Wanna Be a Ninja? (Plus, a Tag)

Hey, there, Everyone! NaNo went well. I finished one of my two goals so that's something, at least. I'm continuing with GOING SOMEWHERE over my Winter Break. For now, though, I thought I might tell you about something Arianna and I are doing.

It's called "Write a Novel with Cupid" (and if you're an aspiring writer and don't know Cupid, OHEMGEE--- go check her out NOW). Basically, instead of ONE month to write a novel, we're using the months of December AND January to get a first draft out of a brand new project. Then, we'll plan revisions and submission goals that we're aiming to get through by the end of this upcoming year. And if you want to be, you can get in on this, by becoming a part of our personal team--- The Pink Ninjas (OF DOOM). I put the "OF DOOM" part in parentheses because I, personally, am a fan of unicorns. But Aria is our Team Leader and the name is a kind of insider betwixt us (DANG TWITTER), so that is what we call ourselves. If you want to be a part of our team, just email me at desimcg@hotmail.com so we can start supporting one and another! ALSO, feel free to start your own teams and tell me about them! It'll be fun to have some competition. I promise to still love you all!!!

And now, onto the tag. Bethany Myers, an author Aria and I follow on Twitter (and who we found in a writing contest over at Mother Write! Bethany's awesome) tagged Arianna who then tagged me to do a tag called "The Next Big Thing." Aria wants me to talk about PW and therefore, I shall. Here we go!


What is your working title of your book?
PLANET WEIRD, or PW for shortsies.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
I honestly love telling this story, but I'll try to make it brief. Basically, my younger sister and I were waiting for a bus one day, and a girl I knew from school who was waiting at the bus stop too started talking with me to catch up on lost times and the what-not. Then she went into this completely dramatic and yet totally serious account of how she had met a vampire that day. The details are still fresh in my mind about that conversation, and the story she gave me was so hilarious, ridiculous, and true that I couldn't help but wonder, "What kind of a school admits a self-proclaimed VAMPIRE?" Forks High School. Ahhhhh-bviously. But also Planet Jr. High where all of "the kids were weird."  That was the first line that came to my head on the bus ride home. The idea that followed is one of my favorite storylines yet.

What genre does your book fall under?
I call it MG Sci-Fi, but at one point when I had doubts, I called it a MG Adventure.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
As long as the cast is diverse, I wouldn't care who played my characters! I hardly keep up with the youthful stars of the day. Can we pull people off the streets and say, "AY! Please be my main character, please?" Okay, thanks.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Disguised as a thirteen year old human named Drew Vardaman, an alien runaway attends Planet Jr. High in hopes of leaving behind her predestined responsibilities, but instead runs right into them when a parasitic shadow starts possessing her classmates.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
I don't have the energy to self-publish professionally. It's my dream to be represented by an agency, but who knows if this is the project that'll get me there?

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Minus the time I spent procrastinating? A month. Plus the time I spent procrastinating? A year.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
The "destiny" part is what people tend to focus on, but to me, PW is about conformity and non-conformity, learning what it means to be yourself, power vs. responsibility, and things like that. Only, told in a light, fun setting--- a junior high school in the middle of nowhere. I haven't really been reading lately so I'm almost at a loss on this one, but it sort of has a hint of the themes in Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and the sort of "right in front of your face, but you can't see it!" fantastical stuff reminds me of The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi and Percy Jackson by Rick Riordian. Plus, it's in that age range, so there you go. :)

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Sahara Blank. My sister, Kia. And our nephew, Chris. They all played their parts, believe me. :)

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Here is a list of the FIVE AWESOME THINGS ABOUT PW THAT YOU MIGHT NEVER GET TO KNOW (aka My Love List):
1. There are portals.
2. There's a story within the story.
3. ESTEBAN!!!
4. Drew is actually a person of color though in her Earth form, she doesn't appear to be.
5. It's a love story--- in a sense. PW's about learning to love yourself, and learning how to love others who may seem to be worlds apart from you. Shoot, PW's about A LOTTA THANGS. But that's one of them. :)

Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

I tag Talia, Prerna, and Nicole (because I hear you're writing again! Am I misinformed?). Basically, if you're writing something and you're a human being, you should do this tag. Please tell me if you do it! I'd love to check ya out! :)

Lots of love,
Deserae
P.S. This song is called "Simply Falling" by Iyeoka. Steal my heart like a ninja and join our team!