You Know You're Writing Lit-Fic When... http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155 MrHeywire This thread brings me so much joy each year, and it is my pleasure to bring it to you again in November 2011! You know you're writing lit-fic when... - You're thinking you might be sci-fi, but you don't think you're sci-fi enough to be sci-fi, or you might be romance, but you're not romantic enough to be romance, or you might be... [ad infinitum] - People ask you a direct, simple questions about your novel and your answer always seems to be "uuuuhhhhhh..." - After planning your novel for weeks, you realise you have neglected the plot. - Thinking about your novel always seems to lead to what feels like a tiny existential crisis. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 05:58:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_4317 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_4317 Raquelin ...You have to force yourself to write an actual action-y, conflict-y event, and reward your slavish efforts with some rich, yummy character development in the name of a reaction. The action takes 5000 words. The reaction takes 50000. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:15:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_4968 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_4968 Bewitched.Rhapsody - when your outline actually says a lot of the time, "... And then the main ponders about this for a bit." - when the conflict is almost always internal. - when people ask you about the plot and you say, "There isn't one, really..." - when people say it's impossible to write a novel without a plot and you say, "Well, it's just all about the characters." - when the fact that your character likes open floor plans or dislikes the color yellow is actually extremely important to the plot. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:39:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_7608 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_7608 Xmaspast Inquisitive Person: What's it about?" Me: People. IP: Who's the main character? Me: There isn't really one? IP: Who's the antagonist? Me: Society. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:19:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_12345 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_12345 KaitTTT - Your story might be better off as a series of photographs. - You're attempting to braid together ~30 short stories. - Your outline is covered in ?'s. - You run out of character names halfway through the outline, and can't think of any that are "real enough - but not too normal". Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:35:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_12672 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_12672 KaitTTT &amp;.... - Your MC is "that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach". Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:36:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_12692 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_12692 benarol if that is your MC, i want to read your novel. ... it can't be summed up in one word less than the complete manuscript length ... your theme is 'themes' ... the plot is how your book's voice changes Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:19:01 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_13524 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_13524 RebekahW -When you have a character rush out to save the world, only to have him stuck in the middle of another character's monologue about how there aren't any heroes. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 16:51:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_14087 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_14087 quixotic_hope -when you can write five thousand words and then realize that your character is alone in a room and hasn't said a word the entire time. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:20:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_14586 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_14586 thewritechristine ...your characters spend a hell of a lot of time in coffee shops Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:21:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_16823 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_16823 twiggilala When the entire novel is written in the interrogative mood. I am not doing this, but I noticed Padgett Powell's novel(?) on a shelf while I was out and about today, and I could not help but add this. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:24:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_16883 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_16883 ghk1962 - when you're on chapter 3 and you haven't yet flushed out any of the characters to your readers. - when you break so many rules of writing and it either works...or you don't care. - when you can't quite seem to fit your writing into any other genre. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:55:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_18685 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_18685 DanWells11 --When your British Literature Professor complements your style of writing. (Junior Year) Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:40:16 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_20832 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_20832 jazzaholic17 I swore I was writing chick lit last year, but that was because I thought Lit Fic was too cool for me... now I'm officially aware it was lit fic because these pretty much all apply. The one of "people ask what your novel is about and your reply is 'uhhh'" is RIDICULOUSLY true. It's happened on numerous occasions. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:19:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_21527 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_21527 my_foil_tree When the characters of your entire 50,000 word nano all start in the same setting and none of them leave by the end of the novel, making the whole story a continuous stream of events in a short few hours window.... this is the excuse for a novel that I am attempting to create this year! You have been told that your novel is not so much a novel but really more of a concept :) Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:09:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_22885 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_22885 Fiona W —when you keep making footnotes, and then keep telling more interesting stories in the footnotes than you do in the main text —when you're mixing in so many facts about this-and-that, I mean complete non sequiturs or barely sequiturs, that you start to wonder if what you're writing is really fiction —when you get about 50K words into the thing, you get distracted by the thought that you're actually writing a huge interconnected multilevel personal essay, which of course will be impossible to sell to a publisher, let alone market Wed, 12 Oct 2011 01:19:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_22995 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_22995 Ravenwing - When your MC's chosen occupation is just an excuse for him/her to get mired in existential angst. - When your settings are just new things for the characters to get philosophical about. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 03:07:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_23815 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_23815 TheZazzMan - When your MC has meaningful interactions with his semi-sentient clairvoyant household appliances - When a character dies because you need the drama, then comes back as a moldy piece of fruit because you still need that character as a counterpoint to your MC - When you tell people about the clairvoyant microwave and the moldy fruit character and explain their relevance to your theme of self sabotage and they just, sort of, look at you. - When you sit back after planning and think "you know what,even I probably wouldn't read this." Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:19:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_24304 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_24304 phoenix.spice When you finally hunker down and write your synopsis, it takes a half an hour and ends up reading as fallows: Boy and Girl and Boy. It's a tale of sex, romance, drugs, more sex, betrayal. hate, love, 48 fifths of whiskey and 3 bottles of vodka and what it means to define yourself, and to fit in, all while having something to do with the Pink Flamingo pool. There are so many cigarettes in your novel you gave up quitting. You already know you are going to give up sleep. You're not sure if you're stable enough to be writing about anyone who is that messed up. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:49:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_24871 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_24871 TheBookworm When you have perhaps 1K of conversations in the whole book, and perhaps 30K worth of internal monologues. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:08:32 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_27106 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_27106 Fiona W <strong>Damn</strong>, you're givin' me <strong>ideas</strong> here, ZazzMan: I adore the bit about the "semi-sentient clairvoyant household appliances." (Have you seen the movie ”Requiem for a Dream"?) Wed, 12 Oct 2011 13:58:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_30026 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_30026 MyBucketGone When: - You think to yourself, "No one is going to get all this symbolism." - You read the manuscript over a few months later and find symbols that you didn't even realize you wrote. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:45:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_30687 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_30687 signalbeam "I'm writing a novel." "Yeah? What's it about?" "It's quite complicated, actually..." or "Life." Wed, 12 Oct 2011 18:10:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_33959 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_33959 Stark_Raven_Mad It's been an hour and you've written it 15 times but your synopsis /still/ doesn't sound like the story. Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:52:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_38955 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_38955 Rowan. You give up on writing the synopsis because you could never fit your "plot", with all the intricacies of social commentary and psychological probing, into a mere few paragraphs of words, go to start writing, and find that ten thousand words later, you still haven't gotten where you thought you were going. But this is WAY MORE INTERESTING, it's a good detour along the way (and you weren't going to leave the room anyway). Thu, 13 Oct 2011 05:17:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_41060 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_41060 HomewardBound [quote]... the plot is how your book's voice changes[/quote] That was my novel last year. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:03:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_46830 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_46830 writerdancer You get 3/4 of the way through your novel and you get so frustrated you make an appearance as yourself in your own novel and bomb your fictional small town. Then, to your chagrin, your MC, who should have been killed, is the only one that lives! She comes to visit you in the insane ward of a prison, wanting to meet face-to-face, the person who killed everyone that she knew and loved. At the same time your trying to convince her that she's not really real and that you have complete control over what happens to her and her small little life, but she refuses to believe you. This angsty conversation goes on for pages, or even in the writer's mind for days, months or even years until you finish the story. But after that comes the rewriting and editing.... Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:18:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_49286 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_49286 metafictions - When you send a sample chapter to your English teacher to see what he thinks, and even he doesn't get half the obscure literary references you thought you'd seemlessly and cleverly melded into an original story. Thu, 13 Oct 2011 20:03:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_50485 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_50485 addictwriter Ooooo its so true! I hate when people ask me what its about and i go 'wellllll.... its complicated....' And the no plot thing.... I CAN'T PLOT IT JUST DOES NOT WORK!!! The fact that you begin to YELL at your characters cause they aren't doing what they are supposed to.... Fri, 14 Oct 2011 06:59:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_55491 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_55491 chokeonirony - "what's your novel about?" - "there's this girl with no name, and she has a lot of feelings." Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:21:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_58194 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_58194 quietly-making-noise ... when you're not 100% sure if your MC will be the same person by the 49,000th word. Ahh I'm in the right place. My novel is definitely about "Uhhhh welllll...." and possibly "... life?" I desperately need to sketch an outline so I don't run out of steam, but the lack of nice stable temporal plot events is making it difficult... Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:46:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_59790 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_59790 candybrie When you end up writing one scene from all your characters point of view to just get a feel of them. When you're main character is psychologist who listens to all the different characters and just thinks about them. When you spend all of October...and September just defining characters with a vague idea of what they're going to do. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:15:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_61741 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_61741 zemmy When writing fantasy means an internal monologue about the heroes place in a fictional society where dragons are symbolism, from the damsel in distress's point of view. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 01:35:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_66962 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_66962 crazypoet You sat down thinking you could write a short synopsis in 5 minutes and it ends up taking over an hour, and after reading over it you realize that your story has no plot and you begin to panic because you have no idea ow you are going to write a 50,000 word novel that has no plot and is completely character driven. You then begin to ponder if you have bitten off more than you can chew and if you should just go back to sci-fi like last year Sat, 15 Oct 2011 14:37:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_72225 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_72225 Rowan-in-ruins Making tea counts as 'action'. Half way through, you decide that seven characters who all had different names are actually the same character. The setting starts as a city, but soon it's just a town, then one house, then a room. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:44:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75013 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75013 twiggilala When half of your concerns and themes for the novel come from Lacan's concepts of reality, fantasy, the Real, and dreaming. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 18:48:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75061 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_75061 late_stranger ... When your setting is literally and deliberately featureless ... When each line of dialogue is analyzed for at least two paragraphs by 2 to 4 characters. And they all reach the same conclusion. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:57:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_77073 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_77073 HowardField - When your characters are all extensions of archetypes that have yet to be defined. - When you realize that you'd need to be multilingual to give proper attention to your theme/central idea. ...and, a more likely candidate: - When you go through this thread and think "I should have thought of that" every so often. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:13:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_77271 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_77271 Inachis Oh yeah, my story is a cross between Lit-Fic and Romance. So. "What's your story about?" "It's about this guy, and this girl." "Oh, romance?" "It's about this guy and this girl and a lot of emotions." "Which is...?" "Um." Alternatively, Lit-Fic works when you end up spending a fifth of the novel describing the scenery, and how it reflect's upon the MC's internal feelings. And revelations. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:42:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_79098 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_79098 gypsywish I just realized Fight Club must be a lit fic... &gt;.&gt; Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:12:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_81797 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_81797 LadyAislin Well, I wasn't sure whether mine was Lit-Fic or not, but after enjoying this thread, I'm pretty darned sure I know that it is. ;) I related to many of the comments, but have to note that these two made me almost hit the floor laughing with recognition: " People ask you a direct, simple questions about your novel and your answer always seems to be "uuuuhhhhhh..." - After planning your novel for weeks, you realise you have neglected the plot." Hey, I resemble those remarks! Cheers, LadyAislin Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:24:38 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_84974 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_84974 pollution aviator -A major point in the story is him maybe hinting/revealing something about himself to another character who it turn might reveal something back. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:16:27 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91046 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91046 Joseph Staleknight &gt;Critics spend several years trying to find out all the puns, symbols, and other minutiae that appear in your work. Even though you only wrote it in the span of a month. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:22:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91122 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91122 Stark_Raven_Mad ~Your character is doomed to spend over three fourths of the book literally talking to herself/himself. ~ When someone asks you what kind of book your writing you eventually shrug and walk away. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:01:38 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91497 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_91497 K-A-W A more positive one to keep us all going through the lack of plot and the endless character betrails...You know you're writing LitFic when you win the Man Booker. Oh, to dream... Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:47:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_92888 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_92888 ianthe -When you refuse to give your characters last names because they're "not important" -When you refuse to give the city your setting the story in a name because "it could be anywhere. that's the point." Mon, 17 Oct 2011 21:40:45 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_103950 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_103950 my_foil_tree When people ask you what your novel is about and (like everyone else here) your answer is "uhhhhhh." Or, like my novel this year, when people ask you what your novel is about you say "I could tell you, but then you would probably try to have me committed." Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:46:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_114156 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_114156 KaitTTT - when you buy a pack of index cards because pages of lined paper are too constricting/intimidating. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:10:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_120314 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_120314 Acile - when a bunch of crows (supporting characters) reveal to you that they're named after Greek gods and goddesses. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:18:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_122050 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_122050 Homeless ... you're writing about angst, pronounced uhn-gnst. ... you begin to realise you're writing purely for pretentious English/Literature lecturers at universities, the ones you despised. ... you start trying to convince yourself that Dan Brown doesn't have it all that great. ... you start writing posts on Literary Fiction message boards and you begin to realise that every comment you make is actually self-referential. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:56:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_122235 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_122235 BookeaterOdessa - When everything that happens is either symbolic or didn't actually happen - The past is more important than the present - All weather is more than just weather.... Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:07:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_130258 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_130258 KaitTTT - When you think of an interesting scene (or something) to include in the story, but then you think "but what will it <em>represent.</em>" Thu, 20 Oct 2011 01:24:42 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_137908 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_137908 sixleaf When you're planning on killing a character in the first chapter, but you're not writing a murder mystery. When your main character doesn't have any friends. Who needs those, anyway? When your book involves the end of the world, but that's not the main point fo the whole thing. When your idea came from an assignment in philosophy of religion class. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:04:42 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_145025 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_145025 Gabran -When you sit there thinking about all the symbolism you could put in your book but realize that adding in symbolism is creating to much of an actual point for the story and that would destroy the point -You think to yourself for hours about what your characters will be thinking -Telling people that your story is character driven makes you feel too much like it's being driven forward too much Thu, 20 Oct 2011 15:27:08 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_145309 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_145309 lindsey1295 I jotted this on my iPhone notes today: "Looking at woman's old hands, come to realization about love." I immediately thought of this forum. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:13:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_149518 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_149518 SweetJuly Okay, it's official. Litfic is my genre. &lt;3 ...you have to do research on ten other people's writing before you start your own. ...you're adding references to "Dante's Inferno", even though you've never read it. You just think it sounds amazing. ...you're starting to worry that "death of the author" might apply to yourself. ...Quotation marks? You prefer those cool little dashes that they use in Poland. ...you procrastinate by hunting for good epigraphs. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:56:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_151758 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_151758 SweetJuly ...you've posted in every single one of the genre lounges, because pretty much all of them apply. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:57:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_151771 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_151771 writersblock99 When your plot takes place over such a large span of years that the MC's development (and/or the theme's development) is the plot. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:30:40 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_155369 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_155369 milly I'm home! When you sit at the computer, try to think of a plot, and realize deep things about you character's past; and still have no plot. