Tell us about the novel you're about to unleash upon the unsuspecting universe. What's your genre, if any? Who are your characters? Will there be kissing or explosions or both? Are you still waiting for the muse to drop an idea off in your mailbox?
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"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
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Oct 10, 2009 - 14 29
I'm writing a fantasy/action novel. It has to do with wizards and demons in modern times. The story will mailny focus on how the main character, Thomas (either 13 or 14 yrs. old not sure yet), is taken on as a wizard's apprentice. I'm still webbing out the last few things, but I can't wait to get started!
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
35,503 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 15 41
I'm writing a novel based on the life of my promiscuous friend.
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 16 20
Map, are you writing it as a young adult novel or does your character just happen to be a young adult?
Spalove, sounds interesting... I hope you're planning to change the names of the characters to protect the innocent and guilty alike. ;-)
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
35,503 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 19 47
Yes, all the names have been changed.
75,882 / 50,000
Oct 10, 2009 - 21 20
I'm totally winging it :D *thumbs up*
----------`07 Untitled (9,101)
`08 Leaving That Side (77,027)
`09 .Tick-Tock. -
40,006 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 12 02
Mine's a bit of a mixed bag. I'm writing the prequel to a story I did for a writing challenge (that's being posted next week). It involves love, jealousy, revenge, and a smidge of demon possession tossed into the mix. :-) It's really an AU fanfic, but once I'm done I can totally swap out the names and it will still work.
I tried using original names last year and couldn't remember them as I was writing. Pft. I'm hopeless. LOL
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
38,373 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 12 37
Yes, I am writing it as a young adult novel. Thank you for asking! It's nice to know someone's interested. :)
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 14 07
Nothing wrong with winging it!
Becky, that's what find and replace is for... just change it later if it's giving you any guff.
I looove young adult novels... as my author page says, Diana Wynne Jones is one of my favorite writers. Totally fabulous.
Personally, I'm writing pulp adventure horror, sort of like Indiana Jones meets Lovecraft with a tone like The Mummy. I'm pretty excited but I don't have an antagonist yet. Ruh roh!
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
38,373 / 50,000
Oct 11, 2009 - 16 10
It definitely sounds interesting! I don't know what Lovecraft is but I love Indiana Jones and The Mummy (OMG what an amazing movie that was). I've been looking for a horror novel lately so I'm definitely hoping you'll give me some more details! Good luck with creating your antagonist! Remember, you only have a few weeks left so hurry!
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
39,034 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2009 - 16 38
Hello again everyone. I do hope I get to go to some of the write-ins.
Anyway, since I'm still editing the massive tome of my last years novel, I've decided to have some fun this year and write a novel based on plots from various online generators. At the very least it should be interesting.
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"If a lover in a story wins his true love, that's the end of the tale, even if World War III is about to begin, and the sky is black with flying saucers." - Kurt Vonnegut
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Oct 13, 2009 - 08 51
I love generators. They are excellent at sparking ideas even if you don't use exactly what they provide. I especially like name generators; I don't usually give my characters really significant names because I figure most parents pick something they like rather than something that is necessarily appropriate to the kid's potential future personality. But I feel like certain people will end up a certain way because of their name, so there's that.
So who is outlining and who is flying by the seat of their respective pants?
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,006 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2009 - 09 01
I'm using the NaNo 31 Things List found midway down the page, here: http://lazette.net/vision/Vision53/workshop.htm
Since I plan to write 600 words 3 times per day, (morning/afternoon/evening), I'm dividing my list into three sections for each day and jotting down a prompt or idea for each one.
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
39,034 / 50,000
Oct 13, 2009 - 10 02
I'd never seen that 31 list page before. That's a great idea, maybe I'll try it. Right now all I have is a list of possible plot ideas and a scribbled family tree (my main characters are all related somehow).
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"If a lover in a story wins his true love, that's the end of the tale, even if World War III is about to begin, and the sky is black with flying saucers." - Kurt Vonnegut
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 08 22
Here's another great resource by Jim Butcher, writer of the Dresden Files series: http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/
Start from the bottom. He has excellent advice for how to plan everything from characters to plot to individual scenes.
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,006 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 08 53
Thanks for the link, I'll check it out in depth when I'm home from work.
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 10 26
Sow how about some loglines? I'm using this format:
*WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS*, *YOUR PROTAGONIST* *PURSUES A GOAL*. But will he succeed when *ANTAGONIST PROVIDES OPPOSITION*?
So my logline is:
When one of her rare and dangerous occult books is stolen, Dr. Katherine Lancaster vows to get it back to prevent its knowledge from being used for nefarious ends. But will she succeed when a renegade cult sends mercenaries and assassins to prevent her from discovering the true extent of their apocalyptic plans?
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
75,882 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 11 48
This forum makes me not want to wing it anymore >> I wanna start already, it's so hard not to start outlining things and jolting down ideas. gah x'D
----------`07 Untitled (9,101)
`08 Leaving That Side (77,027)
`09 .Tick-Tock. -
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 12 01
Start outlining! You're totally allowed to plan all you want.
You can also head over to the Role Playing and Communal Story Building forum to play around with your characters.
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,006 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 13 09
re: Loglines
I'm definitely going to try this! That's new to me, and I'll take all the help I can get!
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
35,503 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 13 52
here is my log line
It starts with a question. "What can you tell me about my mother?" That one question makes Isabel Martin recall the past 50 years of her life and her friendship with Mary Higgleton.
