Writing Interview Thing

Okay.

In the Spring of 2010 I toured Ireland, the British Isles, and France with my school's British Literary Tour.

On this tour I made about 40 great friends. We are scattered all over the globe now. Literally. Idaho, Washington, Japan, and Ireland to name just a few.

But a few of us shared the ambition to write. Over the years we have kept in contact and motivated and bullied each other into reaching goals. We've also consoled during rejection; and bragged about successes.

Anyway. Finally Jenni made an official FB group for us.  And then it grew into a larger community after the original people invited their friends who wanted to write... anyway. A fellow member of our group, Amber, asked me to participate in this writing/author interview thing.

So, here we go.

Q1. What is the working title of your book?

Why are we starting with such a hard one? I have big block with titles and names. Um, probably something like Identity Crisis. I know I should know my working title but hey.

Q2. Where did the idea for the book originate? 

 I was 22 and stranded at home after an internship had fallen through. I was also saving up for upcoming school by working my high school fast food job.  So I felt like I sucked at life.

But normal "I'm disenchanted with reality" angst gave me the idea for a story about harsh reality.

Q3. What genre does your book fall under? 

I would say YA spy/adventure thriller. But mostly it's a story on the loss of innocence, being wrong, and growing up.

Q4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

The only character I see set in stone is the supporting lead Althea. I see her as the actress Laura Spencer, with her very sweet and innocent looks. Which is ironic because this character goes through very awful things and becomes probably the least innocent.

Q5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

"To Megan the idea of being anonymous by becoming a spy and leaving all her problems sounded too good to be true; turns out she was right." 

Q6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Well I want to be represented. But I feel like that's in the future. Right now I need to focus and making plot discoveries and becoming friends with the characters. However if any agents want to change my mind I might be open to persuasion. 

 Q7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Still technically working on the first draft because I have tried several dead end paths with it.

Q8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 

Ally Carter's Gallagher Girl books. But more gritty. I don't think I'll allow my characters an undercover prom. 

 Q9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Honestly probably my obsession with the BBC show Spooks. Because of this show I have a love for spy things. But I was greatly disappointed in the majority of the spy-fiction I tried. It was all using the espionage setting to basically enable the characters to do whatever they wanted. No consequences and no concerns. Okay here is my story belief 101: "Limitations are more important than abilities." I mean okay we can have  a hit man who wandered around Italy just shooting as many bad guys as possible before heading to a hotel with a rich heiress. But that's  not really a story. It's a narrative about a fantasy. A story means trouble, means less than perfect characters, means characters who don't have a perfect life. They have to be working for something. And there has to be conflict. Serious conflict. 

 So darn it, I decided to write what I wanna read!! 

Q10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

 Wow this should not be such a difficult question. Um-- one bad guy gets a broken bottle to the throat. 
Oh  a love triangle that is suspenseful rather than gross or annoying. Is it okay to say that about your own work? It seems to me to read presumptuously. Anyway. Though I feel like the Love Triangle generally abused to becoming the next cliche I also think if done correctly it is one of the most compelling archetypes. I mean, King Arthur, anyone ?? Okay maybe I am the only one who loves king Arthur.

In conclusion I didn't tag anyone. But if Janelle, or Kimberly, or Bayley,  or Kjerstin, or Joseph read this they can continue the tradition. Well, no Bayley is family so I don't have to be polite. Bayley. Do this. I command you by authority of older cousin !!!!! 

Weekend off

So this weekend is a Bank-Holiday Weekend. If you are reading this in the states, you have probably already figured out, that this is a three day weekend.

Anyway, as such, my acting class was giving the weekend off.

Now I love my acting class. Two amazing hours of improv, acting for camera, script analysis and character disection. Sometimes followed by lunch at the local vegitarian resturant where we share stories and talk about ambitions over scones, garbonzo beans and smoothies.

I love all that.


But this class is in Cork.

About 3 hours away from where I live. Consider the provided map of Ireland. I live in Galway, the West-coast county that is sort of lavender colored.

My acting class is in Cork. The southern point mustered colored county.

So to to get to said acting class I have to do a lot of juggling. Is it worth it?

Yes.

Is it nice to have a weekend off?

Oh yes.

So I went into Galway city and window shopped. I believe I have said before how much I love bookstores. To me they are holy shrines with shelves and shelves of stories, ideas, and possibilities. Because books have such strong effects on our minds. It's like you're not only shopping for a book, your shopping for an experence that will change you. Anyway.


Then it was freezing. So after lunch I cut my shopping short, came home and talked to the family.

So I guess it was boring in some ways. But it did trillions of good for my sanity.

Sunday School

Today in church one of my friends came up to me after Sacrament meeting and asked if I would do him a big favor.

I knew it would a big favor because of how long he paused before continuing. True principles from Seinfeld.

But I had no idea what it was so I said sure.

"Could you teach Sunday School for me? I have to go home." He asked.

I think I replied with something like "Uhhhhhhhhh."

Then he reminded me I already had the same lesson prepared because I am youth Sunday school teacher. True.

So. That's how I ended up teaching my first adult Sunday School lesson. Which was actually a week behind, they had already had the lesson I had prepared.
Opps.

Then I realized I was one of the youngest people in the room.

Youngest person in the room: Infant. Adorable little boy who isn't even a year old yet.

Second Youngest Person: His older sister. One of my youth I teach in my Sunday School class.

