The Next Big Thing

I've been tagged, and by the wonderful Tami Moore. Quick disclaimer: considering the fact that Princess is still very much in worldbuilding/plotting mode, my answers to some of these questions will be a bit sketchy :)

What is the working title of your book?

Princess, or Princess Story, or Princess Book. Obviously that will not be the final title.

Where did the idea come from for the book? 

I came across a writing prompt - if you can even call it that - to write "anything about a prince or princess". Almost as soon as I finished reading the sentence an image came to me of a princess being hunted through the woods. I started thinking about why she would be there, and the Princess story was born.


What genre does your book fall under? 

YA Fantasy.


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

Kelisin.....Emilia Clarke
Bria .....Morgana Davies
The Prince (He doesn't have a name yet)... Josh Hutcherson
The Hound (But this is his actual title).....Mark Strong
Evil King (Not his actual name).....Ralph Fiennes
Marcos ...Henry Cavill


What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? 

A princess attempts to recover her birthright after a bloody coup forces her to abandon her country and her sister.

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

We are SO not there yet.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro? 

It's still in the planning stage. However, there are a few snippets in existence which I wrote before I realized this was a project I wanted to pursue seriously and stopped to plot and worldbuild. So:

"Kelisin!" The shout echoed through the drafty stable. Kel looked up from her horse's flank and leaned her head out of the stall, but no one was in the stable's hall. Not yet, at least.

"Good," Kel murmured. "They don't know I'm here yet." The horse whinnied softly and tossed his head, so Kel resumed brushing. She often came out here when she wanted to be alone. None of the ladies in waiting would ever consider going near the horses, and the grooms, who had grown to be her friends, were good at stalling. Kel had evaded many an embroidery session hiding in the stables.

The horse turned his head back and tried to nip at her pockets. Kel laughed and pushed his head away. "Stop it, Roque, I gave you an apple already." The horse snorted. "Greedy brute."

The bell rang the hour, and Kel reluctantly put away the curry comb. It was time to head back through the kitchens and into the palace proper, before anyone became too worried about her.

As Kel approached the stable's side door, she could hear voices. She wasn't surprised. The door was rather old and warped, and didn't close very well.

"She's not here." Kel recognized the voice. It belonged to a groom - Ostwald, his name was. Kel smiled. He was probably covering for her, throwing off the army of maids, ladies in waiting, pageboys, and the occasional guardsman mobilized to find her and capture her for her lesson. Kel wasn't a fool - she understood that history, military tactics, and mathematics were important subjects for a monarch to know. She didn't object to reading literature to open her mind, or even to etiquette and deportment, so vital to a royal life. But Lady Ainsley was always after her, nagging about embroidery and other useless pursuits. She was forever saying that it was a useful skill and that it never hurt to be underestimated by opponents, and Kel might have acquiesced if the Lady had not been such hideously dull company. So while Kel reluctantly sat through hours in the solarium with Lady Ainsley and her equally tedious cousins, every so often she just couldn't bear it. Hence her escapes.

Kel was distracted from her thoughts by something that sounded like a fist striking flesh, followed by a dull thud and a whimper. Eyes wide, Kel approached the door, trying to be absolutely silent. She peered through the crack.

Ostwald was down on the floor, huddled against the wall. Above him stood a soldier, the royal guard's crest conspicuously absent from his uniform. He looked down at the groom with an expression of disgust. "Where is she?"

"I haven't seen her, I swear!" cried Ostwald.

The soldier kicked him, and Ostwald let out a whimper.

"Try again," he said calmly.

"She's not here." The soldier drew his sword. "Wait! Wait, she might have gone down to the orchard. She likes to go there." The orchard was on the other side of the palace from the stables and the mews.

"Thank you," said the soldier, grinning. He reached a hand down to the groom and helped him up. As soon as Ostwald was on his feet the man rammed his sword through his belly.

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

This is a hard one, because honestly I haven't encountered any YA fantasy like this recently. Most of what I've seen lately has been paranormal, or modern-day with magical/supernatural/mythical elements. That's not to say that these books don't exist - I'm sure they do and I should go hunt them down.


Who or what inspired you to write this book? 

 Hmm. I don't know that there was a particular inspiration for this book. I'm always inspired by the authors whose books I read, and the work they do to create beautiful things for their readers. I'm inspired by fellow would-be authors and the effort they take to perfect their craft. And, of course, there are many amazing women I know - my mother first and foremost - who are an incredible inspiration to write about women and girls with that same strength of character.

Could I be any vaguer or more sappy? :)

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

There are princesses in it. Doesn't everybody love princesses? Oh, and magic. But not too much romance - maybe later in the series. This book is about adventure and growth and love between sisters.

So now I tag...

Welp, this is awkward. I don't have anyone to tag... . So, anyone reading who would like to participate, have at it! I offer up my tags to you all.

Rules of The Next Big Thing:
*Use this format for your post *Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress) *Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.
Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

• What is your working title of your book?
• Where did the idea come from for the book?
• What genre does your book fall under?
• Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
• What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
• Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
• How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro?
• What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
• Who or what inspired you to write this book?
• What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged. Be sure to line up your five people in advance.