The Next Big Thing? You Tell Me...

I've been tagged again. I thought it would be fun to take the blog-hop challenge again, but this time with my WIP.

 

You've probably come across The Next Big Thing before, so I won't bore you with the details. Suffice to say, it's a chance for writers to tell you about their books. Without further ado...

 

What is your working title of your book (or story)?

 

In Your Skin

 

 

Where did the idea come from for the book?

 

Placebo’s version of “Running Up That Hill”. For some reason I’d always listened to and sung along with that song from the point of view of someone being sacrificial – willing to trade places to save someone else from pain. But on really listening to the lyrics one day, I realized it was about someone who was in so much pain they wished they could trade places with the person who’d caused their hurt.

 

As soon as I got that image in my head of a high school girl whose boyfriend had dumped her and she wished she could trade places with him, my head jumped to her pleading with God to have his coldness and untouched attitude about it.

 

I knew that her boyfriend wouldn't be as unaffected as she thought. So then I thought, what if God chose to swap her body with her boyfriends so she'd learn what it was REALLY like to walk a mile in his shoes?

 

The idea wouldn’t leave me alone.

 

 

What genre does your book fall under?

 

Hmmmm… good question. Maybe magical realism? I’m not sure. This seems to be a common problem with my books…

 

 

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

 

This is always tough for me. I rarely see young actors that really impress me. To me, a good movie relies on an actor’s ability much more than how they look. So at a pinch I’d go with:

 

Dane Dehaan as Nick (if he put on some weight / muscle)

 

Ellen Page as Katie would be Ah.Maze.Ing (if this was getting made into a movie yesterday).

 

 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

 

When Katie’s boyfriend dumps her and returns to his role as the school flirt, she pleads with God to make her as untouched by their break up as he was -- and wakes up the next morning in his body.

 

 

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

 

You'll have to ask my agent when it's finished :)

 

 

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

 

Um… I haven’t actually finished this one yet. But I’m aiming for a three-month drafting process.

 

 

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

 

At its core, this is a typical body-swap story you see coming out of Hollywood every couple years. But this time it’s between a guy and girl (with all the awkward body-related / gender-role humor that offers).

 

 

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

 

I saw an Australian movie decades ago that did this on an adult level (though the two characters involved hated each other and the movie was a lot more crass than the treatment I’d give it). I always thought it was a premise rife with potential. But I’d never given it much thought for a book… until now.

 

 

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

 

Katie’s ex-boyfriend Nick lives in a physically abusive household. When Katie takes over Nick’s body, she has to figure out whether Nick’s coping mechanisms are smart, or just causing further pain. She faces some really difficult and frightening decisions.

 

So that's me. See you in a couple days for more character development shenanigans!

Your Turn: Do you want to be tagged in The Next Big Thing bloghop? If so, let me know in the comments. I'll tag you and link you from the blog!