The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

The eminent Steampunk king Mr. Craig Hallam has tagged me for the next big thing the interesting blog hop. This is an opportunity to post about your latest WIP. This blog hop started on She Writes and is spreading like a wild-fire all over the blogosphere. I’m sure you’ll have already seen other posts about this thread.

Here’s how it works:

If I tag you, use this format for your post
. Include an introduction to your interview post and a link to the person who tagged you for participation.
 Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress). Include some pictures if possible.
 Tag five other writers/bloggers by sending them an email and then add their links to the end of your interview post. Their answers should go up the week after. The blog post should be labelled:
 The Next Big Thing Blog Hop.

Easy enough post and good fun. Time for the questions!

****

1. What is the working title of your book?

A Scream In The Woods

****

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea for the story came to me as one evening whilst watching television. It was unrelated to whatever we were watching, but I wrote a few notes into my notebook before I had chance to forget it. With all good ideas, I let it fester at the back of my mind for a few months. I wanted to write a novel in first person and this idea seemed an ideal opportunity to give it a try.

****

 3. What genre does your book fall under?

I would say Mystery/Thriller.

****

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

This is a difficult one. At first I thought a younger Anna Friel, from Pushing Daisies fame (pictured). Or Sarah Smart from Wallander. I think both would be able to tap in to the tortured soul of my main character though both are a few years older than her.

Nearer the age would be Natalie Portman.

One of those three.

****

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When her own circumstances force her to flee her home, Caitlin takes refuge in a sleepy village in the middle of nowhere and her life changes forever when she stumbles upon a body deep inside the woods.

****

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

I will try the traditional publishing route first, but the self-publishing option has a lot of appeal.

****

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

I wrote the first draft in six weeks. Well, seven from first word to last as I had a week off after Camp NaNo. Six weeks of actual writing. It’d been a year since I’d had the original idea and the final first draft does not remotely resemble that idea, which is often how it works for me. I might start as a planner, but my stories always take their own path.

****

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

I can’t think of anything I’ve read that I would compare to A Scream In The Woods. All the story is from one character’s point of view and so many books share that style. I’m pleased with the voice I’ve created and hopefully the reader will enjoy it.

****

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I didn’t read much growing up and so when I write anything I write something I would want to read. Inspiration for the first draft arrived thanks to my desire to take part in Camp NaNo this year. Having to write 50,000 words in one month certainly helped me blitz through the first draft and the experience helped me finish off the remaining 25k during September.

****

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

This novel is a departure from my usual police procedural stories. A Scream In The Woods has a number of twists and turns to (hopefully) keep the reader guessing throughout the story. I’ve enjoyed experimenting with a first-person narrative and feel the story of Caitlin’s struggles with life has benefitted as a result of being inside her head. I need to finish the next draft before I get too excited with where the story is headed.

****

Here are the writers I’m tagging. Check out their blogs, and look for their posts coming to a computer screen or smart phone near you soon!

1. Robin Coyle

2. J. Elizabeth Hill

3. Corey M P

4. Kourtney Heintz

5. Linda Govik

****

I’ve enjoyed participating in the The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. Thanks for the invite, Craig.