Guest Post: Andrea Hoffman The Next Big Thing Blogroll

    

      Thanks, Laura, for putting me on deadline. And thanks for motivating me to write this, or to write in general. So, here you have it, my Next Big Thing Blogroll, or as I think of it (for myself only) the Next Amateur Thing Blogroll.

1.       What is the title of your book? Herding Pink Elephants

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

I love romantic comedies. A good one takes you through all the emotions–happiness, love, sadness, anger–and sometimes more. Basically I just started writing a profile of sorts for my main character to find out who she was. When Elly came to life, I tried to look at her and see how badly I could torture her, for it to be ironic and funny at the same time.

Elly’s basically an avoider. She comes by it honest because everyone around her is an avoider too (her mother especially). So how do you torture an avoider? You throw so much at them that you make it impossible for them to escape the situations they choose to overlook, the giant elephants crowding the room. And what else gets to a girl quicker than betrayal and desire?

3.       What genre does your book come under? Women’s lit, perhaps?

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

This was fun. I mentally cast characters every time I read a book so doing it for my own was good times.

Elly: Anne Hathaway – She could be anyone’s leading lady.

Erin: Adriana Lima- Don’t roll your eyes. She’s done some “acting.” Plus I needed an exotic beauty who looks bitchy (but is probably a nice person in real life).

Jenna: Brooklyn Decker- She’s been in her fair share of Romcoms so I instantly thought of her. Plus she fits the bill of Elly’s beautiful, athletic best friend.

Annalee: Ellie Kemper- I think I wrote this with her in mind the whole time. If you’ve seen her in Bridesmaids, then you’ve met Annalee.

Jacob: Armie Hammer-Swoon…he’s dreamy, and he sort of has an honest face. While Jacob was ultimately a jerk, I still wanted him to be likable.

Ryan: I’m going to have to go ahead and hop on the Henry Cavill bandwagon here. How could I not? He is perfect for the part.

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

       Losing her boyfriend to a lifelong frenemy leaves Elly Matthews stranded in the middle of a vandalized reality she struggles to adjust to, and just as she learns to navigate the new landscape she’s suddenly forced to face her betrayer on a daily basis, sending her back down dark roads she’s avoided for years that unexpectedly position her for the perfect revenge.

6.       Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agent? The answer is D-None of the above.

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

Roughly two years. Half-way through I suddenly didn’t like my main characters and what they were doing. I kept going, pushing the story to where I envisioned it going until I couldn’t do it anymore. It was then I realized it wasn’t my characters who I didn’t like. They were only doing as they were told. I released control and rewrote most of what I’d completed, keeping my characters personalities in mind, letting them guide the story instead. It all came together much better from that point on. Of course, I think there’s always something that could be edited or improved but I’ve decided it’s done–for the most part.

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

 Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed or Jennifer Weiner’s Good in Bed.

9.       Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I’ve loved telling stories my whole life. I used to write them (by hand on typing paper) when I was in elementary school. I’d even illustrate them myself (trust me there’s no future in that for me). In high school I took on poetry. Most of it was melodramatic, at best, but it was satisfying to be able to let my creativity out.

My current job as an accountant doesn’t exactly let me be creative. It’s been years since I’ve tapped into the right side of my brain. With the help from my co-worker (thanks Laura!) I got the push I needed to get back to it–for real.  So, I cleared away the cobwebs, gave it an oil change, and put my right brain back to work. Now I can’t stop.

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

This story really has a lot of twists and turns. It goes beyond Elly and her journey. Her mother’s group of friends (the Unit, as they are so fondly dubbed) has their own sub-story. It’s interesting to see the similarities and differences in the two sets of friends, the mothers versus the daughters.

When I first wrote the book, I had a lengthy backstory for the Unit. I wanted to know why their dynamic worked the way it did and why Erin’s mother, Mae, seemed so in-your-face, yet so mysterious. Ultimately, you get pieces of their story along the way and in the end you get a preview of the skeletons hiding in Mae’s dead bolted closet. Yes, I said preview. There could be a sequel, but who knows….