The Next Big Thing

Firstly, I’d like to thank Deirdre of Didi’s Press who tagged me in The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. The person tagged simply answers 10 questions about their next novel and then tags 3-5 other authors. I’m not sure I qualify as I’m still writing my first, yet alone “next” novel, but I thought, hell why not!

Deirdre is also in the throes of writing her first novel “Birthmark”, and like me successfully completed the NaNoWriMo challenge last November.

Is there a wrong or right way to write a novel? I don’t know, but thanks to the challenge I “hit the ground running” so did not have time to procrastinate and become bogged down agonizing over the process. I’ve learned a lot by just doing and although I’ve made mistakes I’m still enjoying the journey.

What is the working title of your book?

Dreams have no boundaries

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Listening to people talk about their lives and then adding my own creative twist and at times humour.

What genre does your book fall under?

I guess my book would fall loosely into the genre of Romance and Travel.

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

I can see a Penélope Cruz playing the main character and then a younger version of Richard Gear, and Brad Pitt (with long hair) playing the other key characters.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

The story of a woman’s courage to escape from the heartache of her everyday life and follow her dreams while maintaining her sense of humour.

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

Once I’ve completed my novel and have found someone to edit it, I will then research and consider the various options. At the moment I’ve no idea about either!

How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I took up the NaNoWriMo challenge without any prior writing experience so I had no preconceived idea of what to expect or how long a novel would take to write. So how long to complete the first draft of the manuscript? I don’t know. I’ve now written about 70,000 words and the story has taken a new twist which has led me down the proverbial rabbit hole. The plot could potentially take two totally different directions and I’m still hovering on the threshold of indecision as to which path to take.

As I’m still procrastinating down said rabbit hole I will probably write two different endings and then see which one works best! I have set myself a deadline of 9 months which takes me to me to the end of August to finish my first draft with potentially two different endings. Is this achievable? I don’t know but at least I can try. I’ve nothing to lose!

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

I rarely read romantic novels as I’m more of a John Grisham or Nicolas Evans fan. However, a friend lent me a couple of Romantic novels to get me in the “mood” and compare writing styles. However, the writing styles of the authors were like chalk and cheese. One was raunchy, had a simple plot with very little in the way of descriptive passages while the other more complex both in plot and writing style, but I enjoyed both for different reasons. So as for comparing my story to another in this genre, I really can’t say.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My husband, family and friends nagged me to write a book and a fellow blogger Dave Farmer inspired me to take up the NaNoWriMo challenge. However, it was the weekend Creative Writing course with Anne Aylor which gave me the confidence. I used the “Stream of Consciousness” technique I discovered on the course to complete my NaNoWriMo challenge. Using this technique meant my thoughts flowed easily as I disciplined myself to write without continually stopping to correct different passages. This will come later.

What else about the book might piqué the reader’s interest?

When we have a dream sometimes it only takes courage to make it come true. Do you have the courage to fulfil your dream?

To continue on The Next Big Thing tag, here are five budding authors who deserve recognition. Please check out their blogs!

Dave Farmer whose ongoing support has inspired me to write and believe in myself. Dave Blogs at Dave Farmer. “Wordsmith & Lifetime member of Imaginationland! Writing is my passion, from flash fiction to novellas. I’m working on my novel, The Range – a story of survival, friendship & courage. Every time I sit down to write I look forward to reaching The Zone, that place where words flow from mind to hand and everything slips into place. When I’m not writing I blog about the world around me, what drives me crazy, what makes me laugh and where I find unexpected slivers of inspiration.”

Robyn Oyeniyi who blogs at Love versus Goliath, has chronicled her battle with the Australian government to be reunited with her husband. Robyn has written a memoir of her experience, LOVE VERSUS GOLIATH, telling the true story of how she was nearly forced to flee her homeland to be with the man she loved, and how she fought back, battled a government and won. Robyn is planning to epublish LOVE VERSUS GOLIATH this month!

Lindsay de Feliz who blogs at What about your saucepans?. Born bred and educated in the UK, Lindsay walked away from a successful career to start a new life as a scuba living instructor. Arriving in the Dominican Republic embracing a new life, culture, climate and language, little did she know how much impact this Caribbean island would have on her life. She married a Dominican, becoming a step mother to three young boys and she and he husband determined to make a difference to the lives of the poorer Dominicans and Haitians. They could never have imagined where the journey would take them as they fought corruption and double-dealing. What about your saucepans? is her story and is due to be published in 3 months.

Here’s to my NaNoWriMo buddy
Sarah who kept me going through NaNoWriMo as we worked at the same speed and followed each others progress. Sarah blogs at Sarsm’s Blog.

and finally
Elizabeth Obih-Frank who blogs at Positive Kismet