The Next Big Novella Thing

I’ve been terribly remiss lately, and I feel awful.

You see, I was nominated for The Next Big Thing blog hop by my friend Dex over at Dex Raven a few weeks ago. I should have jumped on this sooner, especially since it’s one of the blog hops I rather enjoy, but, well, obsessive writer. Anyone who reads this blog will understand, I hope. Still, I should have gotten to this before now, and I’ll thank another nomination for it, from Sarah Cradit, for kicking me in the pants. The thought of owing more than one at a time is a bit of a motivator for me.

Now, for those unfamiliar with this particular blog hop, it’s an opportunity for writers to talk about their current project, to share with others what they’re working on. It’s also an opportunity for them to help promote other authors, both the person who nominated them and those they in turn nominate.

Dex’s post showed an interesting twist on this blog hope that I hadn’t seen before, sharing the bios of the person who nominated you and those you nominate. I like that, because those people become more than just names and links to the readers of this blog entry.

In that spirit:

Dex Raven writes primarily dark fantasy and horror, when his muse, Violet, cooperates. When she doesn’t, he still attempts to write with varying results. He has a thing for classic monster legends, Egyptian and Nordic mythology, coffee, sarcasm and words that end in “esque”. He is currently working on two books: a fiction/non-fiction mash-up and his first novel. You can find his fiction as well as his thoughts on the writing process at ravenspeak.wordpress.com.

Blog (fiction & writing): ravenspeak.wordpress.com

Blog (life & ramblings): livelikeagrownup.wordpress.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/dexravenpage

Twitter: @dexraven

So, now it’s my turn, or rather my novella’s.

1. What is the working title of your next book?

This novella is tentatively titled Through Windows and Hearts, though that may change.

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

One of my twitter friends, Summer Heacock, tweeted this picture and my natural reaction was, “Yeah, I could write that story.” Then I did.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

It’s definitely fantasy. No surprise there, but I’m not 100% sure what subgenre it would belong in.

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

I don’t tend to get that into this question and there’s a simple reason. I never think of this while I’m writing and afterward, I just can’t seem to fit my characters into anything other than themselves. Besides, I don’t see anyone making a novella into a movie.

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

Let me see…

Lord Risley of Yarov is on his way to meet his betrothed to when he starts hearing a strange woman’s voice that he can’t resist, though the source eludes him.

Okay, yeah, it’s not perfect. It’s a first draft (of the synopsis that is). I’ll give it a break for today.

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

My plan for this was to self-publish it once it’s ready.

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

As I recall, about a week, but it was a little less than 18k in the first draft, which explains some of that short time frame.

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

I’m really not sure. It’s not typical portal fantasy. While I won’t claim to be the first to do anything like this, if anyone else has, I haven’t seen it.

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

Mostly the picture above, but a bit the challenge. I mean, how to do you write people falling in love when they can’t see each other or understand each other’s world? Also, there was the issue of mixing typical fantasy terms with the “real” world’s. Lots of challenges to this one. I only hope I’ve done it justice. 🙂

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

This novella is really one story intertwined with another. I realized I needed to do that almost as soon as I turned my attention to writing it. There’s the story of Lord Risley that the reader’s following along with, but then there’s the story of Lord Risley noticing the reader. Both had to be worth reading.  Truthfully, I’m a bit afraid someone will ask me to write the story she was reading. I’m not sure I can do that. Or maybe I’m just looking at my “To Write” list and thinking I don’t have room on it for another story 😉

And now for my nominees. I’m keeping it to just a couple, but they’re good ones:

Shanah Wooldrage

“Writing is like oxygen to me. I get really grumpy when I can’t write. I am Mom of two lovely daughters, 11 and 3, a crazy cat who likes to lick the fur off her knees, and loves people elbows, a neophyte parakeet who thinks he’s a bat, 6 hens and a rooster, a hedgehog and a field mouse. Along with striving for a zoo, I am striving to become a writer in my own right, after writing for 10 years with a co-writer, and producing amazing stories, but publishing nothing. I would like to earn my title of author and publish wonderful books.”

Blog     Twitter     GoodReads

Katie Green

Katie Green has a BA in English from the University of Minnesota. She wrote her first “novel” at age seven, about a girl who finds a pet leopard in the woods. Now she mostly writes about 15- to 24-year-old women who are trying to figure out who they are and what they want out of life, in the hopes that she will eventually figure out what she herself wants (aside from a fabulous writing career, of course).

Blog     Twitter