The Next Big Thing (Tagged)

Tagged by the wise and knowledgeable Holly Bodger for The Next Big Thing meme. Answers apply to novel-in-edits, Choose Volume 3

What is your working title of your book?

Choose Volume III: Crossroads in the Sky

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Choose grew out of the results of polls on the site, way back when it began. Even the “castles in the sky” aspect came from a poll.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s a fantasy/steampunk hybrid, heavy on the fantasy. Young Adult.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Fans of Choose, I HIGHLY recommend you click the links to see the photos. Do you agree? Would you cast it differently? I’d love to know!

Remora Windgates Price ….. Alyson Hannigan
“Handsome” Hank McCoy ….. Josh Holloway
Shima Jinn ….. Jared Padalecki (he’d be CG skinned for the gray/black Shinra’ere skin tone, but man does an amazing “brooding”)
Dame Vakaena ….. Thandie Newton
Mack Craft ….. Dominic West
The Voice of Bones ….. David Hyde Pierce

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When arrival on the Bespin skycity doesn’t go as smoothly as planned, Remora and the rest of the airship pirate crew will have their resolve, courage, and wits tested by the machinations of Dame Vakaena as secrets from their past rise up to complicate their quest to prove Starbirth.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Self-published, though I did submit the entire series to Amazon as part of their Kindle Serials program.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro?

First draft took about a year (but before you scoff, please realize that the webserial was scheduled for most of that time. An installment would be posted along with a poll, then a week to allow readers to vote, then a week to write the next installment.)

Intro:

Remora paced the length of her cell until the sound of her boots pounding against the ship’s metal floor grew annoying enough to bother even her. Her only cellmate, the white leopard dresl she had decided to call Snow, curled in the corner. Even in sleep, the dresl woman’s ears pinned back with obvious misery.

Remora’s lips firmed. Enough was, quite obviously, more than enough. Standing around meekly while Jinn sulked was getting them no closer to an escape solution.

Moving so that she could speak through the air vent separating her cell from the next room, Remora put her hands on her hips and bent low so that the full force of her displeasure would not be lost upon her neighbor.

“Jinn Hornbright McDeaconswaggle Chattlesworth Shima, I demand that you cease this ungentlemanly behavior of ignoring me.”

For the first time in hours, she heard Jinn’s voice. Granted, it was a strangled, choked version of his typically calm bass, but it warmed her heart to hear him at all. “With all due respect, Miss Remora, the Shinra do not have middle names.”

“An oversight I fully intend to rectify,” Remora declared. “It may take some time for me to find the perfect name, but I do feel those were all rather impressive first attempts.”

An awkward silence fell, followed by a tense and uncomfortable response. “In truth, Miss Remora, I do not feel that any of them would be the middle name of my choosing, were my people given to choosing middle names.”

Remora stifled a smile at his obvious dismay. “Don’t be absurd, Jinn. One is never permitted to choose one’s own middle name. Don’t worry. I believe that I shall be quite good at naming things, given half a chance.”

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Comparison is difficult, partially because I’m still reading on the genre to get an understanding of the genre today (rather than the genre when I was buying books at Half-Price Books during high school).

Many YA books these days are focused on relationships (most of them romantic). Choose is foremost an adventure story, so comparing to authors like Tera Lynn Childs with Oh My Gods isn’t quite right. The “flavor” of Remora’s voice in particular is quite like The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carringer, but that also is a heavy romance book, and not YA in any case.  Choose doesn’t have the gritty realism of Boneshaker by Cherie Priest nor is it as surreal as The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In A Ship Of Her Own Making by Catherynne Valente.

In truth, I’d say it’s closest to the anime Full Metal Alchemist, but Choose is (sadly) not illustrated.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My husband is always an inspiration. In addition to that solid bedrock, the readers of Choose kept me going. It’s hard to stop writing when you’ve got such lovely people threatening you bodily harm if you stop witing.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The book is LADEN with homages–tiny nods here and there to various movies, books, anime, and cartoons that helped Steven and myself become who we are today. Some of those homages are obvious enough to be picked out by clever readers, but over half of them are so vague that only Steven and I know they’re there.

Tag, You’re It!

I get to tag five folks to fill this out on their own blogs, and I wish it was closer to ten. My five are:

Arleen Barros - Romance writer, often with fantasy aspects. She should blog more often than she does. (HINT, HINT)
Ted Atchley - Christian fantasy writer, who also blogs about sports and politics.
Charlie Hills - Fantasy. Also a book on dieting. Also, his blog has an alarming amount of beard photos. You have been warned.
Faith Williams - All I know is she’s calling it “The Princess Book” and honestly, what more does one really need to know?
“Barto” – No link because no blog, but I’m hoping she’ll let me post her response here. I was priviledged to crit a draft of her first book and it is AMAZING. I want to help her get the word out.

Rules of The Next Big Thing:

*Use this format for your post *Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress) *Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

What is your 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? May we see an intro?
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?

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged. Be sure to line up your five people in advance.

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