So I was recruited to take part in this Work In Progress blog hop, by Ms. K. B. Hoyle, author of the young adult fantasy series, The Gateway Chronicles. You should read her books, because I said so.
However, you came to this page to learn about my little writing escapades, so here are my answers to these ten thought-provoking questions. Enjoy!
What is the working
title of your book?
Well, because I am terribly undisciplined, I’m working on
two novels at once…Don’t be like me, young writers! I’m a terrible example!
The first one is called Princess
Layla, and the second is called Jonah’s
Story right now. I realize they’re both silly titles, but they’re called
working titles for a reason. If you’ll excuse a bad pun, I’m “working” on it.
Since I’ll be talking about both of them at once, I’ll
abbreviate the first PL from here on
out, and the second JS.
Where did the idea
for your book come from?
Well, PL was
inspired by fairy tales, particularly ones by The Brothers Grimm, but I don’t
have a specific story that I’m drawing it from. The film Tangled, also, was a big inspiration to me- although there’s not
quite so much humor in my story, and not to mention, my novel is more of a
current day fairytale, since the story starts in March 2011.
I’m not even really sure how I got the idea for JS. It’s just a little story about a boy
who meets a girl in high school, and they become best friends, and when they’re
in college, they fall in love and get married, with a bit of a suspenseful
twist toward the end, but ultimately a happy
ending. I guess years of
listening to sappy love songs from Journey and Reo Speedwagon finally came to
fruition.
What genre does your
book fall under?
Probably, both would be considered young adult romance. I
would like to think that the political setup in PL is far-out enough for it to be considered at least part-fantasy,
and I would also like to think that my books have potential to appeal to adults
as well as lovesick teenage girls, but I don’t know.
Which actors would
you choose to play the characters in your book?
Hmmm…that’s a difficult one. Anybody that knows me knows that
I love Johnny Depp- he’s my favorite actor of all time.
As far as PL goes, the two male leads (yes, I, too, have
fallen into the trap of the love triangle), are radical opposites. One of them,
Alec, is tall, svelte, and charismatic. He could easily be played by Johnny, as
well as perhaps Tom Hardy, though he has a lighter complexion than I pictured
Alec having.
The other, Joey, is kind of a nerd. He’s spindly, skinny,
and yet still very attractive. It’s a shame, really, but Macaulay Caulkin is the
only fellow I can think of who could really suit the role- if he’d shave off
that scruffy beard.
Layla, the female lead, is blonde and has a tiny stature.
Emily Browning is my top choice for the role. I’m unsure of her height, but
Evan Rachel Wood, also, could fit the bill pretty well, that is, if she’s under
5”4.
There are two maids, also, who play large roles in the
story. One of the two maids is named Saige, and I could picture Amandla
Stenberg from the Hunger Games
playing her.
The other, Tabby, is a bit goth/punk/scene/whatever you want
to call it, but is one of the most interesting characters in the novel, and my
favorite-other than Alec , that is. She’s said a million times, on Twitter and
on her blog, that she won’t go back into acting, but Mara Wilson is all grown
up, and totally beautiful, and has more than enough wit to pull off the part. Not
to mention, I would love to see her with blue highlights in her hair, like
Tabby. Too bad she doesn’t love me. (Kidding. She doesn’t know me. It would be
weird if she loved me.)
JS would be
difficult to cast, because it shows the characters in high school, and later in
adulthood. Jonah is the male lead, Kate is the female lead, and they have a
mutual friend who plays a huge role in the story named Mary Anne. All these
actors would have to be young, like mid-twenties or so, who can easily by
virtue of makeup and different styles of dress, can be made to look young, and
then older. Jonah could be played by Channing Tatum, but I’m a little
prejudiced, because I find him wildly attractive. I don’t know of an actor that
really looks like Jonah, so I’ll just stick with the hotties. Kate also is very
unique-looking. I could picture her being played by Emily Browning (if she had
brown eyes), Emma Watson maybe, or some other pretty actress. I would want Mary
Anne to be played by Jennifer Lawrence, as cliché as that might sound
considering her jump to fame via The Hunger Games, but I really like her. She’s talented, she’s
cute, and she is so capable of depicting all the subtle nuances of Mary Anne’s
character.
(In case you can’t tell, I really liked this question.)
What is the one-sentence
synopsis of your book?
Hmm, that’s a difficult one. I don’t even know what to say
about PL, but JS would go something like this, “Jonah and Kate have been meant
for one another all along, but will they be torn apart by one unfortunate
incident?”
I know it’s vague, but I don’t want to divulge too many plot
details.
Will your book be
self-published or represented by an agency?
Right now, there is no plan to publish either of my books. I
would love to, but I’m not a full-time writer, I’m a student. I hope to publish
them later on, but the emphasis there is on “later.”
How long did it take
to write your first draft of your manuscript?
I finished the first draft of PL in about six months, but, the thing is, I didn’t even finish it.
There were so many problems with the plot that after starting the fifth
chapter, I dropped it, and since then, have been refining my ideas for the
story. I have not yet finished the first draft of JS, but it’s coming along
swimmingly.
What other books
would you compare this story to within your genre?
…That’s a good question, really. Hmm. I don’t read many
young adult romance novels, because they’re all very risqué. So, I have no idea.
Who or what inspired
you to write this book?
As I said in an earlier question, PL is heavily influenced by fairy tales, particularly Rapunzel, the
“beautiful princess locked in a tower” thing.
JS, however, as
corny and artsy-fartsy as it may sound, just came to me one day. It just showed
up in my mind, and there it was, and there it stayed, and there it still is.
What else about your
book might pique the reader's interest?
Well, neither of my books contain the kinds of graphic sex
scenes that are found in most romance novels, for one thing. I despise Twilight, I refuse to even mess with 50 Shades of Gray, and all this
“paranormal romance” stuff in the young adult section makes me sick. I’m trying
to redeem the romance genre. My goal is to write stories that show women being
treated with respect, and valued for more than just shallow sex appeal. I also want to show men stepping up to the
plate and being willing to fight for their
families, wanting to be the hero for their wives and children-
particularly though Jonah’s Story.
I’ve seen and known
many young girls who have grown up without fathers, and it’s taken quite a toll
on all of them, in different ways. My generation (in case I hadn’t said so
earlier, I’m a teenager myself) has been referred to as a fatherless
generation. I am more fortunate than
many, since my father has consistently been a part of my life, but I know the
pain of hearing him say, “I love you,” and not proving it. Also, PL deals with how divorce and infidelity
in marriage wound all involved parties, though that’s only a side note, really.
The bottom line is that I want to write books that parents
will approve of their teenagers reading. That’s that. Wish me luck! - Marie
No comments:
Post a Comment