38,373 / 50,000
Oct 14, 2009 - 16 42
I have to agree with LightHush. It's so hard not being able to write yet! I'm outlining and everything but it's just not enough!!! However, I think I have a new challenge for myself. I haven't created a logline so I'll take your earlier post as a challenge lastsyllable. Be looking forward to it!
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
3,843 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 12 02
Hi, I am new to NaNoWrMo, but I'm in for the hard stuff!
I live in Miami (only just moved here in July) and since I have been unable to find a job, I have decided to work on another novel. This one will be a YA Novel (I'm a member of GoodReads WildThing group (http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/17941.Wild_Things_YA_Grown_Up ) which focuses on adults reading YA material. I am a librarian and have taught graduate courses in librarianship and information science.
The premise is the concept of never being racially/ethnicallly "good enough". There are two protagonists, sisters, who are racially mixed and trying to figure out exactly where they belong. The ending focuses on how they come to understand themselves in such a mixed world.
So, I'm very interested in working with any others who are into YA writing. If people want to get together, I'm all for it! I live near downtown and am into public transportation, so if I can get there I will.
Good luck to all of you and I hope we can help each other.
Luvr
----------Lydia Evelyn Eato
lydiae.harris@gmail.com
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"Keep swimming!" Courtesy of Dora (Ellen DeGeneris) in "Nemo"
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 15 05
Welcome! Sorry to hear about the lack of employment but glad to hear you're turning adversity into an opportunity. I know we've got at least one other YA writer so hopefully you guys can hook up and swap ideas.
So what are the ethnicities of the girls and where does the novel take place?
Come to think of it, everyone, do you usually set your novels in Miami or somewhere else? I tend to set mine here because I know the city best and don't see it enough in books.
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
40,006 / 50,000
Oct 18, 2009 - 16 51
I've never set anything here in Miami. I usually set them somewhere I'd like to go. I like being able to use different seasons, and frankly, Miami doesn't have seasons except for today. ;)
----------Becky
2006 The Road Back Home (50,224)
2007 untitled (50,262)
2008 untitled (12,788)
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Oct 19, 2009 - 06 35
With the exception of one, my novels have never taken place in Miami. They're places that I make up in my mind. I haven't never where the story I'm writing this year is taking place. It could be anywhere on the coast of Florida or in the northern US. It sort of works out that way.
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 08 10
So tasha, do you mostly write fantasy or sci-fi? Are you doing the same this year?
Becky, I totally empathize... I could write myself into the tropics right about now. Oh, wait, you said you LIKE the different seasons... ;-)
Do you feel pressured to do a lot of research about the places you write about if you haven't been there, or even if you have? Or if you're making a place up, do you feel like you have to write a whole Wikipedia entry's worth of stuff about it before you are comfortable?
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
3,843 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 08 31
lastsyllable, the lack of employment will not be a factor in my life until the turn of the year -- so I'm in good shape.
The girls are bi-racial (black mother, white father) but in reality they must also realize they are multiracial -- for example, when a grandparent does a family tree.
This novel is DEFINITELY not set in Miami. I'm new here and having a very hard time adapting. I lived 18 years in Alaska, grew up in New York -- my characters reflect this variation in living settings. Patterned after my own daughters (who really want to participate in this work) it will ultimately focus on how hard it is to find the source inside yourself, but that is the only thing you can logically and hopefully do for your own sanity.
Whoever in Miami is doing another YA, I'd love to be you writing buddy. Please let me know.
----------Lydia Evelyn Eato
lydiae.harris@gmail.com
*************************************************************************************
"Keep swimming!" Courtesy of Dora (Ellen DeGeneris) in "Nemo"
38,373 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 15 06
I would be the other YA novel writer you're looking for, however, my writing is a lot different. I'm writing fantasy/action. Has a lot to do with magic and I'm psychd to get started soon. I'm still not sure where I'm going to set it and that's a big problem for me right now. I know I'm not going set it here in Miami but I haven't been to many places so this is going to be tough. My idea was somewhere sort of gloomy during a lot of the year, it snows, and it's in the U.S. I'm sure I've heard of a place like this before but I'm having a major brain fart at the moment. Can someone help me??? PLEASE!!!!!!! Thanks!
P.S.- ONLY TWO MORE WEEKS!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! This is such a thrill. Lol.
----------Persistence and consistency are qualities you'll find in every good writer. -My literature teacher
41,115 / 50,000
Oct 19, 2009 - 15 37
I'm not sure of a place like that, but you could take your question over to Character and Plot Realism Q&A and see if someone there can help you. I would assume Alaska fits the bill, but you know what they say about when you assume...
Luvr, are people not making you feel welcome in the MIA? That's terrible! I hope we can help with that at least a little bit. :-)
----------"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary; men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." --Joseph Conrad
Cafe Con Letras: a Miami fundraising phenomenon
12,820 / 50,000
Oct 20, 2009 - 03 54
lastsyllable, my first two nano novels were straight fiction. Then I made the jump intp mysteries for the next three because that was what I was reading/watching at the time. Now I'm back writing what I know. :) It's a mixture of mystery, fiction, romance and chick lit.
I did research for the mystery novels because they took place in the UK but I am fortunate to have a friend who lives in Scotland so she helped out quite a bit in that department. :) And I'm not doing much research for the setting for this story. It's totally made up in my head but I am using what I know about coatal life and throw it into a sentence or two throughout the story to build the setting.