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:26:08 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_155842 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_155842 thatollie . . . everything in your novel has a name, including (but not limited to) a secondary character's shoes, every item in the MC's fridge, the candle they have lit when they take a hot bath . . . etc etc. . . . you cracked and decided to plot, but it didn't work out. . . . you already have a list of 100 made up words to use in your novel. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:21:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_161460 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_161460 Sydaliance - People ask you a direct, simple questions about your novel and your answer always seems to be "uuuuhhhhhh..." That's me all the way. A contribution of my own: "You sneak in deep, psychological allusions to various things in an attempt to make your work have 'real world value' and comment on 'deeply ingrained societal issues'." Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:02:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_166729 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_166729 thatollie . . . posting in this thread IS planning. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 08:17:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_168770 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_168770 mariah125 "You're thinking you might be sci-fi, but you don't think you're sci-fi enough to be sci-fi, or you might be romance, but you're not romantic enough to be romance, or you might be..." Yep :) You know you're writing lit-fic when any description you give your novel as must be prefaced by the phrase "psychologically-focused" Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:32:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_172663 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_172663 Neke You find yourself avidly looking for symbolism in a children's show. Or anywhere, in fact. I've personally reached the point where I have a hard time accepting that some times things don't represent anything. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:11:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_194399 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_194399 finchgeam ... when you take WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW too literally ... when it is easier to write the story when you put your MC in a coma(solved my writers block o.o) ... when you have to fight the urge to put a bunch of footnotes everywhere with things not related to the "plot" at all ... if the above mentioned coma includes a dream sequence that will last about 5000 - 15000 words(Check o.o) all of these apply to me... I'm writing Lit Fic. Not surprising since the thing is about a writer writing(see the first one) Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:39:16 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_196068 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_196068 PowerUnit When your readers not only question your sanity but their own as well. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:22:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_197991 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_197991 Bewitched.Rhapsody When your so called plot is just characters experiencing life in whatever setting you decided to put them in. When the biggest conflict in your novel is the inner-conflict your characters experience. When you argue all the time that inner conflict is the BEST conflict out there. When practically any inanimate object probably symbolizes something. You never put a scene in if it doesn't have a purpose. It must have great meaning before you add it in. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:15:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_198632 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_198632 Fiona W ...when you're reading Roland Barthes, and you keep stopping to make a note of passages (more than one!) you <strong>definitely</strong> want to quote in your novel. No joke: it happened to me this morning. I'm <strong>still</strong> wrestling with whether to put in a lot of footnotes. I like to think that DFW's ghost has been haunting our house. =smile= Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:46:12 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_206481 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_206481 Invisibly-Visible When someone asks you what your plot is about and you immediantly begin explaining the characters and their inner struggles. Tue, 25 Oct 2011 18:10:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_222138 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_222138 Summourn ...When your protagonist and antagonist are the same person. Except that the antagonist is simply a physical manifestation of his guilt and inner darkness. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:30:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_231853 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_231853 Fiona W I recognize that one, Summourn: it's Ursula LeGuin's <em>Earthsea Trilogy</em>! =laugh= Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:07:09 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_241331 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_241331 SVEllis I guess this finally answers my question of what realm of fiction my novel falls into xD Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:27:44 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_241646 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_241646 thelilacmuse You find yourself asking the following questions: --Is this really the detail I want to put in to describe my protagonist? Maybe I can do better ... --Am I being too heavy-handed with my themes here? --What is my title? (BUT--this is important--not because you want it to be properly catchy/kitschy and cute, because you want it to be an accurate set of instructions for your reader to be able to follow what you're trying to do in your piece.) --You refer to your novel as a "piece" and find it totally normal to talk about what you're "trying to do" with it. X.x I dunno, guys, I poked my head in here because this is the type of story I usually write and I just wanted to see what was going on in this forum, and my novel isn't quiiiiiite lit-fic, but damn if it isn't close. It may just be too late for me; I've caught the overly academic MFA writer virus! Sat, 29 Oct 2011 12:24:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_282736 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_282736 Shannanigan "You're not sure if you're stable enough to be writing about anyone who is that messed up." Oh hell yeah. For those who have trouble coming up with a multitude of names, may I suggest searching "fictional character names generator" on the interwebs? I've gotten some gems there. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 14:35:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_284864 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_284864 Fiona W ...when your excuse for not spending the whole weekend working on your outline is, "I should leave room for some improvisation, because that way my novel will have a more authentic voice." ...when your <strong>other </strong> excuse for not spending the weekend on your outline is, "I want my novel to have a meta-level built in, where the reader becomes aware of the author's struggle to write the novel." Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:31:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_286733 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_286733 Uboa You have this conversation: "Uhm, Uboa, you used passive voice in the first paragraph." Myself: "Well, it's supposed to be there. It emphasizes my character's lack of power over his situation, like the passive clause, it relies on and is acted upon by the main clause - His family's wishes. &gt;Cure awkward silence and her logging off. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:55:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_287951 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_287951 jenaiaucuneidee -When you realize your plot is less of a plot than it is a premise. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:53:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_311495 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_311495 JJung When there is an entire chapter on whether the MC should buy lipstick and then after 50 pages she doesn't. (The Hours) When the chapter titles are archaic allusions that no one gets. When there is a lot of walking in your story. When the MC has a meaningless or unsatisfying sexual encounter. (for some reason this happens in almost all my favourite Litfic) When another language is used in the novel and a translation is never given. When everyday things are given cosmic significance. When literature itself is a theme. When after 50 000 words nothing has really changed or stayed the same. When there is a greater focus on how things are described than what actually happens. I also think Literary fiction writing has the tendency to be very autobiographical. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:42:25 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_316660 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_316660 yaziyorum This topic made me feel good! Yes, I am sure now that I am writing Lit-Fic! Isn't it quite difficult to write a synopsis? I couldn't know what to write! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:40:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_345429 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_345429 chokeonirony When you tell a story from a bunch of perspectives just to make sure the reader knows there is no such thing as objective truth Tue, 01 Nov 2011 05:47:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_348106 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_348106 finchgeam When your novels year range is more than 20 years(Example... 1940-1970 ... Mine has a span of 97 years) When you have the most fun writing about a crazy person ... When a coffee shop is a key plot device ... When the main villain is an emotion(for me the villain is guilt ..) When you decide to kill one of the MC's in the second chapter ... ... and don't tell the reader that till the fifth or sixth chapter ... (HAHA!) Tue, 01 Nov 2011 06:38:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_348908 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_348908 alexandravictorious There is social and political commentary everywhere. Everywhere. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 14:52:23 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_360130 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_360130 Mariana OConnor You realise that your implied narrator is breaking the fourth wall to the implied reader, but there is another fourth wall outside of that fourth wall with the real reader on the other side of it, and you're on the other side of another wall again. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 05:35:12 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_384622 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_384622 Rubber_ducky When your entire novel is a flashback with flashbacks within the flashbacks. And instead of just saying that the child was having a tantrum you turn it into an introspective discussion about the emotional distance between mother and child and 1000 words later nothing has actually happened the mother is still holding the cake.... Incidentally the cake accidently becomes a symbol for broken promises/disappointed expectations.... You introduce characters and discuss their motivations but you're not sure if they're MC or not. You are seriously considering having a suicide just so something happens but the suicide isn't planned for at least another 5000 words....you have no plans as to what those 5000 words will be other than describing the birthday party. One of your plans for a chapter reads: "MC goes for a walk at night-time and discusses hyper-reality, philosophy and her feelings of isolation in society and from her own family" Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:44:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_396593 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_396593 cypresstree -You're super cautious about what your narrative is revealing to your reader. -You finish your first chapter and considered publishing it as a short story instead of continuing with the rest of the novel. -The story starts or ends with your MC in a mobile "in-between" place (like on a plane or in a train). -There are no "good" people, only the blindly naive. -You want death to be prevalent in the novel but think it's too cliche to kill off your MC. -You reference or allude to other works of Literary canon (10 points if you can make a non-obvious Shakespeare reference). Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:26:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_397955 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_397955 scribblemuffin People ask who the "good" or "bad" guys are in your novel and you have to explain that they're all just people - not good, bad, or anything else. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:11:59 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_408035 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_408035 Fiona W ...when you get stuck on Day 2 of NaNoWriMo, and you decide the solution is just to wander around in your protagonist's head for a while... (seriously happening to me!) Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:49:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_409516 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_409516 a.single.note When music is a character. When you start thinking the MC is actually completely insane, somewhere in an asylum telling these crazy stories. When your character thinks they might have been alive for all of time. When you spend the first entire chapter not developing anything, just describing other worlds that don't exist. When one of your characters says "I'm in love" and that translates as "I'm in deep shit" Wed, 02 Nov 2011 20:38:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_411330 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_411330 Rogue_Flower When you do include dialogue but it takes several pages just to have a simple conversation because there is more internal dialogue and description and mini-flashbacks than there is actual dialogue between characters. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 23:20:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_416829 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_416829 Crissytrap68 When someone says to you, "God, that's so depressing. Don't you write anything happy or light?" Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:56:58 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_424867 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_424867 RebekahW When you figure out more ways the plot connects moths after you've finished the novel. Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:12:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_436124 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_436124 Mess_ss_y When you ponder what genre you're going to write in with no idea whatsoever of what you're going to write about. And when anyone offers a suggestion for a genre you go on a twenty minute tangent on why that genre wouldn't suffice. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:29:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_506966 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_506966 KKriesel - when you keep saying "The Bell Jar was semi-autobiographical too, right?" - when you write related paragraphs/sentences/sections together and plan on separating them throughout the novel later Sat, 05 Nov 2011 22:47:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_510985 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_510985 toivoton82 Alright I just went through that thread. Actually I thought I am just a fail in writing, because of all my thinking, lack of plot and drive of a story because of all the thoughts my MC puts in and dealing with stuff internally, etc... Now I know, I am obviously just writing Lit-Fic... I was going through the thread like: Yeah, that's me Hm Hm that is too Oh yeah I so totally do that Haha, yeah I just wrote something like this P.S. It is my first year at NaNo, so yeah. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 01:32:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_514705 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_514705 Lunar Twain -When people ask you what your novel is about and you say, "Well... people, really. There are these people. And... most of the story is about the way they feel... Actually, the whole premise for the novel is that they're people who think a lot rather than do big and dramatic things." -When you feel like you just can't help it; you're becoming a hipster and so are all of your characters. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:13:01 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_527973 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_527973 TheBibliothecarius - When one of your main characters is a sentient city with no inhabitants. - When you might as well remove the quotation marks key from your keyboard because there is in fact almost no dialogue, just internal monologues. - When you write almost a thousand words about a piano for no reason before realizing that the piano has become a metaphor for your main character, which you didn't mean to do. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:53:48 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_534031 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_534031 alexandravictorious &gt; That awkward moment that your realize you really need to be trilingual and have extensive knowledge of political science and world history to properly write your novel. &gt; When people ask you what your novel is about, you reply: "Geopolitics." (I really do need to make a coherent synopsis for mine.) &gt; When there's an enormous war going on but all that really matters is the main character's quest for intellectual freedom. &gt; When the central conflict doesn't get resolved until years after one party has died. &gt; When you realize all the important characters are important because they have enormous mental breakdowns. Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:39:49 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_567434 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_567434 emma.janknegt -You spend a whole month coming up with what you think is a fantastic plot with great social and emotional commentary…only to find when you start writing that your "plot" is just characters with extremely complicated emotions. -You spend half the day worrying because you're behind on word count because your MC is doing something "necessary" to get to where you want them to be, but then they meet another character and you go 1k over with dialogue. ^ the above just totally happened to me. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 00:21:06 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_569207 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_569207 Fiona W —when you just had a 2500-word day of intense stream-of-consciousness writing, so you figure you could use a little "light" reading before passing out...and what you pull off the shelf is that copy of <em>Hopscotch</em> by Julio Cortazar that you never finished. (totally happened to me last night!) Tue, 08 Nov 2011 09:05:45 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_574156 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_574156 mutewitness Yeah...I think I'm writing Lit-Fic..... Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:41:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_578018 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_578018 lindzey27 Haha, this is my first year doing NaNoWriMo and I think I just figured out where my novel fits in. At first I was like hmm maybe it's adventure... no. Well maybe it's sort of sci-fi fantasy... no not really. But I can see now that my novel is Lit Fic =P Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:17:10 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_578753 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_578753 RebekahW -When you spend twenty minutes searching name meanings so that you can use a name with the same meaning from a character from a previous book, so that people who look can realize the connection. -When you have the book and its sequel open side by side, so you can find ways to connect them even more. -When you find making metaphors and symbolism about life and society more fun than an pound of chocolate. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:02:42 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_591377 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_591377 Gabran When you're a quarter of the way in and your characters haven't actually done anything because they've been "getting things together in their head." When there's fifteen different setting and all are their own characters Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:22:09 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_599420 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_599420 Elisabell_angel Yeah, I still don't know. I usually classify what I write as this, because half of what I hear sounds like what I write the rest.. not so much. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:04:39 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_600212 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_600212 Fiona W —when your response to hitting the Week 2 Doldrums is to start typing in everything you know about alchemy (two days so far...and it's eerie how well it seems to mirror the story) Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:12:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_601424 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_601424 RussellQ -When you add a character just so your MC can think one specific thought then kill him 7 chapters later for the same reason -When the 'plot' is just an excuse to make characters talk to each other -When those conversations make no sense but are perfect because they show your characters feelings Wed, 16 Nov 2011 02:52:40 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_721856 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_721856 GrangerGirl26 Okay yeah that is exactly me... Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:17:37 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_723856 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_723856 Chickwit Hrmm I think my novel is Lit-fic and not Sci-Fi now.... Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:38:50 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_728446 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_728446 Fiona W ....when you're writing in third-person past tense, and you find yourself constantly worrying--off at the edges of your mind--about who the <strong>narrator</strong> is, anyway.... Wed, 16 Nov 2011 14:47:53 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_728587 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_728587 thewordlover when your "antagonist" is Life and Death. when it's about characters and character connections and journeys and life and death and figuring out the future.... Wed, 16 Nov 2011 15:45:06 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_729473 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_729473 maymay33 As an addendum to Fiona's line two posts above me: - When as you're worrying about who the narrator is, you come to realize that it's actually your main character, and the novel is actually HIS novel, telling the story in third person as he looks back on the past and reminiscing on his thoughts and actions. - When you add that It's implied (but not stated) that he intends to publish the novel, meaning that the story actually continues past the actual end of the book. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:40:52 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_740030 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_740030 iymcool - When you devote a whole chapter to pure introspection. - When your ficticious plot makes you question real schools of thought. Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:39:09 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_741188 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_741188 outolumo - When your setting is a central character that evolves - You write genealogies spanning over 200 years just to know who the characters are. - When time or place is a key factor for the story (long span, short span, one room, whole world...) and you need to consider the order in which events occur. - When your plot is a backdrop. - When you ask yourself questions like: "What you mean no-one can be placed in juxtaposition with oneself?" - When you think that interconnecting a story with itself is a merit in itself. (pun unintended) Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:36:45 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_759796 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_759796 Mikita5510 oh crapt a plot.. LOL Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:48:16 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_760543 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_760543 Pavlinaa When you're just as good at writing plot as you used to be at math homework. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:50:10 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778192 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778192 Pavlinaa Also, when the description of your novel is entirely about people who "are", not people who "do". Sun, 20 Nov 2011 06:55:05 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778214 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778214 tamara_the_muse Heh, I can't write anything but lit-fic in French and I can't write lit-fic to save my life in English. Funny how that works. Anyway, -when you write a 1500 word short story that touches on life and loneliness and bliss and consumerism and spiritualism without ever actually naming the main character, giving them a setting, or creating a plot more complicated than, "she reads in a coffee shop and thinks about life." -when the paranormal romance you have planned turns into an exploration of growing up and changing ideals and putting childhood behind you before you even get to the outlining stage. -when an entire story/scene is comprised of nothing but disembodied dialogue Sun, 20 Nov 2011 20:07:32 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_786134 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_786134 jerhansolo I think I started with a comic tragedy, and it grew into a tragic comic tragedy, but now I think it's just tragic. And the joke's on me. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:37:19 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_787327 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_787327 hope247 First year doing NaNo, just finished my novel and I think I finally know where I belong! I'm writing litfic! Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:19:36 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_811270 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_811270 heartsace There are so many things in this thread that I can agree with that it's absolutely crazy!!! Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:21:26 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_820932 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_820932 CuriousReflection When everything you write has to be about something. Literally. I can't write anything until I figure out what deep theme it's supposed to be representing. So no, it's not just a revolution, it's about revolutions, the need for supremacy, guilt, the desire for redemption, lust for power, innocence and naivete, and the list goes on and on and on. Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:03:04 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_822198 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_822198 MrHeywire - When you have someone's head explode from learning too quickly AND IT'S VERY SERIOUS AND NOT IN ANY WAY FUNNY. - When you keep finding satanic symbolism in your Faustian tale that you didn't realise you'd put in there... - When you discover you're out of tea and think to yourself "I should include the thoughts I'm having in my novel" Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:39:54 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_828925 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_828925 PowerUnit When you don't need a pep talk. They are such silly things. Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:48:49 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_828964 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_828964 Fiona W ...when you don't need dialogue or action either. They are such silly things. =grin= Thu, 24 Nov 2011 18:23:18 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_834353 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_834353 eowynspen ...when the romantic subplot you've been trying to discourage because it has nothing to do with your overall theme ends up surprising you by being a subtle metaphor for the change in one of your characters and actually furthers your theme a lot Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:47:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_848863 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_848863 Macabeak -When your character's backstories, which the reader never actually sees and maybe only hear hints of, is far more interesting than the actual plot Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:26:32 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_880809 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_880809 Geolie When you have to force yourself to create an idiotic plot to "write around" so as not to have everyone asking "Whaa...?" And then, despite yourself, weirdly have fun writing the stupid thing...while the demonic references and Orwellian tea experiences Mr.Heywire refers to show up despite it being better for them to just stay away. : ) Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:28:55 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_881595 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_881595 Seriname You're thinking you might be sci-fi, but you don't think you're sci-fi enough to be sci-fi, or you might be romance, but you're not romantic enough to be romance, or you might be... [ad infinitum] ^^^ Ha ha, yes to that one! My story does have a plot, though. :) Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:19:38 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_900582 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_900582 XVisiEX When you actually remember to mention that half siblings that was talked about way back in chapter 2 even though its been like......12 chapters with no mention of him &gt;&gt; Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:43:14 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_907654 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_907654 Guilie Oh yeah. Totally identified with the "uuuuuhhhhhh" reply. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:25:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56519 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56519 ALAdams 'People ask you a direct, simple questions about your novel and your answer always seems to be "uuuuhhhhhh..."' Always happens to me whenever someone asks me what my novel is about. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:08:02 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_92964 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_92964 LaFawnduh ^ Yep, yep, yep and yep. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:17:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_93269 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_93269 openendedskies Check, check, check, and, yep. Check. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:57:00 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_108935 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_108935 Amalia Pantazi LOL, I have 4 out of 4, so I can say without any doubt that YES, I'M WRITING LIT-FIC! :D I hope it doesn't turn out too much of an existential crisis! I'm a rookie, I really don't know what to expect here! I'm getting super psyched now, I found my genre! =) Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:12:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_195359 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_195359 jtggodqos [quote=MrHeywire] - After planning your novel for weeks, you realise you have neglected the plot.[/quote] or in my instance, "about 20k words into the novel" I realise such. X_x Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:07:49 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_234410 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_234410 Ben Peak "Thinking about your novel always seems to lead to what feels like a tiny existential crisis." -- Oh most definitely Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:43:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327565 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_327565 nettle_a yes, yup, yeah, oh hell yes. Wow, I didn't actually know what genre I was writing. BUT NOW I DO...and I'm even more intimidated. Gah!!! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 00:56:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_343509 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_343509 Alana-D [quote=MrHeywire] - After planning your novel for weeks, you realise you have neglected the plot. - Thinking about your novel always seems to lead to what feels like a tiny existential crisis. [/quote] These cracked me up! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:13:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_375815 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_375815 scribblemuffin Haaaa, yeah. Definitely know I'm writing lit-fic now. "uuuuuhhh..." Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:57:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_407505 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_407505 Yomandude Pretty much 4 for 4 here. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:42:16 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_497152 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_497152 qh2 uuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Perfect! I love all 7,716 of my words so far. Watching my characters grow - or at least converse, or think or whatever it is they are doing. What is that p word pl...pl..plot? I need a dictionary on that one. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 20:45:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_507480 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_507480 Macabeak Oh man, that was "check" after "check"! Almost too true to be funny! Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:21:07 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_880746 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_880746 Geolie O - M - G. Too funny. Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:18:47 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_881461 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_881461 originalgradk Jorge Luis Borges appeals to one's sense of Magical Realism. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:32:02 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_904457 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_904457 originalgradk When you veer into the treachorous contested waters of Philosophy and Politics. So try to change Society [whilst you are at it]. Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:33:23 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_904484 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_904484 luizamm OH GOSH YES. Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:44:13 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_286949 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_286949 Alana-D [quote=Raquelin] ...You have to force yourself to write an actual action-y, conflict-y event, and reward your slavish efforts with some rich, yummy character development in the name of a reaction. The action takes 5000 words. The reaction takes 50000. [/quote] EXACTLY! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:14:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_375854 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_375854 jtggodqos [quote=Bewitched.Rhapsody] - when the fact that your character likes open floor plans or dislikes the color yellow is actually extremely important to the plot.[/quote] oooooh, your mentioning of yellow brought to mind one of my most favourite short stories ever: Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper". (Project Gutenberg has it <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1952" rel="nofollow">free to download and read</a>.) Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:10:25 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_234460 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_234460 pollution aviator this. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:15:25 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_91033 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_91033 greerdy Heck yes. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:29:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_121073 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_121073 te-occidere-possunt Always. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:17:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_249766 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_249766 xxCoFxx Story of my novel right about now -lol Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:01:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_511382 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_511382 HowardField THIS. Yes. My outline is filled with questions and "perhaps" statements, wondering what on Earth I'm doing. I'm classifying my novel as "unintelligible gibberish" until I feel like I have a handle on things, which may never happen. Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:08:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_77203 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_77203 MrHeywire I think a good solution to the character name problem (which I have every freaking year (except that year when my character was called "the man with no name" for most of the story)) is to use a last name as a first name. Like "Murphy" or "York" or "Chase". It works for me at least. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 01:50:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_79156 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_79156 ghostless5 Photographs. Yes. When I can't articulate what the characters are feeling I draw them. The feelings. Not the characters. Braiding together short stories is my plan for this years NaNo. I can't decide on one for each day or just coming up with them as I go. If I do that there is a possibility that there will be hundreds and that no one will have a name. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:00:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_97067 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_97067 TheLoveMutt YES. Esp the braiding short stories together. XD Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:04:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_131228 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_131228 darklighter93 All but the second perfectly describe my novel! Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:12:06 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_146905 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_146905 adklib The short story thing, definitely. I did that one year - I followed the travels of a $5 bill as it circulated throughout a small town. A couple of characters kept repeating but overall it was a rambling mish-mash of daily life. No plot but lots of interesting people. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:27:03 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_148866 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_148866 buffalo.girl Naaaames. &gt;.&lt; Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:49:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_150082 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_150082 luizamm oooooooh, THIS TOO *___* Sat, 29 Oct 2011 16:45:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_286971 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_286971 KaitTTT Ha ha! I'm pretty sure my theme is "themes", too. Dang. At least I know I'm in the right place. Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:55:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_18696 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_18696 J.Kievsky That first one is the best yet, so true Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:06:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_242189 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_242189 LeNapoleonDesRimes [quote=benarol] ... the plot is how your book's voice changes [/quote] Was that a <em>Finnegans Wake</em> Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:10:04 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_375708 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_375708 scribblemuffin This. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:00:10 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_407600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_407600 thegirlbartleby My entire novel so far can be summed up by this ^ Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:23:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_480342 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_480342 Guilie Oh, oh... Yes, I identify with this one too... Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:27:35 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56547 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56547 Milla Berlin Yes, coffee shops. And for a change of pace, they'll go to a bar. I actually think my entire "plot" (if I have one) revolves around the consumption of beverages. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:16:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_97902 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_97902 Maurawr or diners, to be different Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:42:42 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_473062 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_473062 littlewonder I once read an entire fanfic that was in a coffee shop. It was called Coffee Girl. Oh wow, it was so lit fic too, its insane. (PS I loved it so much &lt;3) Tue, 15 Nov 2011 23:19:37 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_720201 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_720201 jtggodqos yeah, that whole theme-is-themes paradox totally rocked my socks too. Wed, 26 Oct 2011 15:11:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_234468 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_234468 Guilie LOL. I thought I was writing chick-lit too, for the exact same reason. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:28:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56557 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56557 te-occidere-possunt This reminded me of Infinite Jest, especially with the footnotes. I still have nightmares about those footnotes... Thu, 27 Oct 2011 13:20:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_249820 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_249820 ThomaSastre Reading Infinite Jest right now. I could argue that some of the best parts of the book are in those pesky footnotes. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:43:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_370658 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_370658 thegirlbartleby ^ ...when your MC's chosen occupation is just an excuse for him/her to get mired in existential angst... holy molars yes. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:25:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_480405 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_480405 featurepresentation Can I read this, if this is your novel? Pretty please? Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:43:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_26208 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_26208 K-A-W The 'even I wouldn't read this' feeling. Get it all the time! The irony is, I would read a book where one of the characters is a microwave and another is a mouldy bit of fruit. I've already read a book where one of the characters is a 500 pound Bengal tiger... Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:40:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_92860 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_92860 LaFawnduh Same here! Mon, 17 Oct 2011 05:21:03 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_93286 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_93286 Tao haha, | did this a bit last year, except | exercised full capricious creatorship over their abilities a coffee cup that could see but not hear and had to relate an intense conversation between two angry lovers basely solely upon body language and inference. also a chair who was abandoned when a building caught fire and has the priviledge of being the only character in the story who swore Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:50:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_101014 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_101014 XombieHamster I looked back on my novel last yearn and I suspect that it really belongs in this genre instead of fantasy where I had it shoved before. Because the actual main character is an inanimate box. Sure there are other characters, but they're all just side characters in the story of the box. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 22:29:01 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_104617 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_104617 Gabran I must read this! Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:44:07 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_140838 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_140838 ConfusedShipper123 Same as above! I would love to read this... Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:12:24 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_365267 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_365267 Guilie LOL on the cigarrettes... Yes, that applies to me too, dang it. Fri, 14 Oct 2011 09:31:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56580 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_56580 Fodwocket I second this, I'd totally love to read that! Fri, 14 Oct 2011 21:55:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_64968 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_64968 yellville That sounds uncomfortably true of everything I've ever written. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:56:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_378889 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_378889 Callisia ..when you catch two characters in the same room, and they are actually talking to each other (yay for you!) and then you realize that what you hoped to be their conversation is a dialogue of internal monologues about things that they would never tell each other. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:41:19 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_582012 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_582012 TheZazzMan Yeah, not in ages though. Has that got talking appliances in it, I can't remember? Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:41:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_38021 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_38021 thewonderelf [quote="MyBucketGone"] - You think to yourself, "No one is going to get all this symbolism."[/quote] This is what English majors are for. =D Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:17:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_51494 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_51494 K-A-W It's got a monster fridge, I recall. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:42:52 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_92869 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_92869 thecandiedmango <strong>This.</strong> I have been dealing with this for a couple months and I really haven't gotten any closer to solving the whole "why can't I condense this huge/weird/deeper by the minute story into two paragraphs" problem. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 14:22:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_84216 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_84216 Inachis I did that and ended up with whatever sounded most like the story. Which was also the most vague, and the simplest. "Normal people. Normal lives. They meet. They change. Their thoughts." Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:39:22 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_93124 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_93124 pollution aviator amen. Sun, 16 Oct 2011 23:16:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_91050 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_91050 buffalo.girl Right? Lol. