The Next Big Thing

Thanks to Gabrielle Prendergast and Ilima Todd for tagging me in The Next Big Thing! Melodie Wright told me she *will be* tagging me, so thanks in advance, Melodie, but I beat you to it. ha ha! (Two tags and one intended tag ... how could I say no?)

It was hard to pick which WiP to highlight, so I just closed my eyes and jabbed the air in front of me, pretending this action would somehow illuminate the correct choice.

What is your working title of your book?
Under Dark Water

Where did the idea come from for the book?
One evening I saw a teenager driving a student-driver car down the freeway and thought, "What if that were a stolen vehicle? What if that kid jacked it from his school and is out on a joy ride?" The novel has morphed into a completely different creature now, but that was the original inspiration. The next question was, "What kind of kid would do something like that?" That's where I got my main character, Hope Wallace.

What genre does your book fall under?
Contemporary YA

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I hardly ever watch movies, so I have no idea! Though my MC's love interest looks a lot like the tallest kid in the "I'm Farming and I Grow It" LMFAO parody.



What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
When sixteen-year-old Hope finds a suicide note from her brother, she sets out on a cross-state journey to save him, with a wanna-be skater boy and a ultra-conservative reality show star and his film crew in tow. 

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

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
One month! I wrote it during NaNoWriMo last year. (And my good buddy Christa Desir put herself through the hell of reading it. That defines friendship right there.)

May we see an intro?
Sure! First paragraph: He ran the vacuum cleaner late last night. It should've tipped me off. Or maybe I like living in denial.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Since I haven't pitched this yet, I really haven't thought about it. #fail.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Lots of inspiration: the student driver I already mentioned; the ultra-conservative families who live in my area; the reality show 19 Kids and Counting; cherry orchards; long drives to Portland...

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
My MC is half Hmong, which is an Asian ethnic group without its own country.

Now for the fun part: You're it!

Faith Elizabeth Hough
Julie DeGuia
Janet Johnson
Krista Van Dolzer
Kristin Rae

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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.