The Next Big Thing!

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I’ve been tagged by Madalyn Morgan to take part in this Blog Fest, but when i read the questions i realised that I’ve already done it under another heading. The WIP Challenge but bare with me here.

Regular readers will know I’ve just started a writing course, a novel writing course. Now, I could stick with the Mills and Boon, but, as I’ve got the opportunity to write a novel over 6 months, and have access to agents, I don’t think a Mills & Boon romance is what they’re after lol. So I’ve come up with another idea. It’s not fully formed, it’s just a germ. So perhaps answering these questions will help bring it into focus a bit more…..

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what is the working title of your next book?
The View Outside 😉

where did the idea come from for the book?
Two things. Firstly the title of my blog. I spend a lot of time staring out through windows. Even as a child I spent hours at my bedroom window when it was raining. The second part of the idea came in September. The anniversary of 9/11. A sensitive subject I know, but I just couldn’t get the image out of my mind of all those windows. From that, I then started thinking about agoraphobia.

what genre does your book fall under?
Hmmmmm, that’s hard. I’m tending to think in terms of women’s contemporary fiction, but, who knows, it could possibly go down the thriller route 😉

what actors would you choose to play the part of your characters In a movie rendition? Very hard, I haven’t even got the characters formed in my own mind. There will be 2 main characters, a man and woman….I don’t know any more than that at this stage, sorry 😦

what is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
Blooming hell! I dunno lol. Ok *thinks* a woman’s struggle with agoraphobia and her journey towards recovery…..or not? You know me *evil snigger*

will your book be self published or represented by an agency?
I want to explore the traditional publishing route first, but I’m not opposed to self publishing.

how long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I haven’t even started the first draft, it’s in the ideas/notes form at the moment. I’m hoping the first draft will be complete by April, as I’ll be starting it this week!

what other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
That’s hard. I’ve never read about a woman suffering from agoraphobia before. So if you know of any, please shout 🙂

who or what inspired you to write the book?
I know you’re all gunna think I’m nuts, but an article I read about 9/11 being fictionalised, and how, as yet, there hasn’t been a really good book written that centres it’s story around those events. Is it because people don’t want to read about it? Is it too sensitive a subject? I’d be interested to hear your views.

what else about your book might pique the readers interest?
There will be romance, but I can’t promise a happy ending lol.

Would love to hear your thoughts? How do you feel about reading a book that is somehow connected to 9/11?

Have you seen the film Remember Me? I thought it was excellent, and what-a-shocker!!!! it’s connection to 9/11 is subtle, but very powerful.

So now I have to tag 5 fellow writers……hmmmmm….let me see……

Jennifer M Eaton
Josh Mosey
J Keller Ford
Paula Acton
Patsy Collins

Please let me know if you don’t want to participate so that I can tag someone else 🙂 Your post should go live next week 🙂

Please take a few minutes to visit these writers blogs….I have a feeling that what they’re working on just may be The Next Big Thing 🙂

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50 thoughts on “The Next Big Thing!”

  1. I didn’t think I’d like Remember Me, but I thought it was actually quite good. Cried at the end (which I didn’t like), but thought was impressed.

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  2. As a New Yorker (I live in Jersey now), it’s still too much for me to read any 9/11 fiction. Just the commercials for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close brought me to the brink of tears. I obviously didn’t read the book either. Maybe a long, long time from now I can read your book. Aww, it’ll be like a vintage gem of a story by then. 🙂

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    • Thanks for being so straight up and honest with me Ava 🙂

      A friend at my writing group suggested that I make an event up, pretend it happened in London instead. I guess that could work, but, lets face it, everyone would know what I was talking about. Would just changing the location make it easier reading for you?

      Xx

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      • Have you considered using 7/7 if you want to base it in London? 9/11 is a tough one for me as having a friend who was part of the emergency services that day changes your perspective a little but on the other hand I actually knew one of the 7/7 bombers which throws up a whole load of other emotions

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      • I think it was hard for a lot of people who knew him to accept the quiet, polite well spoken boy they had known could have become so twisted that he could commit such horrifc acts, i worked in a shop on the estate where he grew up my best friend was at school with him if you had picked one child on the estate that would have been likely it would have been him before religion poisoned his mind

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      • It would make it easier for me. But I think plenty of people would read it if it were based on 9/11. I imagine Jewish people couldn’t read about the Holocaust for decades after it happened. But there were probably many people that were interested in it right away. I think it’s probably an even divide. Am I making any sense? Or should I just “get my coat?” Hahahahaha

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      • That’s a good point Ava….I guess we’ve all got areas of our life that are sensitive and we don’t want to read about those things in fiction.

        LMAO… Brilliant 🙂

        Think you should use that on a regular basis!

        Perhaps I should do a series of blog posts explaining my English sayings. I’m sure half the people who read my blog don’t understand a word I’m saying half the time 😉

        Xx

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  3. Will you be able to go outside for research :o)
    All joking aside, a serious subject and one that I look forward to how you put it altogether.

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  5. Good luck with your book, Vikki. It sounds like a real challenge – especially the balance between writing an entertaining story and respecting the suffering of those who died or lost loved ones.

