National Novel Writing Month - write a novel in 30 days? :)

Kempo Kid

Re: writing marathon.

The whole point of this, from what I understand, is to get writers to sit down every day and work on their writing, continuing to work at it even if what they're writing isn't their best work on a given day. I've heard it said that if you do something 21 times in a row, that's all it takes for it to become a habit. If you sit down and work on a novel every day for thirty days, that helps enforce the habit, and some writers need that.

I suppose people can write garbage on purpose if they want. They can flat out lie if they want. But at the end of the month, they might have nothing, they might have garbage, or they might have 50,000 pretty good words. Of they might only have 27,000 pretty good words. But that's still better than nothing.

I agree with the comment upthread. If you don't like NaNoWriMo, don't do it. But it's discourteous to put other people down who would like to participate.
 

sugarmuffin

Re: writing marathon.

Well, I have not registered yet, but I'm seriously considering doing it. I have part of an outline for a novel and a few scene sketches that I have had brewing for a while. I would work on my current WIP, but their requirements are that it be a totally new work.

I did a mini-version of something like this for a week this summer. My writing buddy and I made a bet--whoever writes the most of new material has to send the other a bottle of wine. We had a ten page minimum, synchronized our formatting and we were off. Perhaps 10 pages in a week wouldn't be a lot to some folks here, but I had some other commitments that week that gave me very little personal writing time, and my writing buddy was working very full time. I managed to crank out almost 4,000 words in a genre I have never written in, and it was a real stretch (it turned out to be 16 pages). It was a lot for me and IT WAS GREAT.

It really made me focus and ignore my internal editor/critic.

I think something like a 50k challenge is great if you can align your attitude and schedule. I am going to try to set up my other commitments so I have a shot at meeting a goal like this.

In the end, you are accountable to yourself, but having some external pressure can be extremely useful.
 

mistri

Re: writing marathon.

I love Nanowrimo - I find it a great way to throw myself into a novel - I'm slow at working through the first half of a book otherwise. And I reread last year's the other day, and while it wasn't perfect I was surprised at how much of it I liked. It needs revision, sure, but not totally tearing down and putting back together again.

It doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me.
 

Risseybug

I'm in!

OK, someone talked me into it. So now I need an idea for a terribly written book :)
I am taking it in the way it was given - with a sense of humor. I am putting aside my WIP to find something new to try. If it works out to be good, so be it -I'll edit it and run with it. If not, it was fun to do and may even make me better at first drafts!
 

James D Macdonald

Re: I'm in!

Why something terribly written? Why not go for a decent novel? Writting well isn't much harder than writing badly.

Look, as it happens I've written three different novels in under a month. All of them have been published. Why not you?

But really, if all you need is an idea: Duke Ellington: Detective.
 

Risseybug

Well now...

I mean that the first draft, written in 30 days, with time at a premium and a two year old hanging on my arm, it will be terrible. Not necessarily unsalvagable or uneditable, but not really all that good.

Hmm. Duke Ellington... tell me more, o great one. Kick my muse in the butt, will ya?
Is he a police detective, or a PI? What is his field- narcotics, homicide? Why did his mother name him Duke Ellington?
 

James D Macdonald

Re: Well now...

<a href="http://www.dukeellington.com/" target="_new">Duke Ellington</a>.

Run with it.

<HR>

For inspiration and examples, see the <a href="http://www.sff.net/people/peter.heck/twain.htm" target="_new">Mark Twain Mysteries</a>.

See also: The Exploits of Dr. Sam Johnson: Detector by Lillian De LA Torre, The Mask of Red Death by Harold Schechter, Benjamin Franklin Takes the Case by Robert Lee Hall, and other similar works by Bruce Alexander, Karen Harper, William F. Nolan, and Max Allan Collins.

Famous-historical-figure-turns-amateur-detective is a recognized sub-genre.
 

evanaharris

Re: Well now...

Famous-historical-figure-turns-amateur-detective is a recognized sub-genre.

I want to say that this surprises me. But no genre classification surprises me anymore, now that I've learned that there's an actual sub-genre of sci-fi that uses or predates, exclusively, technology from the 1800s.

Steampunk.

Of course.
 

evanaharris

Re: Well now...

Hmm. Duke Ellington... tell me more, o great one. Kick my muse in the butt, will ya?

Please, Rissey, tell me you knew who Duke Ellington was...
 

Risseybug

Of course

I know who Duke Ellington was. I was thinking along the lines that this person, this character, was a detective named after him, not Duke himself.

That's why the question about the name.
 

Jyndral

Re: I'm in!

