The Next Big Thing
What is the Next Big Thing? It is a way to 'pass the baton', if you will, between the new writers of today, allowing each one of them in turn to give an insight about her upcoming work, then tag her fellow writers to do the same. This time I was tagged by Taylor Lakke (http://www.taylorlakke.com/blog-taylo...) . So here is a glimpse into my upcoming work:
What is the working title of your story?
The working title of my novel is Murder at Thirteen.
Where did the idea come from for the story?
I read Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap when I was quite a bit younger. (Ok, well maybe not quite a bit younger, but it sure seems like it.) Nathan’s Run is about a twelve year old boy (Nathan) who has been wrongly imprisoned and kills a guard in self-defense. He then winds up on the run from the police, the Mafia and a county prosecutor determined to stop him.

Well, Nathan’s story has stayed with me since I read it and I was thinking of it when I came up with the story for Murder at Thirteen. Although, in the case of my novel, the main character is a teen girl who has been imprisoned for three years for a murder she was convicted of. No one has ever wanted to hear her side of the story, not when her own mother claims she had murdered the man outright.

Now, three years after being imprisoned, one detective is fighting to have the case reopened and Kaitlin released into his custody while it is reinvestigated.
What genre does your story fall under?
Young Adult (Contemporary)
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Lucy Hale for the main character, Kaitlin Jeffreys. Yes, I realize she is 23, but she has the kind of look I would look for if I was casting the movie and she actually looks like she could play a sixteen year old anyway. Nathan Fillion for Detective Hawkins. Jamie Luner for Hawkins’ wife, Olivia. Lena Headey for Kaitlin’s mom, Helen. Ian Somerhalder for Seth Powell, Helen Jeffreys’ boyfriend and brother of the man Kaitlin has been accused of murdering. (There are actually quite a few other character who play a big part in the novel, but these are the main ones and I’m not sure who I would cast for the others right now anyway. Lots of hot boys that’s who. Haha.)
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your story?
Released into the custody of Detective Hawkins while the case of the murder she was convicted of at the age of thirteen, Kaitlin Jeffreys must learn to trust and open up to her “foster” family and her new friends, before it is too late.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I’m planning on self-publishing it, as I did with my first novel, Delta Project: Hide.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I’m not done with the first draft yet, actually. Hopefully it will only take a few more months.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Nathan’s Run by John Gilstrap is the only book I have read that is similar to what Murder at Thirteen will be.
Who or What inspired you to write this story?
Thinking about how difficult it would be to be convicted for doing something you didn’t do and then not having anyone willing to listen to your side of the story. Then, how trust of any kind, for any one would deteoriate over time. What would it be like then to have someone asking you to open up to them, to trust them?
What else about your story might pique the reader’s interest?
There may be a love interest for Kaitlin – if she can learn to trust and believe in love again!!



Now it’s my turn to tag people. Please visit their blogs. They will be publishing their answers to the same questions next week.

•Lisa Lewis Moon http://houseonbutcherharbor.blogspot.... and http://www.facebook.com/lisalewismoon...
•Lily Crussell http://lilycrussell.wordpress.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-Cr...
•Joanne Clancy http://www.amazon.com/Joanne-Clancy/e... and http://www.facebook.com/JoanneClancyA...

And now, the small print: a message for the tagged authors and interested others:
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 the 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.