Cress is currently scheduled to be released on February 4, 2014. As of today, that means we have 263 still to go, and as frightening as that number seems, just think—that’s 101 days LESS than we had to get through on the day Scarlet came out! And the days are going by fast.
In the interest of keeping of making your wait as enjoyable and painless as possible, and at the prompting of @modScheherazade on Twitter who suggested making a Twelve-Step Program for Lunar Chronicles addicts, I’ve made a list of some coping strategies to help you survive the long wait.
1. Join the fandom. You’re not alone! Check out deviantART, fanfiction.net, or Tumblr for Lunar Chronicles-inspired art as created by some seriously talented individuals, and be sure to leave some encouraging comments for all those aspiring artists. Or post on your blog or Facebook page about which couple you’re shipping most and see what other fans have to say. After all, this is why we have the internet, isn’t it?
2. Create your own fanworks. Most of you probably know by now that I’m a big advocate for fan-created works, from fanfic to fanart to cosplay. If you simply can’t get Cinder, Kai, Wolf, and Scarlet out of your head, why not put that energy to work by writing your own stories or drawing some pictures of them? (Then share them on fanfiction.net or deviantART to help other Lunartics cope as well!)
3. Be in the know. As for “official” Lunar Chronicles updates go, you’re in the right place! Keep watch on this blog, subscribe to my newsletter, or Like the Lunar Chronicles Facebook page – because we have lots of goodies planned for the upcoming months. Including:
– Cover reveal
– Chapter teasers and sneak peeks
– Book trailer
– A prequel short story
– A possible second bonus short story
– ARC giveaways
– And more!
4. Re-read Cinder and Scarlet. Keep the characters front-and-center by revisiting the first two books in the series, so you’ll be ready to dive into Cress as soon as it’s out. Maybe suggest it to a book club or encourage some friends to check it out too and host a discussion about the series, and what you’re hoping to see in Books 3 and 4. And don’t forget to check out the two prequel stories too: “Glitches” and “The Queen’s Army.”
5. Fall in love with something else. There’s nothing like a good distraction to keep your mind off a slowly ticking clock, right? Lucky for us, the YA genre is filled with amazing books to keep you occupied. Looking for a recommendation? I have some right here.
6. Make a plan for release day. You know how when you’re looking forward to a vacation, the planning of it is almost as fun as the actual vacation? That can apply to anticipating just about anything, including the release of a new book! So how will you celebrate? Pull an all-nighter so you can download the e-book at midnight and have it read by the time the rest of the world is waking up? Host a Lunar Chronicles party with your book club? Wear your red shoes to the bookstore to get your copy? After all, if you’re going to wait a whole year for something, you might as well have fun with it, right?
7. Have a Rapunzel marathon. Cress is my Rapunzel-retelling. To get yourself in the mood, start exploring what other creators’ have done with this tale. Read the old versions from Perrault and the Brothers Grimm, watch Tangled, read Zel by Donna Jo Napoli or Towering by Alex Flinn (which just came out!), explore the Rapunzel page at SurLaLune. Become a Rapunzel expert… then start making Cress predictions and see which ones come true.