Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Anyone have plans for November?
Darrell and I will be participating in National Novel Writing Month.
Here is the system:
Starting on November first, we will each attempt to write a whole novel. As Darrell knows, the book he is working on cannot be entered. November first is a fresh start.
On average, each day we will need to write 1,667 words to reach the month end goal of 50,000 words.
Here is the point:
By concentrating on word count, we will have less time to self-edit. By starting a story on day one and writing the 50,000 words before the end of the month we won't have time to develop attachments and pre-conceptions about characters or plot which will grant us the freedom to do unexpected things with the story.
Now, 50,000 words is about 175 pages. It is more of a novella, really. But the point is the story, isn't it? And if we don't finish the story in 50,000 pages we can always complete them later.
By midnight of the 30th we submit a copy of our work and robots count the words and delete the copy. No one reads it, but if the word count is there we win.
Winning gets us . . . Hang on . . . It is here somewhere . . .
Ah, yes. We know we won. A feeling of accomplishment. And our names somewhere else on the internet.
Also, "NaNoWriMo" is fun to say. Seriously. Say it.
We will also each have a 50,000 page sample to shop to publishers.
Anyone else want to play?

Hmmmm . . . . I'm going to need a plot or something.
Maybe something with cyborg ninja zombie monkeys that are space pirates. You hear that, Darrell? "Cyborg ninja zombie monkeys that are space pirates" is taken!

3 comments:

Andrew Moore said...

I'm in. Great American Novel, here I come!

(It's about time someone replaced The [not so] Great Gatsby!

Pamela Moore said...

I'm down. I crapped out two one-act plays for the nudey contest - Andrew Moore style. I think mine will be about zombie hookers.

Gatsby = suck

Crazy-ass new novels that provide little more than a sense of accomplishment = giblets

Darrell Davis said...

Space Monkeys? O come now, I'm going with a story about the racial conflict between amoeba, and the hatred they must over come in order to realize their destiny as the one day rulers of the planet.
I need a name...