Next Big Thing

So, I was recently humbled to find that one of my writerly friends had nominated me in this 'Next Big Thing' bloghop/tagfest. I've known  J. Michael Melican for quite some time online, and we recently met at the first Genrecon last year. I think I can safely say that he is the primary motivator behind my recent spate of writing, so... thanks for the shout out. Much appreciated!

For those who don't know, the bloghop works thusly: basically, a writer/blogger gets tagged, write an intro where they shout out & link back to their tagger, and then answer the 10 questions listed below about current work (or works!) in progress. At the end, they tag another author or three or four, and the process repeats itself. 

Without further ado, then:

1) What is the working title of your book?

Which one?! Look, I'm the first to admit I have trouble sticking to one idea. I'm working on it, but bear with me. 

The main ideas I'm working on number three all told: 

1. The Second Comers 
2. 'Arockalypse 2000' - working title only, as 'arockalypse' is shamelessly plagiarised (Thanks Lordi!)
3. A Very Martian Adventure. Again, a working title only...
4. War of the Scribes

So, we've learned that I can't stick with an idea, and I can't count...

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

I'm going to go with The Second Comers for the purposes of this exercise. The idea came from an idle wondering one day about what would actually happen if Jesus were in fact to come back. Particularly if he happened to come back in the middle of the American Midwest... The idea spread from there to those other figures from history and myth who promised a Second Coming...

3) What genre does your book fall under?

Urban Fantasy? Psychological/Satirical Thriller? I don't really know. It's one of those books where, despite my planning, continually wants to go off in completely unexpected directions. 

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

Ohhh man. Well... 

• Jesus - Johnny Depp. Just that right amount of irreverence. 
• King Arthur - Chris Hemsworth. Maybe a bit of typecasting, but it works.
• Buddha - Not sure. Maybe Seth Rogen? :P
• Krishna - Oded Fehr. Can be inscrutable and villainous... (Spoiler?)
• Jimmy Cole (Main Protagonist) - Martin Freeman
• Dan the Aussie - Ryan Kewanten, provided he can do comedy...

Theres more, but thats the main crew. I've been toying with making Buddha an African American, but I'm really not sure how that would work...

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When our Saviours return, who will recognise them? 

A bit flat.. Maybe a nice movie poster Tagline: "The Second Coming: Sequels just never live up to the promise of the Original"

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

I'd like to be represented, but I feel like I'm a long way off from that particular bridge.

I'm open to self-publishing, and for The Second Comers, it might in fact be a better option.

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

Well, it's still ongoing. Been working on it off and on for the last 18 months. 

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

I'd like to compare it to Good Omens, by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Time will tell? Either way, it's a similar sort of theme, and I intend for there to be some comedy and satire in there. 

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

This book? Just the idea, really. As for who or what inspired me in terms of writing in general, I'd say Terry Pratchett because he's just awesome,  and Piers Anthony - in particular, the Incarnations of Immortality series. I've always had a bit of a fascination with the supernatural intruding into the 'real world'. But not in the ordinary 'vampires and ghosts' kind of way...

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

Well, it's an exploration into the human psyche, society, cultural values... Religion. How I think we now perceive a lot of things that once upon a time were subjects of great reverence and importance.

It's also a bit of a love story, although not in the way you might think.

Humour, tragedy, and the awakening of one man's mind to the possibility of the impossible...

Oh, and there's a bunch of stuff about saviours and prophets and whatnot that the average reader may not know (or want to, in some cases!)

My recommendation for the next big thing...?
Charlotte Nash:  I met Charlotte at Genrecon, and was immediately impressed by her intelligence.

Alison Strachan: I've known Alison for the longest time, and her writing has depth, character and humanity.