The Next Big Thing: What I'm Working On Now

By Colby Marshall - October 30, 2012

Wonderful fellow author Lisa Bouchard was kind enough to tag me in an ongoing game of The Next Big Thing, a blog circle where authors have a chance to discuss their current Works in Progress/what they’re currently working on now.  So, on to the post!

The Next Big Thing:

What is your working title of your book?

 Colorblind

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Colorblind’s main character uses a condition she was born with called graphemeàcolor synesthesia—a form of synesthesia in which an individual's perception of numbers, letters, and people is associated with the experience of colors— to solve crimes as part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI.  I love writing crime stories, but I got the idea to have Jenna have grapheme synesthesia because I have the condition myself.

What genre does your book fall under?

Psychological thriller

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

This is a tough question for me, since I don’t know of anyone off the top of my head who could “be” what Jenna is in my head!  I’d say Jennifer Esposito (Crash, Don’t Say a Word) might be good in the role.  She certainly has the look I imagine Jenna to have.  As for Hank, I know without a doubt I’d want Shemar Moore (Criminal Minds) to play Jenna’s superior officer, ex-boyfriend, and the father of Jenna’s little girl.  He fits the part perfectly both in look and in that he’s just the right mix of badass and soft-spoken.  The other character I already have cast in my head would be Sebastian.  Caleb Landry Jones (X-Men: First Class, Contraband) would be brilliant as the disturbed Sebastian in my book.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Forensic psychiatrist Jenna Ramey must use the rare condition that causes her to associate gut feelings with colors to stop a killer with an intricate knowledge of her past before she becomes the next victim.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Right now, Colorblind isn’t represented, though my debut thriller, Chain of Command is due out from Stairway Press January 8, 2013.  Colorblind is being read by a few select agents as I prepare for Chain of Command’s release.  We’ll see what happens with it after that!

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

It took about three months—and several interviews with a forensic psychiatrist—to finish the first draft of Colorblind.  I started it in January but took a good month away from it before coming back to complete the draft.

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

Though Rain Man isn’t in my genre, I like to think of Colorblind as Silence of the Lambs meets Rain Man.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

When I make new friends, they tend to ask me questions about my grapheme synesthesia when they find out I have it.  They will ask, “What color am I?”  I don’t always have an answer for them, but the fact that people are curious about the condition inspired me to write a character with this particular quirk.

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

My main character, Jenna, first learned she had this condition as a teen when she used it to help put her own mother, a black widow, behind bars.  Now, she must use it to find a killer who knows far too much about her mother’s case to be any other person who’s simply read articles about her mother’s killings.  She realizes the killer she’s hunting must be connected to her past, meaning her own family is in danger.

I’ve tagged these writers to join in the game!

Bryn at http://bryngreenwood.wordpress.com/

Rose at http://rosepressey.com/

Jen at http://jenhayley.com/blog/

Mary at http://marysbooksblogger.blogspot.com/

George at http://authorberger.blogspot.com.au/

 Please tune into these blogs the week of November 5-11 to check out their posts!

 

Message for the tagged authors and interested others:

Rules of the Next Big Thing
***Use this format for your post
***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (work in progress)
***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them.

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:
What is your working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.

While you’re waiting for those new posts next week, be sure to visit Lisa Bouchard who tagged me, as well as any other participants in The Next Big Thing.  Have questions about my current work in progress, Colorblind?  Leave ‘em in the comments!