The rules are simple: answer these questions about your work in progress, and link others at the bottom so everybody can hop over to meet them.
What is the working title of your book?
Serving Time.
Where did the idea come from for the book?
I honestly can’t place my finger on it. I started throwing ideas around when I was 12, and the whole universe slowly took shape.
It all began with a short story about two brothers, originally called Tristan and Seth, who ransacked derelict ships to sell off everything they could find. But they pushed their luck too far in the black market and one day they discovered they were one of the System’s “most wanted”. To avoid being caught by the police, they joined forces with Quagga (hey! Give me a break! I was a kid!) to escape their hometown space settlement and make a dash for Earth, the capital of disorder, where anyone with a past can vanish into the crowd.
All the characters, as well as the plot, slowly evolved over the years until, in the summer of 2010, I decided to join a novel writing course and make sense of it all.
Characters changed. Names changed; Seth became Eneld, and Quagga became Verin. Tristan lost his way and became a hired assassin, while Eneld tried to hold on to his dignity as a biorobotics engineers. The plot evolved and became much more intricate. Later on, a goddess, a necromancer and a pack of demons decided they wanted in on the fun. Everybody’s welcome. We’re one big happy family. :-)
What genre does your book fall under?
Sci-fantasy and adventure.
The action is set in a futuristic world in which humanity has spread across the Solar System. Millions of people inhabit colonies in the Jovian neighborhood, blissfully unaware of the supernatural creatures which share their day-to-day life.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
I’ll let the producers make that decision.
No, seriously, I can’t imagine any specific actor playing my characters, but I can imagine them in comic books. Loads and loads of comic books! I’d love that.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
One sentence what?
Summarizing my book is an issue I’ll have to confront very soon. I still haven’t been able to pin down the convergence of various storylines in just a couple sentences.
This is one of the reasons why I’m talking about a WIP and not a completed novel.
In a few weeks, I plan to write a new blog post with all the details of Serving Time—and maybe a few illustrations thrown in for fun!
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I will probably self publish it next year, once I’m done with the edits. I originally wanted to find an agent and attempt the “traditional path”, but self publishing sounds more and more appealing the more I learn about it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
About ten months. The second draft, which included substantial changes in plot and characterization (I wasn’t happy with the first draft), took me about another ten months. Considering I was working full time and studying a master’s degree, I’m pleased with how quickly I put everything together.
I completed the second draft the last week of August 2012. I am currently editing and making small character and plot improvements.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Serving Time is a fantasy adventure set in a science fiction world, so making comparisons is a bit difficult.
Some details, such as the space colonies scattered across the Solar System, are comparable to the setting in Isaac Asimov’s novel Nemesis.
Certain silly moments in the plot, as well as the characters, are comparable to some of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels and Jonathan L. Howard’s debut novel, Johannes Cabal de Necromancer.
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Déjà vû—see question two! I honestly don’t know who or what my muse is. Since my childhood, I have always loved writing. It was about time I got serious about it.
I guess that through this novel I want to give my vision of the world around us, of life and death, and inner demons. Because we all have inner demons.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
A fellow CCer said: “I write about necromancy. I write about robots. But I don’t write about necromancy AND robots. That would be absurd.”
Well, roll up my sleeves and call me Sally because Serving Time has both!
Next up I tag:
Yay! Another future self-publisher. I was thinking about going the traditional route, and I might still try it but self-publishing seems pretty appealing.
ReplyDeleteWow, you've been thinking about this book since you were 12. That's great. I've always been interesting in time travel since I was a kid.
I like your title, Serving Time, by the way. :)
Thanks Lanise!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've been thinking about the same characters since I was really young, but that doesn't mean they were any good back then!
When I was a teenager, I wrote and eventually shelved two complete novels. They just weren't up to my own standard. I might give them a whirl in the future, but right now Serving Time occupies my every free moment. I love it.
Oh, and I love that you're also writing about Time and Time Travel. ;-) Your one-sentence synopsis is intriguing.
10 months = 43 weeks = 215 Working Days.
ReplyDelete70,000 Words / 215 Days = 326 Words per day on average.
326 Words = Roughly 40 Minutes of Writing per Day.
I can understand working full time and studying will obviously drain your time substantially. Me, I have no excuse lol. I just didn't believe in myself to finish.
But now that you have, it is fantastic. It has certainly been the most empowering and fulfilling experience for me in my writer journey.
Wishing you the best for your project, Nadine. Let me know if you need a beta reader :)
Well, you should believe in yourself. If you don't believe in your own work, who will? ;-)
DeleteOh, my novel's 115k words... So my calculations are(considering I try to write a little every single day):
10 months = 43 weeks = 301 days
115000 words / 301 days = 382 words per day average
It sounds like nothing! What is that, about a page per day?
Beta reader? That would be great, Shane! Right now I just received a full manuscript review from my very first beta reader. It's wonderful to have someone read the whole thing all at once!
DeleteI'll open a thread in CC for beta readers when I'm done with my current edits. See you soon!
I believed in the work, I just couldn't get it right for a while. I had a lot of false chapters I went back to erase because they didn't sound right. My mistake was not outlining enough. I'm going to make sure I get that right next time.
DeleteLooking forward to those threads, Nadine ;)
I like a combination of science fiction and fantasy. Honestly I'm surprised I don't see it more often. But the more I hear about this novel, the more interested I am!
ReplyDeleteI think a hybrid of sci fi and fantasy is just fine! One of my short stories on the modern day hare vs. tortoise concept combines holistic and fantasy.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure why people discourage hybrids. Your story sounds intriguing. Good luck with it! At least you have a completed manuscript you get to play with. :)
So I am late to this conversation, but is Making Time the sequel to Serving Time?
ReplyDeleteHi John! Yes, Making Time is the sequel to Serving Time. Originally, the first book was called Making Time, but I decided to change the title. It's all one giant mess! I got it sorted out, though. ;-)
ReplyDeleteSo, first we become servants of Time.
Then we can make our own Time.