Why something terribly written? Why not go for a decent novel? Writting well isn't much harder than writing badly.

That's the premise I'm going with. If I go into it with the intent of writing something bad (not that others can't do it, I just can't do it myself), I won't get past the first sentence. It's just not in my makeup (no, not the cosmetics kind of makeup :lol ).

I've been having an "interview" of sorts with my main character. I've worked on this particular story before, but I'm scrapping all that I've done on it and starting over because I've been stalled on it for six months or more.

We'll see how it goes. :)

~Jen
 

Risseybug

Got it..

I think. Picture this... There has been a murder. A nightclub singer named Billie Bleu was found in the alley outside the club, strangled with her own silkscarf.

That's all I'm giving you. Believe it or not, I was watching Who Framed Roger Rabbit today and got inspired. I guess it was the whole 30's -40's look.
I've got more than half a month to plot it out, which I don't usually do. I also don't usually write crime/mystery, I usually write YA fiction. This will be good for me.
 

mr mistook

Duke Ellington: Detective

Just a clue for anybody who might be thinking of writing Duke Ellington: Detective. The Duke was a Mason, as was Satchmo, and even W.C. Handy.

There's no easier way to write about a conspiracy than to include the Masons (i.e. Knights Templar).
 

Kate Nepveu

Re: Of course

Someone named Duke Ellington, who wasn't the famous musician, as a detective might be interesting, too. If that sparked more ideas for you, why not?
 

Risseybug

Cool...

Duke Ellington: Detective. The Duke was a Mason, as was Satchmo, and even W.C. Handy.

That's interesting, I did not know that. BUt I think the whole Knights Templar/Mason conspiracy thing has been done to death, most recently by Dan Brown.
My Grandpop was a Mason. We used to call it the Booga Booga house, b/c everything was a secret. He actually became the Grand Master of his Lodge, which made him the Head Booga Booga LOL. He used to get so mad...
<sigh> I miss him already, and he only passed away last week.
 

mr mistook

Re: Cool...

I know the Templar/Mason thing has been done to death, but as a comedy it could still work, I think. :D
 

alinasandor

Re: writing marathon.

Hi Libralace!
Thanks for reminding me that it is coming up!:jump
November is my birthday month so I am going to give this to myself as a present. :party
Ahh...the bliss of writing like mad, not taking time to edit!
I am an editing freak, so this will be nice.
 

Fresie

Re: writing marathon.

There's no easier way to write about a conspiracy than to include the Masons (i.e. Knights Templar).

:D I can't imagine writing about any such kind of conspiracy these days, not after Eco's Foucault's Pendulum. Generally, he's closed the Masons/Templars/et al discussion. Don't think there's anything still left to say after his book... thank God for that! :grin

I've been looking at this NaNo thing for so long now that I think I'll join this time. In fact, I've registered. The trouble is, I'm going to spend the first half of November on a business trip, but well... I can't put my life on hold because of my writing, and vice versa.

See you there!

Fresie
 

mr mistook

Re: Eco

Hmmm... I look like kind of a jerk in that pic. I'm taking it off my profile. :grin
 

Flawed Creation

Re: Eco

I started Foucault's Pendulum. I couldn't finish it. the writing seemed muddled and i couldn't follow even the simple narration, setting aside the complex conspiracies. my father says he finished it and that the end didn't explain anythng. the entire book made no sense.
 

DanALewis

Re: Eco

I finished Foucault's Pendulum but now I feel like I didn't start it. I should revisit it now that the vocabulary is more or less in place.
 

Fresie

Re: Eco

As Foucault's Pendulum seemed to be just like my kind of book (I've done some extensive research in this area myself) I clenched my teeth and kept reading, telling myself that there had to be a catch there somewhere and the plot (or a story question, premise, anything???) would be finally revealed soon... yeah yeah! I gave up just when I reached the last chapter and sent the book flying across the room! One chapter left -- but I couldn't take it any more!

For me, it was particularly boring because, as I've said, I'd done quite a bit of research on hermetic teachings and societies myself so I basically knew everything he was writing about, all the quirky names and theories. I wanted to see how he'd put it all together--a puzzle (like in the Name of the Rose), a twist, a clever sting in the tail, something!!! Nothing...:shrug The book decorates my shelf now.

It is because I derive pleasure from having no time to do anything at all.

Dan, I second this! What is it they say? -- "If you ever want to get something done, give it to a busy person"
 

Terra Aeterna

Re: Eco

I think the whole and only point to Focault's Pendulum is this: Do not taunt the Diabolicals.

:grin

But I loved it, even with a previous acquaintance with Templars, Hermetic societies and all.