    Thanks for tagging me. I’ll give it a go.

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  6. Good luck with your novel. Historical tragedies always make for stupendous backdrops for novels. If you can do for the Twin Towers what James Cameron did for Titanic (i know it was a screenplay), then you may just have The Next Big Thing.

    Thanks for tagging me and I’d love to participate. Thank you for thinking of me.

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  7. I can’t bear to read 9/11 or 7/7 stories, but the 9/11 ones are starting to be written now (I’m sure there are some I’ve heard of) and if you can weave it in in a way that’s not tacky, then I’d go for it. Survivor’s Guilt might help there – people not involved who should have been etc. Good luck with the writing!

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  8. I love when a novel is in a such an early stage! It’s so much fun. It could turn into anything…go in any direction. The characters are mere shadows who have quite taken form yet! Then I just think of the amount work I have to do, and…well, you know the rest!

    What you’ve got so far sounds interesting. I love what you said about looking out windows. How interesting! Especially combined with 9/11. I never quite considered it that way.

    Your novel courses sounds great. I’ve never come across one that gives the students access to agents. What’s it called? How did you hear about it?

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  10. Like you, I find the ‘genre’ question difficult. Like you, I suppose my book could be called women’s fiction, but guess what? Men like it too. And it could be called a suspense, but there’s so much more to it – mystery, romance, family. It’s a book of fiction, not a genre!! I enjoyed reading about your about-to-be-written book. Good luck, and keep us posted!

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  11. Good luck with teh Faber course – love to see how it all progresses for you. I’ve just done THE NEXT BIG THING over in my blog but I’m glad I read yours first before posting because I think probably the most important thing is to be honest as you are here and I’ve tried to emulate – anyway I really like the way you presented it. Gting to search out more now……..we have so much to learn from one another…oh, and I guess what I’m writing about isn’t a millo miles from your subject. Made it totally fictional though

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    • Awwwww, thank you Bridget 🙂

      I hate pretentiousness (is that right? Looks wrong somehow) and if there’s one thing I try to be, it’s honest and down to earth. Try is probably the wrong word as I don’t need to try, it’s just me 🙂 What you see of me online is pretty much what you get of me in real life lol 😉

      Oooooo, will come and have a look!

      Xx

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  12. Remember Me – I watched the film not realising what it was about OMG – talk about cry. I still can’t watch or think about the movie without getting a lump in my throat.

    There will come a time I’m sure when there will be a lot of things out there in the big world to do with 9/11 (like there is ref. world wars) but I’m sure as long as it is done with compassion I don’t believe anyone can object. 😀 good luck with it. X

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  14. Hi Vikki – I think the idea of setting it in London and making it a slightly different disaster is a good idea (as has been suggested somewhere in all those comments above!) I think making it too much like what happened on 9/11 would open your book up to extra scrutiny and criticism. It sounds like a great idea and I’m intrigued! I really wish you the best of luck with the course and your book!

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    • Thanks Bel 🙂

      Yeah, that is an idea, although I don’t want the “event” to dominate the book, and I’m afraid that might happen if I create my own fictitious disaster. Readers will want to know what happened, why it happened, who did it, who’s been arrested etc etc….and if I don’t include those things the reader might be a bit put out. I think what drew me to 9/11 was/is the fact that I won’t need to talk about it too much. Just a few words are capable of installing images of the horror of that event without me having to actually go into detail. Does that make sense?

      I know what you’re saying about extra criticism etc, yeah, that is a worry 😦

      Thanks honey, it’s been great hearing everyone’s opinions 🙂

      Xx

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  16. I didn’t see either of those movies, but I felt, personally, they were exploitive just by existing. They came out quickly, nearly simultaneously, and seemed to be nothing more than a dramatic retelling of the trauma already visited upon us by the 24-hour news channels. I didn’t need any more of that. I’ll also say that movies can be tough because there are so many different working parts (writer, director, actors) that the meaning can be skewed easily. As a writer you obviously have more control. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is a 9/11 story and from what I understand, well done. A lit nerd friend of mine has been reading the book for some time, putting it down often because it’s too emotional to read straight through.

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  17. Your title is really inspired Vikki, great for any novel about agoraraphobia, not just 9/11. BTW, I’m sure there are many nonfiction accounts of the problem which you would find helpful. I feel as if I really copped out by not sticking to the prescribed questions in the exercise but it’s too late now. No wonder my specialist joked about my cognitive ability the other day. lol

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  19. Sorry I’m way down here, wordpress wouldn’t let me reply to your last comment. Booo wordpress!

    Anyway,

    Glad you liked my coat reference!

    Yes you definitely should. It would help me understand you. It would also help me concede the fact that you have a British accent so I can accurately portray you in my head, AND it would help me understand the UK authors whose work I occassionally read.

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  20. I would have a lot of trouble reading a book related to 9/11, mainly because I don’t want to see that tragedy become commercialized, know what I mean? I didn’t watch the movie for that reason. I think, though, if projects are done well then they have a better shot at being received well. Good luck with it!

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