I’ve been tagged by the
incredibly talented, Katie O’Sullivan. I love being tagged, and The Next Big
Thing sounds like a blast.
The rules go like this:
answer a few questions about your upcoming book or work-in-progress. Then, tag
other writerly friends whose WIPS you want to know more about.
Here's mine...
What is the working title of your book?
OutcastWhere did the idea come from for the book?
Unfortunately, the genesis for the novel came from my actual life. As a teenager, I was a total outcast who was bullied and picked on. However, the main character in my novel is quite different from the way I was. She learns not to take any crap. From anyone.
What genre does your book fall under?
YA contemporary (with a likely parental advisory that will have to be put in place).
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is always so hard because I don’t picture actors or actresses when casting the novels in my mind. But, if I were pressed, I’d say…
Noelle Stark: A young Emma Roberts. But if
Trina Brockwell (the antagonist): Emma Stone has the right look, for sure.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
She wasn’t supposed to fall for
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self-published. It will be my fourth book out. I’m hoping to publish it by the end of October.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
You know, I wrote the first draft so long ago that I don’t actually remember. Outcast is the first novel I’ve ever written, and I started it back in 2001. So it has undergone many revisions, updates to cultural references (gosh how things change in eleven years; I actually had a reference to Cheers in my initial draft), and even a bunch of neglect.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Before this last set of revisions, I would have likened it to an Ellen Hopkins novel, minus the free verse. It is dark in a number of places and sometimes edgy. But I’ve toned it down a bit, so I’m thinking it’s a little closer to Willow by Julia Hoban or The Duff by Kody Keplinger.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Being haunted a bit by my past was the main inspiration. It’s natural, I think, for someone who is picked on to fantasize about revenge. In my book, my main character actually contemplates it and goes through with it.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It is my edgiest novel so far. But there are also sweet moments, too.
TAG IT UP!
And on to the last step
of the game: Here are a few authors whose latest books and/or WIPs I would like
to hear more about…
Their questions will be
the same as mine:
What is the working
title of your book?
Where did the idea come
from for the book?
What genre does your
book fall under?
Which actors would you
choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the
one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be
self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take
you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would
you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired
you to write this book?
What else about your
book might pique the reader’s interest?
What are you currently working on, writing or otherwise?