Third Youngest Person: Me. Teaching all these people who have had multiple leadership roles in the church.

But they were all very nice and I don't think I turned red too often. So that's good.

Just becuase you're paranoid...

The last few nights have been full or errands. When I was a kid errands were fun. They meant leaving the house, and generally the possibility of mom buying sweets and probably taking us to the library.

They aren't like that anymore.

Okay. There are still sweets involved. But that is just because it takes a rediculous amount of sugar and chocolate to get me motivated to do anything. And now I have to buy the sweets myself. Which just makes me feel guilty for spending money.

Anyway. The other night I was in town, running late, fighting the flu, and stressed because everything was closed so I couldn't even get the things done I needed to.

I was walking towards the currency exchange place on the off chance that it was open (it wasn't.)  When a guy walking towards me reached into his jacket and pulled something out. Now when I say pulled something out I mean he extended his arm, with this smallish, black object in hand, towards my bubble.

I thought "Oh my gosh! A tazer!!! He is going to assult me!! Here? is he stupid? no, the street is dark, there aren't many people around... Oh my goodness they are probably his accomplises!!! Have I walked into a human trafficing ring!!! This is the perfect spot for them to hang out!! Right in front of the tourist info, removed, dark and only tourist would not know it was removed, dark and closed at this time of night!! Or he could just pretend that he was my brother and I was having seasure!!!"

These and other thoughts swarmed in my head for the split second before I realized that he the smallish, black object was his i-pod and he was extending his arm in my direction in order to untangle the head-phones.

Yes, comments about my morbid imagination have been made before.

Bright Side

I comendeared the 7-up from down stairs.


I have forced myself to eat toast. 

I watched a whole hour of TV before being so tired I had to go back to sleep.


That's right. Flu season.

But let's look at the positive side. In the classic movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off Ferris describes his best friend Cameron as the only person he knows "who actually feels better when he is sick." Not I don't "feel better" when I'm sick. That's just weird. I'm just saying let's look at the bright side.

1.  I can wear leggings all day. I can't really think of more comfortable clothes.

2. I don't have to feel guilty for all the things I'm not going to accomplish.

3. A day where you actually should stay in bed all day. It's like a random holiday.

4. I can drink 7 up... which is pretty gross so scratch that. It's not really an upside.

5. Sleeping is considered doing your duty to get ready for life to start back up. Not slothful.

6. You don't generally go spend money when you are sick.

7. No one expects you to look good.

8. I don't have to feel guilty about not working out.

9. I could, hypothetically, catch up on the e-mails I haven't written yet.

10. I'm bored now.

Television vrs. Books

People seem to justify hating on TV by their love for books. I love books. I don't feel like you can like only one. And I don't think not liking one makes you smarter. Just like what you like and don't like what you don't like and let me watch my BBC in peace.

Here are the complaints I feel people who are on the Book side of the elitist divide throw to the other side.

1. So much junk on the TV.

This is true. I had roommates addicted to Dancemoms and Toddlers in Tiaras. Child exploitation poorly disguised as entertainment. Yes there is a lot of that.

2. Time vortex.

Okay I will admitt that eight episodes of Bones later it finally dawns on me that, well, it is dawn.


But you know what. The same compaints can be applied to books.

1. Too much trash? Um, when was the last time you tried to find something to read at a bookstore. These are the books I usually find.
 
1. Spy Suspense, only the author has a very loose understanding of "Suspense" because the only dramatic question in this is how often can Agent X get her panties off and claim it's for her country? Oh wait. It's not suspenseful because it happens like three times every chapter.

2. Hunger Games revisited. Or Twilight revisited. Or whatever other YA novel is on the best seller list. The cover art will be similar. The characters will be similar. The plot will be similar. Basically it will be exactly like the original book except minus the X factor and originality that made the first book actually good.

Complaint #2 
Time vortex.

I have stayed up until unhealthy hours reading as well as watching TV. I have been reading when I should be doing homework or housework or something else important.

I don't feel books are inherently better than TV I feel that good art is good art whatever the genre. Just like mediocrity is mediocrity no matter the genre.

Murder Mysteries

The weekend before last I was doing my weekly pilgrimage to Cork. I got in very late and headed for the the hostel. On the way there I was positive I was going to be killed. Think that part in Anne of Green Gables but more intense. American Paranoia you say? Not at all. Well, maybe a little. But I think my paranoia is not due to my American heritage so much as my obsession with murder mysteries.

 I got to the hostel safe and sound and not even approched much less threatened by another human being. I headed to my room and I saw they had a paperback exchange.

There I found Silent Scream by Lynda La Plante. I was so excited becuase I have been wanting to read her for a while but with I haven't bought any of her work because
 A. Trying to save money and

B. Adult (for adults not "adult" dummy) crime books are often so graphic that it's hard for me to justify reading them. They are just too awful. I mean I know murder is awful so I don't blame the writers. I just have found that I don't feel comfortable reading them so I have to be careful what I purchase if I'm just going to stop reading it.

But here it was free.


I am still in the early chapters but the victim is a 24 year old, blonde, actress.

I am 24. I am blonde. I was in Cork for an acting class. 

But I am not a druggie or as promiscuis as the victim. Or dead.

So there really aren't that many similarities. I just thought it was funny that after my freak out I ran straight into the arms of the source of my paranoia.