3 days to go! Fancasting my characters

Posted byWren JamesPosted inextras, the next together

To celebrate the release of my first book, I’m posting a new “Behind the Scenes” exclusive about The Next Together daily until September 3rd. You can find them all here, including Chapter One from Matt’s Point of View, a Harry Potter crossover,  A scene from start to finish, a playlist and the book as different genres. 

If you preorder The Next Together before September 3rd you can get a free signed bookmark! Details here. The last person to email me with their preorder information before midnight GMT on September 2nd will receive an extra special gift with their bookmark!

Today, I’m sharing my character fancasts!

THIS IS MY ALL TIME FAVOURITE THING TO DISCUSS, SO HOLD ONTO YOUR SEATS GUYS. THERE’S GONNA BE A LOT OF CAPITAL LETTERS AHEAD.

aLRIGHT ALRIGHT SO MATTHEW GALLOWAY, MY MAIN MAN.

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Preferably, all of these lovely gentlemen would play him together, at the same time. If (tragically) that weren’t possible for some reason, I would narrow it down to:

BEN WHISHAW. BEN FREAKIN WHISHAW.

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HOW’RE YOU DOING THERE, BABYCAKES. MMMM.

We’ve got futuristic scientist Matthew:

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SAFETY SPECS AND TERRIBLE CARDIGANS AND NERVOUS CONFIDENCE AND….COME HERE LET ME CUDDLE YOU AGRESSIVELY.

And historical journalist babe Matthew:

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CHECK OUT THAT VULNERABLE BEAUTY. THAT POETIC INTELLIGENCE. THAT GENTLE SWEEPING CURL OF HAIR.

THAT’S MY MATT.

Although I think Corentin Renault also deserves a little shoutout:
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Kate Finchley. My girl is a lot harder to cast, because she has to have the kind of face that is androgynous enough to pass as a boy when in disguise, but also super curly ginger locks.

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I think the most likely choice is Rose Leslie, who was introduced to me via this beautiful The Next Together gifset.

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tumblr_nt8rfp7y2k1uz5qdeo8_250 SO ELEGANT. SO DIGNIFIED. SO LIKE KATE, WHO IS ALL THOSE THINGS (UNTIL SHE OPENS HER MOUTH).

Although Jessica Chastain is also a frontrunner.

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LOOK AT YOU SOLVING MYSTERIES AND BEING COMPETENT AT EVERYTHING, URGH.

MY BABIES, I LOVE YOU.

Also, here they are as mermaids, because why not?

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So then we have the secondary characters, who are a lot harder to cast because I haven’t spent almost three years thinking about them inside out.

Tom Galloway. I’m thinking smirky, cocky? Stubble. Dylan O’Brien.

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Sexy hacker older brother Dyls O’B.

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And finally Anise is Ellen Page. 

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If you want to know more about Kate and Matt, you can read the first chapter of The Next Together here, and buy the book in the following places:

Amazon UK | Waterstones |  The Book Depository (free international shipping)|Wordery | Foyles | Kobo | iBooks |  Goodreads

In other news: I did an interview at That Artsy Reader girl‘s blog.

The Next Together was featured in yesterday’s Sunday Express! Honestly, I can’t believe this is real life sometimes.

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A rebloggable version of this post can be found here.

Published by Wren James

Wren James is the award-winning British author of eleven science fiction & fantasy novels, including The Quiet at the End of the World and The Next Together (previously published as Lauren James). Their books have sold over 200,000 copies in ten languages, and The Loneliest Girl in the Universe was optioned for film by Amazon MGM. Wren is a story consultant on Netflix’s Heartstopper, which was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Writing. Also a RLF Royal Fellow, Wren is the founder of the Climate Fiction Writers League and member of the Society of Authors’ Sustainability steering Committee. They work as a consultant on climate storytelling with a focus on providing optimism and hope. They have won the Sustainable Story Award and been shortlisted for the YA Book Prize, Carnegie Medal and STEAM Book Award. Wren’s writing has been described as ‘gripping romantic sci-fi’ by the Wall Street Journal and ‘a strange, witty, compulsively unpredictable read which blows most of its new YA-suspense brethren out of the water’ by Entertainment Weekly. Their latest titles are Last Seen Online, a crime thriller set in the world of fandom, and The Victors, a cosy fantasy graphic novel illustrated by Beth Fuller. Wren was born in 1992, and has a Masters degree from the University of Nottingham, where they studied Chemistry and Physics. They run a Queer Writers group in Coventry. Follow them on Instagram & TikTok at @wrenjameswriter or find out more at wrenjames.co.uk.