Work In Progress Challenge

I was recently “tagged” by Eric Wyatt in a lovely little writing challenge.  If you are tagged, you’re supposed to answer the following ten questions about your Work In Progress (WIP).  To read about Eric’s WIP, click here.  As for mine….

1. What is the title of your book/WIP?

You’d think this would be easy given that I use a mock-book icon on most of the social media.  However, I’m actually thinking of renaming it.  So, let’s make this a poll (vote via comments).  Which are you more likely to read?

The Dragonling

Dragon in a Jar

2. Where did the idea for the WIP come from?

I wish I knew.  Bits and pieces came from all over the place.  However, it all started with – don’t laugh – a video game (ok, 2 video games).  Then there’s some things inspired by books I’ve read.  But that’s actually for the book I want to write.  My WIP is the prequel to that book.  It came from the fact that I needed to know my antagonist better, so I decided to write her story.  I did a novella length bit, but it begged to be a novel, so now that’s where I am.

3. What genre would your WIP fall under?

Fantasy.  Probably something else too, but I actually don’t pay much attention to genres, and tend to make up my own.

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

The Dragon would be a computer-generated graphic.  I guess I get to cheat!

I have actually started looking for pictures of people to use as mental models of some of my characters, but not all of them can act.  I can’t really say more than that because I don’t really know much about actors/actresses.

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your WIP?

This is subject to change, because I am writing out the history now.  I’m not yet sure what’s going to end up in the STORY (where I’m going to start, etc.) – and I’m probably going to change the protagonist’s name, so I’m going to call her “Jane” here.  Here we go.

Jane married to get away from her abusive brother, but when her husband dies mysteriously, she  is suspected of murder and forced to return to her family home, where she must figure out how to proceed with her life in light of the suspicions about her, while evading her brother’s grasp.

I’m fairly certain that’s a run-on.  Oh well!

Wait! There’s no dragon in there?  Darn.  You’ll just have to see how that comes up. 

6. Is your WIP published or represented?

Nope.  It’s not even half done.

7. How long did it take you to write?

Over two years so far (and counting), but I didn’t dig in until recently.

8. What other WIPs within your genre would you compare it to?

No clue.  Really.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this WIP?

Jim Butcher – because if wizards can be P.I.’s in Chicago, then I can make up a fantasy world with ideas that came from video games.

Also, all my online writing buddies – because without them, I’d still be thinking about writing it, instead of actually writing it.

10. Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in this project.

To me, the most interesting thing about this story, is that the protagonist is in the process of becoming a “big bad.”  I’m finding the evolution of this scenario to be interesting.

There are other “bad” people in the story, but they stay jerks and bullies at a small level.  How does one become a massive force of destruction/chaos?  What motivates somebody to do this – even when they know it will cause pain and destruction?   But, since this is a fantasy novel, it isn’t going to be so heavy and depressing as, say, a book called, “The Rise and Fall of Hitler.”

Also, I’m getting to explore how this impacts other characters around the protagonist.  I find that very interesting, at a human level.  What does it mean if you love somebody who is turning into a really bad person?

Also, since you now know that there just might be a dragon in a jar, I’m going to ask you to consider HOW a dragon might end up in a jar.  Are you curious?  

One last thing…

Tag, You’re It:

As a final step of this Work In Progress blog post, I’m supposed to tag other writers who are then “it” to make a blog post of their own.

Here’s my list:

• Kate over at 4amwriter.com
• Beth the founder of Limebird Writers
• Amy at The Literary Mom
• Bob Evanhouse at Part-Time Novel
• Vikki at The Outside View