This is the place to suggest dares for the region. They don't have to be specific to residing in Yorkshire, but they allow us to have smug in-jokes that no-one outside of the region will get. : )
The two traditional dares for the region are:
The Fruit Dare You've probably already noticed a reference or two to fruit in the region. This is because, as will become clear, everyone who attends the Kick-Off party is requested to bring a piece of fruit with them (it helps you to find the group, since you know you're looking for the weirdos with the fruit). Having brought a piece of fruit to the party, you may then officially refer to yourself as a Fruity Writer and must make every effort to include said piece of fruit in your novel. It doesn't have to be in the form of the actual fruit - it could be something described as being the same colour, for example. I believe once someone named a boat in their novel after their fruit...
The Pablo Dare Hang around in the region long enough and you're bound to run into Pablo. Mostly he sits on top of the fridge and watches people coming and going. He's originally a character from my first NaNo novel, but he's since taken on something of a life of his own. The dare is to include a flamboyant character named Pablo in your novel - it doesn't have to anything more than a walk-on part, but the wackier the better.
Feel free to suggest other dares in here. If they're popular enough, they may even get to be traditional next year. : ) And if you take on any of the dares in November, do post in here and let us know how you did it.
----------
Claire - ML for England :: York & Leeds
"I read your book and I find it strange"
2008: The Institute (again).
Fingertip score: 14/21
50,295 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 08 12
Have your character visit the region very reluctantly, then leave it even more reluctantly. Best if you can get in some local knowledge or a local in joke that they can take home with them as a memento to confuse the people back home.
----------"Mobiles, landlines, tin cans with bits of string Everything, absolutely everything! No phones! Phones all broken. Hello is anyone there? No, 'cause the phones aren't working!"
Janto = OTP Squee
www.fanfiction.net/~Galadriel1010
50,694 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 08 47
That means I'll have to take a banana along again. My MC is just the sort of man who'd be endlessly amused by one.
----------The author formerly known as aeireono.
NaNo 2008 - Haixtlan
2007: Moths
2006: Eye of Rakaros
2005: Senahri: Approximate Destruction
2004: JSBCBS
2003: From Here To There
20,824 / 50,000
Sep 27, 2008 - 23 28
Woo, fruit! I should definitely bring a pineapple to the Cambridge kick-off party! Then refuse to explain why.
----------[center]2007: 17k words before plot failure.
2008: -watch this space!-[/center]
80,487 / 50,000
Sep 29, 2008 - 12 11
Name random things (places, organisations, minor characters) after places in Yorkshire. Never make any in-story reference to this.
Added because I apparently do this, and didn't notice until somebody pointed out that I think three? minor characters in my last fantasy story had names somehow related to Leeds . . .
----------2006 - Tier City - won!
2007 - Shadowpuppets - crashed and burned
2008 - The Silence of Ghosts (onto its third title)
56,005 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 04 13
Added because I apparently do this, and didn't notice until somebody pointed out that I think three? minor characters in my last fantasy story had names somehow related to Leeds . . .
That could be difficult because I'm setting my story in alternate-universe Japan this year.... but a challenge is good!
0 / 50,000
Oct 4, 2008 - 05 20
Every day in November, pick a word from a dictionary at random and use that word as many times as possible in what you write that day.
53,685 / 50,000
Oct 5, 2008 - 16 09
Oooh fruity =D I like it. Maybe I should pick something utterly obscure just to make it more interesting!
As a dare ~
Have one of your characters utterly addicted to tea, only it has to be Yorkshire Tea and nothing else will suffice.
50,337 / 50,000
Oct 6, 2008 - 07 17
My two traditional dares then:
1. Write as if your novel has been translated from another langauge, with footnotes on translations and idioms and the like.
2. Have a character who doesn't wear anything but stuff made out of PVC. This would be especially amusing if, in the world of your novel, there is no such thing as PVC and would be even funnier if there was nothing to link it to any kind of fetish.
