Introducing my WIP: Vanishing Act

A big thank you to Lorraine Ambers for nominating me for the Round Robin game. Check out her blog post where she shares her own WIP, Mischief and Mayhem. The aim of this game is for writers to share some of their Work in Progress, and then encourage others to do the same. So at the end of this post I will nominate somebody else to take part.

Okay, so here we go:

What genre is Vanishing Act?

Vanishing Act is a thriller/suspense novel.

How did you come up with the idea?

I was in London, watching a street performer in Covent Garden. He invited a child from the crowd to come and perform a magic trick with him. The crowd was quite big and dense, and you couldn’t see everyone clearly, and for some reason it got me wondering what would happen if when the boy went back to the crowd, his parents were gone. And it just grew from there.

Who is the MC of Vanishing Act?

I have two main characters, Amber and Austin. Amber is in her late twenties, loves art and Rome, and finds herself in caught up in a horrific relationship. She disappears while her son takes part in a street act. Austin is the magician, the excitable Australian whose world gets blown apart when he’s left with Amber’s lost and confused son.

What POV is Vanishing Act written in?

Vanishing Act is written in third person past tense. Amber and Austin have alternating POV chapters throughout the story.

What is the current status of Vanishing Act?

I’ve recently finished a printed paper edit of the book. Currently, I am transferring those edits onto my computer document version, as a new draft. I’m hoping to be finished by the end of the month, and hoping to be ready to query it by the end of September.

Who is Vanishing Act’s target audience?

I would say anybody who likes thrillers, who enjoys a suspenseful story with twists and turns throughout. For fans of C.L. Taylor, Clare Mackintosh and Claire Douglas.

Share the blurb of Vanishing Act

When four year old Alfie Tallons’s mother disappears while he takes part in a magician’s street act, he’s left alone on the streets of Bath. With no-one but the bewildered performer, Austin Jackson, Alfie is desperate, afraid, and insistent on one thing: no police.
When Alfie goes missing too, Austin’s life is plunged into questioning and doubt, especially when he is arrested as the lead suspect in the boys disappearance. A year later, his life in tatters, Austin is shaken again as Alfie’s mother returns, demanding his help and refusing to answer any of his questions about the day she vanished…

Share a small piece of your WIP

The soundtrack to Austin Jackson’s life had become some kind of permanent ticking. The second hand on the clock above his desk, making its slow and repetitive journey. The clacking of fingers on keys as he and his colleagues tapped and clicked their way through another eight hours. The dodgy chain on his bike as he pushed the pedals, and his will to live, towards the office. The clattering of passing trains.
The office building backed onto a railway, and from his top floor desk Austin had a perfect view of the tracks. Whenever a train zipped by, he fantasised about jumping one and riding it well away. Some days, he fought against the urge to jump under one instead.
How had it come to this?
It was a question he asked himself every day, even though he knew the answer would crawl into his thoughts and leave him guilt ridden and sick with rage.
Nothing like a solid routine to keep your 9-5 on track.
And the routine was unrelenting, consistent:
Nine o clock, make a coffee as strong and as bitter as his thoughts.
Twelve noon, eat lunch, and wash it down with a large side of self-loathing.
Three o clock, ask how it had come this and wallow in the answer.
Four o clock, fall into the trap of reminiscing, and remembering a life that didn’t involve counting down the minutes that made up the final hour of work.
Austin never wanted to live a life of routine and, above all else, he never wanted to work in an office. He’d decided as a teen that he could cope with bar work, and during his years at university he did just that. Yes, he could work behind a bar, he’d be a waiter, could handle giving out leaflets for sleezy nightclubs on cold streets in the middle of the night. But whatever happened, he promised himself he would never spend his days at a desk.
And yet there he was, thirty-five years old and tap, tap, tapping away as he inputted feedback from surveys into databases and charts. That was his routine, Monday to Friday, nine to five.
What a bloody way to make a living.

How will Vanishing Act be published?

I’m querying agents with my first novel at the moment, and if nothing comes of it I’m going to query with this one instead. The dream would be to publish traditionally, but only time will tell!

Round Robin Nomination

I’m nominating L.K. Middlebrook. She’s an incredible writer, her imagination is vivid and her way with words astounding. Be sure to give her a follow too, as she’s fairly new to wordpress, but shares gorgeous poetry and amazing short stories. Plus she’s an all round asset to the writing community, a truly lovely lady!

All you need to do is:

• Write a post next week and answer the following questions:
  • What genre is (WIP title)?
  • How did you come up with the Idea?
  • Who is the MC of (WIP title)?
  • What POV is (WIP title) written in?
  • What is the current status of (WIP title)?
  • Who is (WIP title)’s target audience?
  • Share the blurb of (WIP title)
  • Share a small piece of your WIP
  • How will (WIP title) be published?
• Link back to this blog post
• Nominate another writer into the game to introduce their WIP using this “Round Robin Nomination” format.

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I hope you enjoyed an insight into my work in progress. Feel free to share info about yours below in the comments.

Until then,
Keep writing,
M
x

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