So! I’ve been working on a new book. I’ve waited a bit to say anything about it, because I always get weird little ideas that don’t amount to anything. But at 26,000, it’s probably safe to say this one’s going well. Especially since I only got the idea on St. Patrick’s Day, and started writing that night.

We were kindly tagged by Essie over at Books For Thought (thank you, Essie!).

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1: What is the working title of your book?

Ah, titles! Usually I can come up with a pretty good title, but not this time. Cait came up with it for me: Graffiti Bible. I’m a little concerned that it gives too much away, but it works for now.

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


Well, I just finished reading Chasing Jupiter (Rachel Coker), and I thought, “That’s good. That’s a good book.” Then I went to bed. Between getting out of bed and passing my desk on the way out of my bedroom, I got an idea and a first sentence. So I have no idea where anything about this book came from. It just… came.

3: What genre does your book come under?


It’s YA Christian Contemporary. It’s my first Christian book, and my first contemporary book, but not my first YA. Ah, it should be fun.

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

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Wow. That’s forward. I don’t know, exactly. My main character, Silas Bernard? I don’t know. He’s fourteen, and I can’t really think of any fourteen year old boy actors, because that’s kind of weird… the girl, Piper? I think Elle Fanning would probably work. (She’s blonde and the right age… and the only person I can think of…)

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

Silas is weird–as in, handing-out-Gospel-tracts-on-a-street-corner-weird–and when he meets the wayward girl next door, and his life takes a new goal; converting her into a pinafore Christian.

It’s not a very good one-sentence synopsis. Ah… it’s the first one I’ve ever tried to write, and while it’s technically one sentence, it would flow better as multiple sentences. I should work on my pitch writing skills.

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

Ha. Ha. Ha. I started it, what? Two weeks ago? It’s going to be a looong time before it’s ready for a publisher of any sort.

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

Well, since I haven’t finished it, I’ll answer by saying, “My goal is to write 2,000 words a day till it’s done.” So far, I’m not going strong. Um… I haven’t written today, but hey! There’s all afternoon…

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

Um… Okay, this is going to sound really odd. Fiona Wood’s Six Impossible Things meets Ace and Christie at Summer Camp. Saying that, I have not read any Ace and Christie books, but I’ve suffered through enough comic strips in my schoolwork to know what they’re like. If you do not know who Ace and Christie are (that means you never did PACEs,) you should probably be grateful for for your lack of knowledge. (As a result of Ace and Christie, I can name you every. single. helping verb. What have they done to me?)

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


I woke up in the morning. It’s terribly inspirational, isn’t it? I guess one thing that inspired me was that a lot of Christian fiction books are really cheesy and cliche. I’m thinking the Christa Chronicles and some Beverly Lewis ones I read about a girl with Amish friends… even some more modern ones like Interrupted are a little bit formulaic. So I’m trying to write something… fresh? And funny. Definitely funny. I love funny.

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

You can probably think of a book where someone didn’t want to have anything to do with Christianity, and by the end of the book, they were reading their Bible three times a day. Well, I’m kind of flipping to the opposite. Silas is…a dork, that’s what he is, but he’s going to convert Piper. She will become a Christian. Only, she’s not so sold on the idea. I’m trying to flip perspectives to the one bent one doing the converting and trying to find find a more original approach.

Speaking of which, if anyone knows any Christian YA to recommend me, please tell me in a comment, because I have no idea what I’m doing!