So, I’ve been tagged as part of an internet meme (horrid word. Also odd, as I thought memes were mostly pictures of cats doing amusing things or pseudo-political captions on pictures of sunsets, but I digress…). Last week was Veronique Martin (lovely French writer, good haircut, husband looks like Dexter). You can read about her Next Big Thing here: http://www.vdavidmartin.com/2012/11/the-next-big-thing.html

And you can read about mine below…

What’s the title of your next book?

Life on Other Planets

Where did the idea come from?

This is the seventh in the Rachel Riley series, which sees her turn eighteen, finish high school, and attempt to leave the tragically normal Saffron Walden behind.

What genre does your book fall under?

It’s teen comedy. That said I know many grown-ups who are huge fans. As well as some eleven year olds (whose mums are clearly not fazed by the use of the words “knob” or “mentalist”).

What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie?

Well, the book is somewhat autobiographical, so that’s like asking who would play the teen me in the movie of my life. So, someone geeky, awkward, with bad hair: Alia Shawkat or Lena Dunham, maybe? 

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?

Smalltown girl decides to escape smalltown to find fame, fortune and man who stirs her in pants-based area.

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

It’s being published by OUP in March 2014.

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

About four months. Though there was a lot of faffing for months beforehand.

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

It’s a kind of inverse Princess Diaries so Meg Cabot fans, and also fans of Grace Dent’s Diary of a Chav and Louise Rennison’s Georgia Nicolson books might also like it.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I got tired of books always being about troubled teens. Not all of us, thankfully, have or had drug habits or unwanted pregnancies or abusive parents. Though at the time I would have given my right arm for one of these. I wanted to reflect that, and show that there is drama, comedy and tragedy in the normal.

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

A man called Pig, a cat called Nietzsche, and Aled Jones.

Who are you passing the baton to for next week’s Next Big Thing?

To my friends, and almost neighbours:

Catherine Bruton (www.catherinebruton.com)

and Cathy Hopkins (www.cathyhopkins.com)