The Next Big Thing

Do you like playing tag? I think I did at one time, when I was young and had good knees and could run around the yard yelling like a banshee. These days the only tag I play is in blogland, mostly because I can do it whilst sitting on my large white arse and still yell like a banshee. Whatever a banshee is.

I was tagged by Helen Howell to answer the following ten questions about my work in progress. Below the questions and answers, you’ll find a link to Helen’s answers and a list of the three people I’ve tagged. If and when they post their answers, I'll link to those people as well.

Woo HOO! Let the tagging begin!

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing

What is the working title of your book?

Weezie Polk's Man Lessons

Where did the idea come from for the book?

When I went through a bad marriage break-up, wound up spending a night in jail for thwacking my ex with a Dr. Seuss book, biting a cop, earning a criminal record and losing main custody of my children as a result, I decided to write a book about it – especially because I came across so many other women embroiled in the criminal justice system, who were in the same boat as me. I wanted to write it as a warning so the same thing wouldn't happen to others.

What genre does your book fall under?

No genre. It's just a book.

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

Ha! We talked about this at my writers group recently and we all thought Melissa McCarthy, the Academy Award winner from Bridesmaids, would be perfect. In fact, I am so tempted to send her my manuscript and get her working on it!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Life was pretty normal for Weezie Polk until her husband cheated – then she bit a cop, spent a harrowing night in jail, lost her children and began an extraordinary, pie-filled journey to find her way again.

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

I'm going to try the traditional route first but if I don't have any luck within a set time - possibly a year - I'm going to self-publish. I'm too old to wait longer than that!

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

It took two years but I wrote in bursts. Most of it was written during Nanowrimo last year.

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

It reminds me of The Help, only without black maids and a civil rights movement! Seriously though, it has the same theme - of real women facing adversity. Of friendship. Of heroic gestures and brave deeds.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I would never have started writing fiction at all, period, if it wasn't for CJ Hodges-MacFarlane from Minnesota. I found her blog one day while surfing and read a story she had written for Friday Flash. I was so dazzled by her talent that I initiated a cyber conversation with her and we became friends. It was CJ who encouraged me to write a Friday Flash story and I can't thank her enough. I was also inspired and encouraged by the women in my writers group: Paula Boon, Dawn Huddlestone, Sasha Pringle and Linda McLean. And my husband, Dave, of course. Dave always pushes me to "get busy and get writing" because he knows how lazy I am.

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

There's pie! Lots of pie! And recipes! My story started from a real life event but it took on a mind of its own and truly became a work of fiction when Weezie starts Grandma Bean's Bakery. I love this part of the book - it's so homey and adventurous. And don't forget - there's pie!

And now for the tagging:

I would love to tag the women in my group because they all have fabulous works in progress, but they don't blog so they're safe! 

In that case I'm going to tag some of my favourite writers I've met during my Friday Flash days:

Laurita Miller

Catherine Russell

John Wiswell

To see Helen Howell's answers, click here.