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:52:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_150111 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_150111 Feline Anachronism "... when you're not 100% sure if your MC will be the same person by the 49,000th word." That was mine last year. And really, some novels are just more interesting that way. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 19:12:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_101984 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_101984 HowardField I would, too! Up with moldy pieces of fruit! Sat, 15 Oct 2011 22:06:01 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_77170 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_77170 Gabran This is me. But I comprised with myself and am now planning on doing "deep stuff, with maybe a few spaceships or something". Thu, 20 Oct 2011 10:00:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_141009 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_141009 phoenix.spice Making tea is action! Thank you, I thought I was alone. Mon, 17 Oct 2011 03:52:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_92909 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_92909 irishandinsane Oh My God. It's day 4 in and there has been 23 cups of tea drank in my story. I started counting how many cigarettes have been smoked and then stopped. They smoke and drink tea wayyyyyyyyy more than they actually speak, or like, move the plot in any way. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:16:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_480157 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_480157 spatin11 you're speaking my language... Sun, 06 Nov 2011 13:56:23 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_527521 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_527521 Abzdragon [quote=HowardField] I'm classifying my novel as "unintelligible gibberish" until I feel like I have a handle on things, which may never happen. [/quote] I feel the same way!! Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:49:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329313 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_329313 goodgreek "When you realize that you'd need to be multilingual to give proper attention to your theme/central idea" Bingo. Sun, 23 Oct 2011 03:35:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_180808 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_180808 Messy_Jessi Multilingual indeed =)! Especially 500 word (relevant) rants about hot chocolate, in French, with no dialogue....I think I've found my genre... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:55:11 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_401170 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_401170 ConfusedShipper123 Agreed entirely. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:32:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_368139 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_368139 Rogue_Flower This year I couldn't name half my characters, so a lot of them just got aliases, like Crank, Electric, and The Priest. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:56:41 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_112360 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_112360 Mariana OConnor Uh... But I'm supposed to be writing an adventure/parody! It's not <em>supposed</em> to be litfic! Tue, 01 Nov 2011 11:50:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_355836 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_355836 Pruechelan You just gave me a movie to procrastinate with.... Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:03:16 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_786843 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_786843 xxCoFxx Agreed...and then they look at you like you have three heads. Sat, 05 Nov 2011 23:00:46 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_511367 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_511367 Lonaneomaflame You just made me realize that I made a whole series revolve around a country that had no states/provinces or Cities/towns/villages nothing. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:13:15 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_105712 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_105712 MrHeywire I am very familiar with that second one. I usually end up setting it in a fictional suburb in my hometown Adelaide (Aus.) Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:21:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_105784 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_105784 Bewitched.Rhapsody Especially the second one. o.o Holy cow. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:27:26 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_109786 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_109786 ColorOfSakura Jeez, this is my first year writing Lit Fic and even I'm doing the second one there. I tried coming up with a setting and realized that constricting it to a named town or city defeated the point. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:42:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_137544 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_137544 Llini Guisli The setting thing... Absolutely true. And I always try to make them "generic", so it's not obvious they're in the city, or... the mountains ._. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:16:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_158407 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_158407 AfraidOfTheDark This!!! Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:37:12 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_136898 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_136898 KaitTTT ~~~~판타지 Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:03:56 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_124825 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_124825 asifbymagic This is all too true. Sat, 22 Oct 2011 07:34:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_168497 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_168497 phoenix.spice All weather is more than just weather! I agree with everything you've said here. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 22:32:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_136015 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_136015 ConfusedShipper123 Second and third all the way... weather is my favorite symbol... Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:36:00 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_368279 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_368279 scribblemuffin Weather weather weather! My MC noted the autumn leaves blowing about. It was pretty goddamned important too. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:07:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_407868 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_407868 Bewitched.Rhapsody Yep... XD Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:20:30 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_198700 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_198700 Llini Guisli This! xD Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:23:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_219481 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_219481 crazypoet Now thats what I call compromise! I decided just to spice things up my MC's best friend will die from cancer. We'll see how it goes! Sat, 22 Oct 2011 18:30:45 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_175597 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=2#forum_thread_comment_175597 MrHeywire Okay, I genuinely laughed (out loud!) at the end of the world one. Nice. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 19:54:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_149247 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_149247 my_foil_tree Gah I loved this one! The idea for my story came from my ancient philosophy class! Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:42:50 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_218846 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_218846 windmills I just realised that none of my characters have friends. ... Or jobs. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:44:21 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_407044 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_407044 buffalo.girl That sounds amazing! I'd love to read that book. :D Thu, 20 Oct 2011 20:50:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_150091 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_150091 Bewitched.Rhapsody Oh golly day. XD I see that stuff in my notes too... I had something about the whole realization that came with buying flavored water... Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:21:39 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_198710 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_198710 Rogue_Flower Or you wish there was yet another sub-genre forum because none of them apply (I wish for a psychedelic fiction sub-genre). Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:22:51 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_152096 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_152096 SweetJuly I want magical realism. There NEEDS to be a thread for magical realism. Thu, 20 Oct 2011 23:49:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_152422 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_152422 KaitTTT That is actually a legitimate wish, I think! Last year I was definitely writing within that genre. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 03:01:57 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_153749 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_153749 Vorbis I think I'm writing about magical realism. Or at least, I'm writing about how to make magic real. Same thing? Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:01:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_346534 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_346534 Bewitched.Rhapsody That's basically my novel in a nutshell right there. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:23:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_198733 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_198733 ConfusedShipper123 One of my early ideas. Still debating such. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:37:31 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_368336 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_368336 zombie.girl yes. this is my novel. Fri, 21 Oct 2011 15:32:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_160065 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_160065 theindefiniteone Yes. Yes. You have every detailed and symbolic portion and blurb about your characters, and the plot just sits there like a deflated balloon of empty and stupid meh. Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:16:53 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_352361 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_352361 SweetJuly ". . . everything in your novel has a name, including (but not limited to) a secondary character's shoes, every item in the MC's fridge, the candle they have lit when they take a hot bath . . . etc etc." I totally did this in the July session of Camp NaNo! My MC "had a habit" of naming everything. Food, bits of trash on the street, her favorite tape recorder...unfortunately, it got to the point where she seemed less 'imaginative and quirky' and more 'completely insane', haha. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:25:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_204262 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_204262 mangofairy Bahahaha. Yes. And when you show the deep, psychological allusion to someone they don't get it at all and then you realize the allusion is probably worthless since no one understood it! -___- Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:05:07 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_206801 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_206801 Bewitched.Rhapsody ... The last one you mentioned. YES. