Now that I’ve been letting people know I’m writing a novel, I naturally get questions back asking me what it’s about. Am I writing an erotic thriller set in Japan in 2020? Perhaps a crime novel, involving a serial killer with a penchant for grenades and Big Brother? Or an unlikely romance between a librarian in Bognor Regis and a Triad leader? Well, maybe I’ll explore those ideas in other books, but if you want to know about this one then take a look at this post’s title – it’s also the name of my novel.
How should I describe 26 Miles to the Moon? Here are a few one-liners that I could use:
One man’s chance to take a risk for once in his life and grab the opportunity to write himself into history.
Ten runners compete in a marathon to win a trip to the moon.
Running, risks and rockets.
Story questions
Will Jon risk his job, his decency and his cat for a shot at the prize?
Why are DPI Adventures offering the trip…and can they actually pull it off?
Is there nothing Nicki won’t do to win?
Category
It’s humorous, will have a love interest and has already got some nudity in it. Its category is best described as mainstream fiction, or even as lad-lit, and its aim is to be entertaining – the sort of book any adult could pick up for a light read round the pool on holiday. I hope to provide both an insight into marathon running but also to inspire, as well as write a story that I’d want to read.
How it came about
If you’ve read my posts over the last month you will have seen me mention my idea about a character running a marathon. I took this germinal idea and played around with it, expanded upon it and then mixed in a bit of extra flavouring for what I hope to be a unique mixture. There’s plenty of books on true experiences of marathon runners, but not much fiction, so I thought I’d jump in to help fill this gap. I didn’t want it to be just about someone running the marathon, nor did I want a clichéd reason of why they took up the challenge. I’m also keen on sci-fi, so blended in the moon concept as an integral part of it as something inside me just demanded that I use it.
Interested?
If you’re a publisher or agent then please contact me via email: andy (at) andrewmales (dot) com. I’m currently 23K words in, but aiming to finish a first draft by end of November. Initial chapters can be provided upon request. (I know it’s a long shot, but you just never know who ends up looking at blog posts).
If you’re a friend, feel free to let me know what you think, good or bad. It might sound awful to you, not your thing, or you may have questions or suggestions. Oh, and before you ask – no, you won’t be a character in it!
For everyone else, I guess you’ll have to follow the blog and wait!
It’s a good idea – I like!