The Next Big Thing

The online writing community is an interesting mishmash of, well, everything. Trite to profound. White through black. Crap to gold. And so on. And because trying to get answers about writing online can seem a lot like drinking from a big, sloppy fire hose, I drop in only occasionally.

However, the meme entitled “The Next Big Thing” has consistently revealed itself as an enlightening way to see other writers’ processes, so when fellow scribe and library slogger Liz Harmer (http://profswife.wordpress.com) tagged me in her post, I was excited to participate. And now that I have completed the first draft of my NaNorWiMo project, I’m ready to play too. 


The Next Big Thing


What is your working title of your book?
Chance & King. But it isn’t a working title; for the first time I chose the actual title of the work before I even began the draft. I’ve completed two other novels and have begun a third, all of which have/had working titles. Aeden's Wake was the working title and ended up as the best fit. What Steps We Carry started its life as Old Habits, which were the first two words of the first draft. And finally, The Mural, my other WIP, is titled after the destination and object of obsession for my protagonist, and will probably adopt another title at some point in the process.


Where did the idea come from for the book?
A few years ago, I wrote a short story for Inkwells, my writing group in Seoul, entitled “Second Chances,” about a girl named Mutton who has a life changing experience in a thrift store. Both the character and the name of the store stuck with me, even as I became excited about writing a novel set in Hamilton, which is where I live and play. Then, one day, as I was walking down King Street past Gore Park, I imagined Mutton and her family running Second Chances, a thrift store with a magic secret, from a spot at Hughson Street and King. The ideas flowed from there, and I thought about making this novel my NaNorWiMo project in 2011. But getting my library gig, as well as signing with a literary agent and embarking on Aeden's Wake revisions took over my writing time last November, so I shelved the project until this year.


What genre does your book fall under?
I’d say it’s literary Young Adult, with a smattering of magical realism. But adults will enjoy it too, I think, so I hope it has some crossover appeal.


Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
This is a game I never play. For two reasons: first, as a writer, it completely kills the organic nature of the images I conjure as I craft my characters, by putting famous people where my imagination should be; second, as a reader, I find that my favorite books are brought down by supplying a famous face rather than letting the writing populate the “theatre” of my mind. The Lord of the Rings is an excellent example; although the movies are excellent, I hate – and I mean loathe – that my idea of Tolkien’s sublime Frodo Baggins has been usurped by the mediocre acting skills of the doe-eyed Elijah Wood. If my readers want to do that, I say go for it, but if they decided not to tell me which flavor-du-jour they’ve chosen for a character I’ve created to be timeless, that would be fine too.


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
I’ll do you one better. Here’s the first paragraph:

I don’t want to begin this story with a gun or a robbery. I’d much rather talk about the rest of the summer where everything changed, the magic cubbyhole at the back of my mother’s store, the unexpected saint who saved us, or even a kind of love that was so big that it couldn’t help but hurt in the end. But the gun is what I see first when the memories of that summer come up for air, and it isn’t something to ignore, given how much living I had yet to do.


Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’ve self published some of my smaller works, but I hope to find traditional publishers for my novels. I am currently agentless. I had representation for Aeden's Wake, but in November we decided to part ways due to differing visions for the novel. I will be querying agents when I’m satisfied Chance & King is polished enough.


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


What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Ach, trick question. I’m not sure, really, as I haven’t read enough YA to make an adequate comparison. In addition to the magic realism, there is an element of the classic teenager coming-of-age archetype, as well as the milieu of family challenges and successes in an urban, post-industrial setting.


Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Mutton made me do it: right after writing the story “Second Chances” I knew I wanted to come back and visit her and the thrift store and listen for what story she would tell.


What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Well, there is the Niche, that magic cubbyhole I mentioned which, if you let it, might deliver exactly what you’re looking for. Mutton has a sick little brother named Wu and an older brother named Leich, all named by their mother Anne, a retired hippie with a secret electronics obsession. There’s The Outfit, a mobster, The Shirt, a city councillor, Mutton’s best friend Beige Peter, and a mysterious boy who will make Mutton question her priorities. In the park, you’ll discover the joys of breakfast at Satan’s Falafel and maybe fall in love with Wu’s favorite statue. And it’s set in downtown Hamilton, a rough but true place, in a city whose magic is its best kept secret.


Writers I’m Tagging:

Click on the names to go to their blogs.


Liz Harmer: my muse on this Next Big Thing jaunt. She's a very thoughtful writer. Can't wait to read more of her stuff.

James Leck: has shaken up the kids books scene in Canada with The Adventures of Jack Lime. He’s a great writer and excellent dude, so feel free to buy a book or two.

Nicole Baute: says that I have my “shit together,” (here’s the proof) so she has to be awesome. Plus, she really cares about the craft, which is awesome too.

Lesley Trites: we connected through the Humber School of Writers. She writes about wine, and writes about it really, really well.

Alison Gresik: an incredible writer and writing/creativity coach. Seriously polished and professional and super nice.

Patricia Blais: writes under the pseudonym Katrin Blue and is the author of The Oak Trilogy: The Young Oak.

Christina L. Farley: has just signed on to have her first novel, Gilded, published in November 2013. She helped me write better.



Message for tagged authors:

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?
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.