Next Big Thing Squared

Yes, yes. I've already filled out this tag once before, but I was so graciously tagged by Jessica of Safirewriter, and you know that I cannot resist a good tag. So, ahem! We are now moving onto the second installment of the Next Big Thing Writing Tag Thingummy... only this time I'm just simply calling it squared instead of adding on all that thingummy stuff and making it the second in the line of thingummy tags and avoiding that dreaded activity of having to bother with numbers. Or... yeah, that. What? I'm confused, too. Let's just say there are three different kinds of people when it comes to math and squaring stuff: those who are good at it, and those who aren't.

Anywho, let's just get into the tag. Technically, you're s'posed to fill it out for a more developed story, but I have a soft spot in my heart for my Kianna story, so I'm doing that one.

1. What is the working title of your book? Kianna. Real original, eh? I have a feeling I'm going to change it, but that's what it is right now.

2.  Where did the idea come from for the book? Seriously? A weird dream I had about myself in an old manor with secret passageways, overlooking a dreary beach with a killer whale in the background. And it was like most dreams: something happened, although I cannot recall what, and I had to go somewhere, a place I didn't know, and I had to go with someone I despised, a person I don't know or truly despise. From that, I drafted the beginning of the story in my mind, taking myself out, of course, and inserting a girl with dark hair and a terrible habit of holding grudges.

3. What genre does your book come under? Again... not an easy question. Fantasy, to be generic, because it is part of my big fantasy world and what I would define as fantasy (and I'm talking REAL fantasy, not some modern excuse for the celebrated genre). Adventure would be a big tag for this book, because it does involve ships, fights, and treasure. Can't think of anything else I'd put it under.

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? I don't know all the characters yet, so.... hmm... well, I can try to cast some of them. 

Kianna Ardyn Feuraire Baléine played by Alexandra Daddario.

And Nathen Penser, Kianna's sworn enemy, played by Gaspard Ulliel.

 Those are the two main characters in the book. Other main characters I haven't named yet, so it's difficult to get pictures of them. I know next-to-nothing about these two actors, though, so I'm really only going by looks here and what I imagined my characters to look like. Kianna is moody, argumentative, and fiesty, while Nathen is, in his own right, ready to get things done and not sit around moping yet at the same time he isn't afraid to stop and think about things, although he's rather oblivious at times... if that helps you at all with their personalities.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? After the capture of her family, Kianna is forced to team up with a childhood enemy and find the location of a legendary treasure... before it's too late.

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency? Most likely self-published.

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? Still writing!! I've only been working on this for a month or two, and the manuscript only boasts just under 3,000 words. I know this should be a project I push aside and stew over for a while because I don't have all the details fleshed out yet (it's really a story muddled from a bunch of pictures in my mind), but I got too excited about it and had to start it.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Hmm... the more I'm thinking about it, I think Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped might be a good comparison, only it's about a girl, not a boy, and she goes willing on an adventure, while he's kidnapped, and she works with an enemy, while he has a good friend helping him, and her destination is somewhere over the sea and rocks, and he was doomed to wander over highlands and moores. Or maybe not so comparable... The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, maybe? But my fantasy world of Pennin is not quite the same as Narnia.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? The aforementioned weird dream (please, please, please tell me I'm not the only one to get random book inspirations in nonsensical dreams!!), and the following picture. No idea who this is (actually, I think it's someone who plays the violin, because I've seen another picture with her holding a fiddle), but as soon as I saw it, I knew it was the perfect Kianna. The dark hair, the dark eyes, the dark expression, the ocean in the background... perfect. 

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? I'm going to fall back on what I answered this question with last time: a snippet. Get ready; this is rather lengthy. ;)

Athlia and the duchess had exchanged several phrases on the topic of their recent lives, as well as plenty of the sorrowful lamentations relating to not being able to keep in contact more, as they should have liked. Kianna wondered at their conversation, knowing both women, while busy with the livelihoods of their respective families and unable to visit more than twice in one month, to write lengthy correspondence each week, and in each epistle to convey to the other such things that it would have made it impossible in the girl's mind to hold any type of conversation anytime afterwards, considering all things that could have been said face to face had already been said in the numerous missives. Still, neither woman suffered from a lack of words, each uttering something just as soon as the other had almost finished her last thought.

“And where is our dear Nathen?” Athlia asked, tossing a pointed glance at Kianna as she spoke the words. “He did accompany you here, I hope?”

“Oh, yes, indeed.” Duchess Wilaroth waved a plump hand in the direction of the door. “He paused on the step to share a few words with your man, Sorhd, I believe his name is. My darling boy has always considered him a great friend, so he would see that he paid his respects. He's always so thoughtful that way, you know. I do not like to be one to boast, but it is the opinion of myself and of his father that Père blessed us with an angel rather than a normal boy. He was at the head of his classes at the university, and was quite the favorite among both masters and students, although he would not deem it proper for himself to magnify such praises. He always was such a modest boy, and his father and I are extremely proud of him.”

 

“As any parents should be.” Athlia responded.

Kianna's jaw only grew tighter as she watched her mother's face beam with joy. It was as if she enjoyed hearing about all of his accomplishments, thinking him to be the grand son the mother made him out to be, forgetting, or perhaps worse, feeling ashamed of the daughter who was nothing compared to this angel. A dash of jealously nibbled at Kianna's heart, and she maliciously let it take root. Why not? He already held the honor of being equal with dirt in her mind; a simple smattering of jealously wouldn't do much harm to that opinion. Indeed, it might better it in the respect of turning the honor to mud.

 

“Ah, there he is now!” The duchess exclaimed cheerily as though she had just announced the discovery of a blue bird on the windowsill.

 

Kianna, who hadn't taken her burning eyes off the doorway for a moment, stiffened at the proclamation. A bit of dark cuff appeared first, followed slowly by the rest of the sleeve, up to the elbow, and then several more inches where it leveled out to accommodate shoulders. After the entire arm was in view, a booted foot materialized on the floorboards running lengthwise under the door frame, connected to a leg covered in breeches made of the finest cloth in Pennin. Another moment, and Nathen stood whole in the door, surveying the company in the room with his hands on his hips and his eyes bright with anticipation.

 

Athlia immediately surrendered her place by the duchess's side and moved to give her hands to the boy. “Nathen! How you've grown! And such a fine young man, too. Your mother was just telling us all about your achievements at school. Oh, we have missed you greatly in these last few years.”

 

Nathen took the hands she offered him and bowed. “Not nearly as much as I have missed you all, I'm sure.” He said, standing straight again. His gaze traveled briefly from Athlia's face to that of her eldest daughter. Kianna met the look squarely for a moment, allowing the ire to emanate from her own eyes without caring how Nathen interpreted it, then turned her head sharply to look out the window as if she hadn't seen him at all.

God bless!