The Next Big Thing - Blog Tag

The lovely author Karen Heard tagged me in the "Next Big Thing" so it's my turn to answer ten questions about my work in progress.  You can find her answers about her WIP, Qualia, here http://www.misheardfiction.com/the-next-big-thing-blog-tag/.  The tag began as a promotional blog at SheWrites.com.

Let's jump in . . .

 Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Things:

What is the working title of your book?

By Any Other Name (at least that's what I'm going with at this moment)

Where did the idea come from for the book?

My sister researched our family tree and discovered that one of our ancestors lost her husband while she was pregnant so she named their twins Grief and Mourning.  I immediately began to imagine what kind of life children named Grief and Mourning would have and then I got carried away.

What genre does your book fall under?

Mock Gothic young adult

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This one's difficult because my characters are fourteen and odd looking, not your typical adorable and precocious Hollywood kids.  I think I have to pass but I'll let you know if something comes to me.

What is your one-sentence synopsis of your book?

 Mourning and Grief never knew joy or sorrow until the day a ghryb crawled out of their mother's corpse and changed their lives forever.

Will you book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Not sure but I will probably do the rejection circuit before self-publishing.

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

I haven't written the first draft, yet.  I intend to work on it for National Novel Writing Month so hopefully it will take me thirty days.

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

I would say it has a similar absurd humor to Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events.  A friend said it reminded her of Jane Austen's Juvenilia, which I take as the highest compliment and a complete lie.  

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I had been playing with these characters when a friend mentioned that she would love to illustrate a children's book.  I settled on a young adult novel but I do my best to give her interesting things to draw. 

When I began to outline the story, I realized that I had a religious allegory staring me in the face.  This must have come straight from God because I can never plan out symbolism or allegories without it being cheesy and forced but this one I stumbled into and it fits effortlessly in the story.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

While this story is fictional and has lots of fantastical elements, the underlying message reflects my own struggle with depression after my father died and how Jesus pulled me out of that deep dark pit I dug for myself. 

I wrote a scary short story for 13 Stories 'til Halloween, using my ideas and characters for this narrative, that will be incorporate into the first chapter of my novel.  If you want to get a peak at the twins or are simply wondering what is a ghryb, you can find out here:  http://13storiestilhalloween.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/mourning/

I promise to keep you updated on my progress and share excerpts of the developing story.

~ Moxley

Jordan Drew,
Lucy,
Lynn Blackmar,
PM Kester
tag you're it!

I have one more person that I'm waiting to hear from so I can tag.  I also have one more open spot so if you want to participate, just let me know.