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:17:48 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_198667 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_198667 Bewitched.Rhapsody ... yup. x3 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:17:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_198659 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_198659 SweetJuly Second this. My habit of overanalyzing everything really helps me when I write! :) Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:26:20 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_204280 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_204280 MrHeywire I had a good chuckle at these :( By the way, with writing about a writer, meta is your friend! Tue, 25 Oct 2011 06:50:36 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_213303 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_213303 mangofairy Hahahaha definitely! I am thinking of giving my character a completely mundane and boring life and somehow finding ~meaning in that but I'm not sure anyone would read 49000 words of my character being completely boring for 1000 words of something more interesting. haha.. Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:08:17 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_206857 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_206857 jenaiaucuneidee ALL of these. Sun, 30 Oct 2011 21:50:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_311411 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_311411 tylercatlin "When your so called plot is just characters experiencing life in whatever setting you decided to put them in." I've been pondering for quite a long while whether the novel I'm writing or not can be considered Lit-Fic, and while there have been a few things in thread that fit, this is the one that made me realize it is Lit-Fic. Mon, 31 Oct 2011 11:47:14 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_324448 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_324448 my_foil_tree THIS. Barthes is an excellent inspiration for writing litfic! Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:49:05 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_218940 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_218940 Bewitched.Rhapsody Lol. ^^ This. Thu, 27 Oct 2011 11:47:28 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_248440 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_248440 xxCoFxx And in my instance, 25k words into the novel I realized this...Oops. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:48:37 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_579436 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_579436 mothgirl It's such a brilliant short story, I devoured it when I first discovered it... Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:23:55 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_381958 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_381958 Maurawr Wrote a paper on this for a Literature class. It was quite inspiring for my current novel actually, at least, a little bit. Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:37:37 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_472913 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_472913 ZombieOrange Thats the first thing I thought, too Sun, 06 Nov 2011 19:34:04 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_536803 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_536803 Maurawr yep Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:37:47 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_472919 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_472919 my_foil_tree --You refer to your novel as a "piece" and find it totally normal to talk about what you're "trying to do" with it. X.x Wait.... you mean that's not normal? XD Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:24:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_394142 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_394142 Bewitched.Rhapsody Lol. ^_^ Welcome to LitFic. I'm glad I could be of service. =] Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:19:19 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_328485 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=4#forum_thread_comment_328485 jebsolomon magical realism is pretty broad. i agree that a separate forum might be nice but think it can be covered under this thread and the lit-fic genre. last year i had had a character die (he is dead from the very beginning) which was the basis for bringing all of the other characters together, only to discover i would like to keep telling his story in the present, separate from others. so he walks out of his grave. nothing like a literal rebirth in the midst of things. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:49:55 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_603268 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_603268 JJung I love that last one! Brilliant. "When you decide to kill one of the MC's in the second chapter ... ... and don't tell the reader that till the fifth or sixth chapter" Tue, 01 Nov 2011 09:14:33 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_352310 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_352310 jenaiaucuneidee In contrast, when your novel's timeline is less than a day. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 18:42:43 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_406995 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_406995 LOTR_junkie6 Agreed. I love Infinite Jest's footnotes. They make you go, "Ohhh, so that was part of that and /that/ was... *mindblown*" Infinite Jest makes me go incoherent and I love it for that. Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:38:26 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_533663 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=1#forum_thread_comment_533663 alexandravictorious Sounds hardcore there. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:12:34 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386233 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386233 bickles That almost sounds like parts of Calvinos' If On a Winter's Night a Traveler Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:46:29 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386850 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386850 Mariana OConnor It's supposed to be a light-hearted parody/adventure story about the henchman of an evil overlord. It got literary when I wasn't looking. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:44:18 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386802 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386802 bickles *Calvino's (small correction but it was making my head hurt, and the title itself only has one capital, but because I can't italicize, excess caps will have to do) Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:48:24 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386892 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_386892 Ruadhan_ "You finish your first chapter and considered publishing it as a short story instead of continuing with the rest of the novel." This more than anything Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:29:52 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_528443 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_528443 Ruadhan_ yes yes yes ... following in Salingers footsteps ooops Sun, 06 Nov 2011 14:28:23 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_528413 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_528413 jebsolomon and why not? think of how much our own moods are affected by the weather. might as well be the case for our characters too if they're meant to be real. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:43:07 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_603122 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=3#forum_thread_comment_603122 iymcool You hit the nail on the head. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:09:58 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_581244 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_581244 Squiddle Wow I can relate to all of these! Only the first one.... in the end it's "When EVERYTHING is a character." Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:43:00 -0500 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_418925 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_418925 sarolee17 Yay! Congrats on finding your tribe. We're a strange one made of strange ones. Welcome. :) Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:30:04 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_576697 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_576697 sarolee17 Bwahaha...+1! Tue, 08 Nov 2011 11:31:41 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_576732 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=5#forum_thread_comment_576732 alexandravictorious Huzzah! Welcome to the club. Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:56:58 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_582379 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_582379 Shannanigan [quote=RebekahW] -When you spend twenty minutes searching name meanings so that you can use a name with the same meaning from a character from a previous book, so that people who look can realize the connection. [/quote] Yup. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:56:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_602230 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_602230 xxCoFxx That sounds pretty interesting, tbh. Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:17:30 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_601505 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_601505 jebsolomon seconded. also what about attributing a hint of omniscience to a narrator who might also be a character but not really addressing it and then feeling guilty someone will notice and having the narrator address that fear which happens to be yours? Wed, 09 Nov 2011 14:51:57 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_603310 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_603310 jerhansolo But it makes sense to me! I've got the problem of a character that only speeks in riddles-- Quite diabolical riddles at that, with terrifying implications. If He make too much sense, there is nothing to drive the plot (ha! I actually found a plot...). But if I don't make quite enough sense I loose the reader, and the plot moves without them (so close and yet so far). Maybe what makes lit fic is that eternal Promethean damnation. Food always just in reach, but....(or is that not prometheus...). That's right, his punishment is to have his heart sucked out by vulltures every night. Also great litfic. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:41:04 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778478 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778478 jerhansolo Especially when the narrator it rehashing his adventures to discover the her/is own motives that he has carefully hidden in a third person impersonal tense. To extract the gem of knowledge s/he must begin to speak in first person, but then keep her/is own future goals from muddying the echoes of the past. Sun, 20 Nov 2011 07:50:15 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778521 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_778521 outolumo [quote=Pavlinaa] When you're just as good at writing plot as you used to be at math homework. [/quote] Touché. (I'm a maths major.) Sun, 20 Nov 2011 15:03:07 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_782298 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_782298 MorganMars Funny how it seems i only ever find French speakers in the Lit-fic forums! Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:29:09 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_812975 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=6#forum_thread_comment_812975 PowerUnit There's lots of sex in my novel 8~ Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:49:44 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_828967 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_828967 Geolie No...you are killing me - I have a chapter on tea. Did George Orwell visit you too? Mon, 28 Nov 2011 20:20:06 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_881481 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_881481 Bewitched.Rhapsody Actually I have lots of dialogue. Action? .... nonexistent. x3 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 08:50:04 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_886648 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_886648 Fiona W Way to go! Congratulations to you! Sat, 26 Nov 2011 05:19:27 -0600 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_850163 http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/forums/literary-fiction/threads/1155?page=7#forum_thread_comment_850163