NaNoWriMo

On By Richmond Road

50,000 words in November

Inspired by Marquesa (I will, no doubt, learn to despise her as a result) I thought that I would put my name in the hat for this month of torture.

It will, at least, have the positive symptom of keeping me too busy to bore you people with inane and essentially meaningless posts on here.

But here’s the problem. I think I need some sort of pre-prepared basic plot in my head before putting the first word on the page. I have no such plot.

So I am fishing around for ideas.

Does anyone have any plots in their heads that they have been meaning to act upon but have never got around to? And would you like to witness your beautiful project being ruined? If so, I’m your man.

Any ideas more than welcome ….

27 thoughts on “NaNoWriMo”

  1. How many would you like?
    what particular category do you want to work with?
    what time period? country?
    do you want the focus on the character’s journey, or something a bit more like a journey or action/adventure?
    contemporary? ghostly? saga?

    I’ll be in it, too. don’t know how it will go, but I have to admit that having some sort of idea to start with helps the flow keep moving, and ‘winning’ got me a cheap shot at Scrivener (which I enjoy, even if I don’t use all the features).

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      1. Okay, here are a few of what I call ‘initiating ideas’ – I usually turn them into a ‘beat-sheet’ to see if they’ve got the guts to go the distance, and then a rough outline. Much easier method for me to use to know I can create a whole story from it:
        1. Initial Idea: The small track under the bridge – full. The small lane behind the bus depot – full. The rusting hulks on the sidings – full. Nowhere to go, unless up into a tree, or in a bin (danger), or sneak into a carport or garage – but only if no dogs, no alarms, or security sensors and no auto lights. Otherwise, sleep on her feet, lean against a tree or a wall (preferably a corner) or keep walking or running, or dig a hole to bury the body.
        Once, she was one of the chosen. A good job with a govt dept, a nice house in a good suburb, a husband and 2 kids – and friends. One mistake – it took only one mistake and she lost it all.
        2. Initial Idea: Cover that up!
        Nan and the id tag – show it when required on the street, in the market, in the houses where she works as a cleaner.
        Always, she’d look wide-eyed up and down, no one must see, no one must know who doesn’t already know. The tag quickly tucked back in the hidden pocket – ‘til the next time it’s needed.
        Then the burglaries started. No smashed windows or doors, so the cops said an inside job. They go to Nan, search the house, go out back to the shed, find the gift from old Mrs Marsh – just a simple and useful tool to help with her work because her hands were so sore, so painful from the arthritis. But old Mrs Marsh doesn’t understand how people are, so Nan has to hide it.
        Too good for a half-caste – revoke the permission; revoke the right to tenancy – kick her out! Take her to jail to wait for the judge, then boot her back to the bush – where she belongs!
        No clothes, no money, no tag to give her permission to be human.
        _
        3. A bit of humour, maybe?
        Pick, Lick, Roll, Flick
        Initial Idea: holiday fun – unless your dad runs the camel rides. 3 boys find a recipe for gum/lozenge with a funny name – supposed to make you smart! It turns them into super minds. Okay, they didn’t find it – they stole it from the super-knob who kicked their friend in the face. The receipt said $1M!
        And now he wants it back – and he’s not happy with how they tricked him, that they stole it from him, and that they left him covered in camel snot!
        “A lozenge? What’s that?”
        “A lolly; it’s a lolly – chewy, like gum.”
        “Oh, gum – I know what that is.”
        “Let’s make it – try it out! And if it stinks, we’ll give it to the princesses at the park.”
        Furps and Barts.
        “If we can’t find that stuff – because we don’t know what it is! – what else can we use? Don’t want to actually kill anyone, do we?”
        “Make it something that’ll really make ‘em fart!”
        — To make art seem effortless – takes a lot of work.

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      3. ah yes the Wayside Chapel … it shouldn’t be linked to one person coz it does take a team to do such worthy work … but it does help to have a charismatic boss 🙂

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      4. And Graham was just that …. and deflected attention from himself in favour of everyone else. But I must write the little story about my mother and Ted Nofts …. watch this space

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  4. That was my problem last year – I couldn’t participate without a general idea. Most of those that take part in NaNowhatever already have solid ideas, a bunch of notes, drafts, etc.
    I’m considering doing it this year, but I’m not sure if my idea is polished enough to start. If not this year, then definitely the next.
    Good luck!

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  8. Pingback: I got hit by the NaNoWriMo train! – Cyranny's Cove

  9. Or, just a suggestion, just start. Make it a memoir, make it an imaginary memoir, which gives you total freedom to let your characters lollop along as they please, and they will.

    Try this: we all have bits of our life that ended without a solid resolution. Im sure you have several, lord knows I do, take one of those and extend it into a “what might have happened next” scenario and see where it goes. At the very least you gain a bit of resolution over a past event, and you might just get the fuel you need for the writing.

    Can’t hurt.

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    1. Yeah, I was thinking along the same lines. I don’t know how it popped into my head but I have this idea about someone who’s mother and sister both committed suicide on the same day, for no obvious reason. So he has to continue with life with mixed feelings of guilt and confusion. And as things go wrong around him he wonders if he is to blame for everything
      …… I might be able to drag that idea out for 50,000 words …..
      So, thank you.

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    2. And I’m all for the ‘just start’ concept. Like randomly mixing a few chemicals together and seeing what happens ….. it might just create an unpleasant smell or it might blow the roof off the house ….. who knows?

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