I'm trying both though the second may be a bit of a cheat as there's likely to be at least one prostitute in my novel idea thus far.
----------And that's all I have to say about that
0 / 50,000
Oct 12, 2008 - 12 02
My contribution
The Thrown Confectionary Dare - Have a character who sustains a substantial injury (sprain, concussion, moderate cut/bleeding or worse) as a result of somebody throwing a piece of confectionary at them. Let the cake and chocolate fly!
Oh, and I'm definitely going to take up the fruit dare.
----------Rik_Rock
8,961 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2008 - 09 54
Pablo is either going to be a flambouyant waiter or an arms dealer in my story.
Also, possibility of my final showdown being in the Yorkshire Dales...
--------------
"Are you going to call the takeaway?"
"No, I though we could semaphore it" *Cue Actions*
50,109 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2008 - 10 15
Also, possibility of my final showdown being in the Yorkshire Dales...
With a name like yours, that can only be 'The Strid'.
Chris
and can anyone tell me why I've suddenly been demoted, apparently this is only my 3rd post on the forum...
Sorry, no it isn't... and now I look again, my photo's disappeared off my profile :o(
8,961 / 50,000
Oct 23, 2008 - 11 01
Haha. I was thinking more of Whernside sort of area, but I could use The Strid. Nice place for someone nasty to fall in? Or the end of a hero. Interesting.
Maybe you did so much posting you went alllllllllll the way round and back to the start again? ;)
Luke
--------------
"Are you going to call the takeaway?"
"No, I though we could semaphore it" *Cue Actions*
56,005 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2008 - 06 34
Pablo has now appeared in my story as my main character's flamboyant foreign uncle. And he has accidently injured my main character's little brother by throwing a chocolate bar at him which hit him in the face and gave him a lovely black eye. D:
Two in one! XD
17,235 / 50,000
Nov 7, 2008 - 16 57
As a dare ~
Have one of your characters utterly addicted to tea, only it has to be Yorkshire Tea and nothing else will suffice.
1. Write as if your novel has been translated from another langauge, with footnotes on translations and idioms and the like.
2. Have a character who doesn't wear anything but stuff made out of PVC. This would be especially amusing if, in the world of your novel, there is no such thing as PVC and would be even funnier if there was nothing to link it to any kind of fetish.
I'm trying both though the second may be a bit of a cheat as there's likely to be at least one prostitute in my novel idea thus far.
Pablo is my main character's best friend, another of her friends is a PVC/Yorkshire Tea obsessed companion.
Not only this but another character had their arm broken from flying cake!
----------"Is she talking to herself again?" Kith
"No idiot she's talking to us!" Kythe
"Therefore talking to herself..." Kith
"Oh yeah..." Kythe
50,209 / 50,000
Nov 8, 2008 - 03 36
Query: given my Russian setting, would introducing a certain flamboyant ~Pavlov~ count as having completed the dare? XD
50,858 / 50,000
Nov 15, 2008 - 13 52
Dare is perhaps the wrong word for this, but it seemed as good a place as any to post a link to this thread from another region:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/node/3129303
----------Claire - ML for England :: York & Leeds
"I read your book and I find it strange"
2008: The Institute (again).
Fingertip score: 14/21
50,209 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 06 54
Well. Ordinary Praporshchik "Pavlov" has made his appearance, led his brave diversion... And unfortunately been killed in the face of overwhelming opposition. Sorry...
50,858 / 50,000
Nov 16, 2008 - 13 15
Awwww... poor Pavlov. Still, it wouldn't be the first time a Pablo's died. It's not always the end for them.
I got my fruit into my novel yesterday. A chap at the Institute named Bill accidentally turned himself into a pineapple...
----------Claire - ML for England :: York & Leeds
"I read your book and I find it strange"
2008: The Institute (again).
Fingertip score: 14/21