. I was there with my 8-year-old cousin, and she's still laughing about that story (and even better, so are my aunt and i . . .because somewhere along the way, my cousin changed the story in her mind and thinks that you were signing Dean's underwear and now she tells her version of the story to all of the other cousins!).

[Polkadots]

Please i want to know will there be another bayren book? Please say yes! I just loved those books! Thx

[Chas Hathaway]

I just read Goose Girl and loved it! My wife read Princess Academy and loved it. Can't wait to read more!

[Ashley R.]

Is Daisy Danger Brown the same as Princess in Black? Or is this a whole different series?

[Siera]

I'm hoping someone can answer this question - is "Palace of Stone" ever going to come out with the same style of cover as the first one? Because I went and ruined my collection of Bayern Books without a matching fourth one, and would love to wait if there's a special edition.

[Rebecca Watson]

I am SO excited for a sequel to Princess Academy! (sigh!)

Thank you for all you did for Writing for Charity. It was an inspiring event. By far the best writer's conference I've ever been to. =) And- after all these years- my daughter finally got to meet you! =D Thank you for- years and years ago- letting me pick up a signed copy of The Goose Girl w/a typo. =)

You're awesome!
Rebecca =)
http://www.1001ThingsToBeHappyAbout.com

[Sherry]

I apologize for posting this here, but the comments are closed on the Missing Misses.

I'm a mom of three boys and have actively tried to combat the whole girl-thing/boy-thing stigma. We watch princess shows, we watch action films, actually my three-year-old loves old silent films (Nosferatu and Chaplin). Whenever I hear the phrase, "that's for girls," we stop and discuss, in terms for them.

Still, the other day my boys were playing soldiers and my middlest insisted I be the princess. When I told him I was a sword fighting princess, he quickly corrected me that princesses can't fight. It sort of broke my heart. So naturally this princess wrestled him into a dragon's cave.

I couldn't help but wonder, "where did this idea come from?" I look back at the real life Queens and princesses. They were active intelligent women. When did we decide that they were otherwise? It's so ridiculous and infuriating! Thank you for countering it. Just your title excites me.

[Callie the Strongbad Fan]

I've been out of touch because I've been busy with things. But anyway, I'm delighted to see the news now. I'm very happy Shannon to hear the update on your story formally known as Daisy Danger Brown. All of your projects are great, though that is the one I look most forward to. You're such a great writer and I'm inspired by all that you've accomplished. Keep up the good work.