I was tagged recently by Julie Catherine over at her blog, and for this I am grateful. As per the instructions, what writers have to do is then discuss their work in progress (WIP) in the form of some interview questions. Here goes:
What is the title of your WIP?
It is titled This Broken Earth, and will first be released as digital versions in parts entitled The U.S. of After, The U.S.S. Ronald Reagan, and Babylon the Great. I will then release all three as a completed digital edition and as a printed book.
Where did the idea for the WIP come from?
It’s funny really. The entire novel came from my love of post-apocalyptic fiction (i.e. David Brin’s The Postman, Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, and Pat Frank’s Alas, Babylon) and because I had recently researched what I believed about end times events as predicted by the Bible. I didn’t believe in dispensationalism, especially the idea of a pre-tribulation rapture, and since Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins were so successful with the Left Behind series I thought I would write my take on the idea of Biblical prophesy. During the research, however, I realized that this would be a futile exercise. I felt more strongly about the idea the importance of faith. If you have faith in something, how willing are you to hang on to that faith when the chips are down or when your life is threatened. The end times prophesy really became the McGuffin or the thing that is the backdrop to the real story, and so now I have (I feel) a more compelling story that explores relationships, has difficult romantic qualities, and generally is a suspense story that gives me pride that I have probably constructed some of my best work… at least I hope it is.
What genre would your WIP fall under?
Definitely post-apocalyptic fiction with a slice of supernatural romance and a dash of action adventure and suspense. It does have some deep discussions of faith issues as they are central themes to the book, but it is mostly a suspense story of the Joss Whedon kind, with lovely bits of sardonic humor sprinkled throughout.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
- Main hero, Clayton Delroy, a bag boy who barely graduated high school: Jay Baruchel
- Female lead, Amy Lawson, a college coed/pre-med major: Karen Gillan
- Ralph Wapekeche, love interest for Amy: Alex Meraz
- Ethan (last name not revealed), villain/friend/impostor? who knows: Christian Bale
- Jacob Buckminster, prophet/wizard/wise guide: Ed Harris
- Howard, won’t give away his role, but: David Boreanaz
- Captain T. Clark Waldeburg, militia leader and horrible villain: Dennis Hopper
I have a lot of other characters, male and female, but if I listed them all this post would get silly.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your WIP?
Wandering through the dusty, frightening apocalypse are a band of people who manage to survive in the rugged face of adversity, cannibalistic militia and harsh environments, but their lives, like our own, have a greater destiny not immediately visible to the naked eye.
Is your WIP published or represented?
I am always open to representation if someone wants to do that, but for now I am self publishing this novel in parts as stated above, hoping for the best. I am on Twitter, and tons of social media, and have been promoting this book on the internet for some time. Here’s hoping.
How long did it take you to write?
I started writing this novel last October (2011), but didn’t really pour it on until the last 6 months. I had an outline completed by Christmas of 2011. I work mostly from that, and it helps me focus and keep busy.
What other WIP’s in your genre would you compare it to?
I am at a loss about this question. I really don’t know of any post-apocalyptic-christian-fiction-action-adventure-sardonic-romances out there. If anyone is writing one, please let me know so we can compare notes.
Which authors inspired you to write this WIP?
I grabbed the style of this novel from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, but the starkness of it came from The Book of Eli, The Postman and Road Warrior. The banter and characterization comes directly from a blending of my love for Joss Whedon dialogue and the unique description of Charles Portis.
Tell us anything else that might pique our interest about this WIP?
Don’t let this book being “Christian” keep you from reading it. At its heart it is really just a good adventure/romance. Yeah, the villains are Stephen King scary even though they have quirky humor and are the kind that we “love to hate”. I think this novel has something for everyone to enjoy, and is centered around an idea that most of us can fall in love with: our need to believe in something whether that is God or an idealism or that there can be a better way, and how we might sacrifice everything we have to keep that true in our lives.
Finally, I have to tag three blogs and ask them to complete the above interview. So here they are:
Writing Is Hard Work 
I liked your answers to this challenge. Your WIP is intriguing and I wish you a lot of luck with it. 🙂
Awesome response to the challenge, Roger – thank you for accepting! I’m already following Jennifer Eaton, so look forward to reading her WIP Challenge post – thank you for adding a couple of new writers for me to check out! 🙂