The Next Big Thing: Linda Green

Last week I posted my response to the ‘Next Big Thing’ blog meme, which has been doing the rounds of writers recently.   This week it’s novelist Linda Green’s turn, and I’m delighted to be able to post Linda’s answers to the same questions here.  Over to you, Linda…

Many thanks to Rachel Connor for passing the Next Big Thing baton on to me and hosting my entry. If you haven’t read her novel Sisterwives yet, please do; it’s evocative, intriguing and beautifully written.

 

What is the working title of your next book?

The working title, which was annoyingly suggested by my husband in thirty seconds after I’d tried for weeks to come up with something, was The Mummyfesto. It’s survived to be the actual title too, which is a first for me.

Where did the idea come from for the book? 

During the last general election in 2010 I kept my husband awake at night by ranting about what was wrong with mainstream politics and how a bunch of mums could make a much better job of it. I think he was worried that I might do something stupid and declare as a candidate so he suggested that rather than try to stage a one woman coup I write a novel about a woman who does. It worked, he got to sleep and I started plotting a fictional revolution.

What genre does your book fall under? 

Commercial women’s fiction.

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

Juliette Binoche (with a middle-class north London accent) would play Anna, Nicole Kidman (if she’d agree to have a stud in her nose!) would play Sam and Renee Zellwegger (in a broad Yorkshire accent) to play Jackie. Now that would be worth watching!

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book? 

Three mums launch a new family-friendly political party and make a bold bid for number 10  while trying to cope with deepening crises at home.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

The lack of women in politics and the fact that the system is so un-family-friendly, how difficult it is for  children to get their voices heard and the way any attempt to raise issues of importance to women and children is trivialised by the media. It’s been very much a case of saying ‘what if?’ and seeing where it takes me.

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

I’m fortunate enough to already have an agent ( Anthony Goff at David Higham Associates) and a fantastic publisher in Quercus. The Mummyfesto will be  published in paperback on February 14.

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

Six  months flat out but I’d done months of research and plotting and planning first and did a rewrite afterwards, so the whole process has taken about a year.

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

The book, like my last three novels, is set in West Yorkshire where I live. It’s not a book about politics, it’s a book about women’s daily lives and struggles and their strength as mothers, partners and friends. I’ve had great fun writing it and I hope readers will laugh and cry along with the characters but I hope it also raises some very important issues. For more details go to www.linda-green.com or get in contact via Facebook Fans of author Linda Green or @LindaGreenisms on Twitter

 

I’m delighted to hand the baton on to Sarah Dunnakey, a very talented writer who is busy at work on her debut teen novel. Sarah’s ‘Next Big Thing’ answers will be available here http://jumbly-girl.blogspot.co.uk/