Friday, November 23, 2012
The Next Big Thing
So I was tagged in a meme just for authors, and it gives me a good chance to talk about my new novel, which is seeking a good home. Here goes:
What is your working title of your book?
'Burban Boys
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Before Drive-by Saviours came out Lesley Choyce read it, liked it, but suggested writing something with more local content. I thought about that and figured maybe it was time for the great contemporary Halifax novel. But everything I know about Halifax takes me back to the old Halifax County, where I grew up. And I remembered something Russell Smith said when were on a panel together and the MC, Stephanie Domet [having fun literary name dropping now here], noted that both our novels were very urban, and asked was that part of a trend away from country and village settings. Smith said maybe, but if so it would quickly be surpassed by suburban settings, which have the fastest growing population in the country, and a literarily under-explored one. So I set out to write a novel about suburban Halifax - the County as we called it - in the 80s and 90s. It's a tinderbox world created to meld affordable, safe, quiet green spaces with the convenience of the city; for the kids growing up there, it is neither convenient nor safe.
What genre does your book fall under?
Literary fiction, contemporary bleak, dark comedy
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
James Duval, Christian Bale and Larry the Cable Guy would play the three protagonists as adults. I'm not up on my child actors.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Three best buds, forever bonded by youth's shared masculine brawls and verbal jabs, struggle with their respective chosen careers in eco-terrorism, managing a cult and polygamous family, and welding; somehow their friendship no longer helps matters. [That semi-colon was a bit of a cheat, wasn't it?]
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Probably not. A quality independent publisher is my hope for it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Five days. [My wife and child were out of town, so I got wild on that manuscript.]
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Stephen King's The Body, sort of. Though it's not even the same genre exactly. It's a modernized Stand by Me with a different body and a lot more drugs.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Aside from Lesley Choyce, it was inspired mainly by a lot of the guys I was tight with growing up, and also some of the guys I knew and did my best to avoid.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Prostitution. Pimping. Proselytism. Polygamy.
There's riot cops. 1990s Halifax memorabilia. The Cafe Ole. Violence. Sex. Bad swears. Drugs. Frat parties.
Did I mention eco-terrorism?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.
Jeff Bursey, author of Verbatim (a truly innovative novel). I guess I'll be trying to line up my authors after the fact.
What is your working title of your book?
'Burban Boys
Where did the idea come from for the book?
Before Drive-by Saviours came out Lesley Choyce read it, liked it, but suggested writing something with more local content. I thought about that and figured maybe it was time for the great contemporary Halifax novel. But everything I know about Halifax takes me back to the old Halifax County, where I grew up. And I remembered something Russell Smith said when were on a panel together and the MC, Stephanie Domet [having fun literary name dropping now here], noted that both our novels were very urban, and asked was that part of a trend away from country and village settings. Smith said maybe, but if so it would quickly be surpassed by suburban settings, which have the fastest growing population in the country, and a literarily under-explored one. So I set out to write a novel about suburban Halifax - the County as we called it - in the 80s and 90s. It's a tinderbox world created to meld affordable, safe, quiet green spaces with the convenience of the city; for the kids growing up there, it is neither convenient nor safe.
What genre does your book fall under?
Literary fiction, contemporary bleak, dark comedy
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
James Duval, Christian Bale and Larry the Cable Guy would play the three protagonists as adults. I'm not up on my child actors.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Three best buds, forever bonded by youth's shared masculine brawls and verbal jabs, struggle with their respective chosen careers in eco-terrorism, managing a cult and polygamous family, and welding; somehow their friendship no longer helps matters. [That semi-colon was a bit of a cheat, wasn't it?]
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Probably not. A quality independent publisher is my hope for it.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Five days. [My wife and child were out of town, so I got wild on that manuscript.]
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Stephen King's The Body, sort of. Though it's not even the same genre exactly. It's a modernized Stand by Me with a different body and a lot more drugs.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Aside from Lesley Choyce, it was inspired mainly by a lot of the guys I was tight with growing up, and also some of the guys I knew and did my best to avoid.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Prostitution. Pimping. Proselytism. Polygamy.
There's riot cops. 1990s Halifax memorabilia. The Cafe Ole. Violence. Sex. Bad swears. Drugs. Frat parties.
Did I mention eco-terrorism?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.
Jeff Bursey, author of Verbatim (a truly innovative novel). I guess I'll be trying to line up my authors after the fact.
