You heard the news about Pitch Wars the other day, but have you considered it for yourself? I know it's a scary prospect to put your baby out there for the world to judge - I know I'm terrified - but this is an opportunity to get advice from someone in the know before you enter the slush pile.
The very generous Kathleen Doyle has passed along a blanket invite for "the next big thing" to anyone interested. This is a chance to shoutout your MS and hopefully catch the eye of the mentors prior to pitch time.
1. What is the title of your book?
Damaged
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
Well, the idea nudged me back in 2010 based on the whole "Dec 2012" prediction. I wanted to borrow the theme, not actually say "boom! and there were zombies". The question became: what would we do the monsters of our imagination became real? Worse, if they wore the faces of our loved ones? In this alternate now, the change came much earlier than 2012 and the result was an infection of the spirit rather than the body. We are given strength, stamina, and enhanced senses, but the cost is our humanity. Is there a cure? Can the intruding spirit be eradicated once it's embedded in our soul?
Oh, but I should clarify: there are no zombies in my story. My only interest in a zombie is using it for target practice.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy - with romantic elements
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
The best part of this exercise? Putting faces with the names :)
Daniella Alonso as Carmen. But with blue eyes. She's burdened by her mom's death and has waited 22 years for her revenge. She lives by certain rules and lumps her life into black and white boxes. She avoids the grey, she's not good with grey.
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm open to either option - as long as someone helps me with marketing.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I wrote a complete first draft about two years ago. Since then I've digested articles and guidelines and methods on writing. Prior to this NaNo, I ripped apart that first draft and restructured the story. You could say I'm in heavy edits now. That's what I tell myself anyway.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld, Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom, Nalini Singh's Guild Hunters, and Jaye Wells's Sabina Kane series. I aspire to mimic these wonderful author's grit, heart, character, and world building, but I'm sure I fall way short.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I wrote a great many stories that will never see the light of day because I couldn't connect with my own characters. Carmen's story is the first one I had a visceral reaction to. We both had difficult childhoods that shaped us into the women we are. I can't do any of the cool things she does, but I want to be with her as she overcomes her demons.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Strong women who think for themselves, magick, and inner demons that literally mark you. You'd better read this now as a how-to guide for dealing with your demon. There's an end date, after all. Supposedly 12/21/12. Shoot! We've got to move quickly!
I can't think of anyone specific to tag, so I leave this open to anyone who's interested. Unless you're pitching to the adult genre mentors as well. In that case, I will hurt you.
;)
The very generous Kathleen Doyle has passed along a blanket invite for "the next big thing" to anyone interested. This is a chance to shoutout your MS and hopefully catch the eye of the mentors prior to pitch time.
1. What is the title of your book?
Damaged
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
Well, the idea nudged me back in 2010 based on the whole "Dec 2012" prediction. I wanted to borrow the theme, not actually say "boom! and there were zombies". The question became: what would we do the monsters of our imagination became real? Worse, if they wore the faces of our loved ones? In this alternate now, the change came much earlier than 2012 and the result was an infection of the spirit rather than the body. We are given strength, stamina, and enhanced senses, but the cost is our humanity. Is there a cure? Can the intruding spirit be eradicated once it's embedded in our soul?
Oh, but I should clarify: there are no zombies in my story. My only interest in a zombie is using it for target practice.
3. What genre does your book fall under?
Urban Fantasy - with romantic elements
4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
The best part of this exercise? Putting faces with the names :)
Daniella Alonso as Carmen. But with blue eyes. She's burdened by her mom's death and has waited 22 years for her revenge. She lives by certain rules and lumps her life into black and white boxes. She avoids the grey, she's not good with grey.
Blake Lively as Madison, Carmen's closest friend. She's sexy and she knows it. She would love for Carmen to live by her example for a day in the hope of permanent removal of stick from ass - in her expert opinion
Shahid Kapoor as Dev - the man who insists Carmen put aside her goals for his. As men sometimes do. At least he's got a good reason for being all "I am man, cook me dinner". His little girl needs saving.
Kidding. He does not ask for dinner. He's sure Carmen would knock him on his ass if he tried
Aimee Kelly as Ella. She might seem like the victim now, but she's got baggage as heavy as Carmen's and will have her own day to act on it
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Carmen, born with a spirit dragon that resulted in her mom’s murder, secretly seeks the killers while formulating a cure for her unique case of Animism, but must set it all aside to release Ella from her lab before the director dissects the youngest known person marked by an Animal and bottling her "gifts".
6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I'm open to either option - as long as someone helps me with marketing.
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I wrote a complete first draft about two years ago. Since then I've digested articles and guidelines and methods on writing. Prior to this NaNo, I ripped apart that first draft and restructured the story. You could say I'm in heavy edits now. That's what I tell myself anyway.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld, Devon Monk's Allie Beckstrom, Nalini Singh's Guild Hunters, and Jaye Wells's Sabina Kane series. I aspire to mimic these wonderful author's grit, heart, character, and world building, but I'm sure I fall way short.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I wrote a great many stories that will never see the light of day because I couldn't connect with my own characters. Carmen's story is the first one I had a visceral reaction to. We both had difficult childhoods that shaped us into the women we are. I can't do any of the cool things she does, but I want to be with her as she overcomes her demons.
10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Strong women who think for themselves, magick, and inner demons that literally mark you. You'd better read this now as a how-to guide for dealing with your demon. There's an end date, after all. Supposedly 12/21/12. Shoot! We've got to move quickly!
I can't think of anyone specific to tag, so I leave this open to anyone who's interested. Unless you're pitching to the adult genre mentors as well. In that case, I will hurt you.
;)
Sounds awesome!!
ReplyDeleteSo probably a dumb question from me, but why exactly does she need to cure animism? Is it something more devious than a belief, like it's really happening? I'm curious to know how animism works in your novel—even if only just a brief description so you don't have to give everything away if you don't want to.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Delete