Thanks to Vicky Johnstone for tagging me in this fun game of blog tag!
The Mission: Answer ten questions about my work in progress and pass the torch onto five other people for next week.
The questions are the same week to week, but the experience is priceless as you learn about new up and coming authors.
Let’s get this party started!
What is the working title of your book?
Footprints in the Sand
Where did the idea come from for the book?
The idea came to me as I was walking the beach, actually. I thought about footprints… how they mark the progress in a journey. I built the story around that title and basic idea. For my first book, I wanted to try more of a character study than an action packed tale, so I thought about things that would work with my strengths. Living in Florida and having a strong science background, I wanted to write something fun but informative without being a lecture. In the end, I came up with a story about a teenage girl from New York City, very posh and all, who is forced to move to a small, touristy fisherman’s village in South Florida after her father loses his big wig job. It is a total readjustment for her as she adapts to a whole different lifestyle. By helping of an injured bird, she learns the joys of giving instead of taking. And when she meets a cute local boy, Lyla discovers that living the island life isn’t so bad after all.
What genre does your book fall under?
Young Adult, contemporary
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Great question! I haven’t given this too much thought yet as it is still in first draft form. I don’t start to “see” the characters until the second draft, after I pull the story together and let them really come out to play. If I had to chose right this very moment, I would say that Dakota Fanning would be a good fit for the main character of Lyla and Cody Linley for Trent. The supporting roles are still going through casting calls so I will get back to you on them 😉
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
One sentence? Ugh, I hate these. After being forced to relocate to Florida with her family, Lyla Martin learns that there is more to life than expensive shoes and famous friends.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
It depends… I plan to enter this manuscript into the Master Koda contest which ends on November 10th. If I am one of the winners, the prize is to be published through a reputable company. If I don’t win, then I will polish it off and run with it through the self-publishing route.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It is still in progress and I hope to finish up the first draft by mid-September. I started writing it the last week of July.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks because of the teen girl with attitude, southern beach, and nature aspects.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
They always say write what you know, so in a way, I inspired myself. But, I wanted to write some science and nature in a way that wasn’t science fiction or lecturing. I love nature and Florida, so I wanted to share a story that would reach out to young people and maybe even make them want to help wildlife too.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Well, if you’re not into interesting animals or character studies, then hopefully my writing ability will be the thing that grabs the reader 😉
islandkayaker 