Camp Nanowrimo

 

Well two nights ago I received an email from Nanowrimo.org about a summer version of Nanowrimo that they offer via Camp Nanowrimo. Now if you don’t know what this odd sounding word means, it is an annual writing contest/ event where writers attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in a mere 30 days. So that’s like 1500+ words a day. Oh yeah.

Well the fun really comes from meeting other like-minded writers as you struggle to fulfill your word counts.  This summer version is the same, but somewhat different.  It is more lax and offers two separate events the June version and the August version. Once it begins you are grouped with 8 (I think) other writers in “cabins”. The idea is cool and there are preferences to determine  who will end up in your confines of cabin-mates.

I’m very excited for this cyber-camp ground, because I have failed the last two Nanowrimos. So far I have signed up for the August version, but I may just sign up for the June as well(free of course).

Anyone else doing Camp Nanowrimo? Let me know in the comments so we can “bunk” up.

35 Days: Nanowrimo is Coming

Nanowrimo- National Novel Writing Month. Starting November 1 and ending November 30th. Writers from around the world dedicate the month to beginning and completing an entire novel.

Hello blog friends and readers, yesterday I registered on Nanowrimo and drafted a 150 word summary for my planned novel. Last year, I hoped to join this awesome contest, but I got lazy and didn’t write a fucking word. This year, I’m ready to trek through a perilous journey of 50,000 words in a mere 30 days. I’ve vouched that I can write 1.5-2k words daily,which would allow me several days of break time during the rough stretches of the month.I make one promise: to draft the sloppiest novel the heavens have ever laid eyes upon. Are you ready????

 

At this stage in prewriting, the novel will be a psychological horror/thriller with subtle yet powerful themes. As per the rules, I have just begun to pre-write and design characters, yet won’t touch the prose until November 1st.

 

Heres my summary:

 

A man sits in death row convicted of many crimes except for one: the abduction of a young boy almost twenty years now gone.  The only man who can solve this crime is a troubled man, Mark Seele, who discovers death is not the end, but sometimes it is only the beginning. Mark must confront the sins of his own past, in order to find the boy who haunts his dreams and chases him in the After. Sometimes however, the sins of our past are far more destructive than we can ever imagine and the secrets between the lines are just as shocking.

 

On aside yet slightly related note, a writer buddy of mine from the twitter-verse Mark Lidstone is planning his own 3 Day Novel contest. Check it out and give his other work a read as well.

 

So who else is participating in Nano this year?

What Zombies taught me about Writing

No other horror phenomena like zombies have captivated the entire world and flooded them with a mix of entertainment and pure fright. From Haiti voodoo-esque type of zombies, to Romero’s limping zombies, to modern run-like-hell zombies, we can all envision these brain-munching creatures beating at our front door.

What I learned-

1. If they limp by, shoot ‘em-

Never let a thought go to waste, as writers we are confronted with a plethora of inspirations each and everyday. It would be foolish to let these great thoughts go to waste- keep a journal! Journals should be a requisite to anyone calling themselves an author; these journals can be used to track thoughts and document story progressions.

2. People complain about beating dead horses, but not dead zombies-

One of the most annoying words being tossed around the literary world is the deviant cliche`. This word is so frightening actually, that most authors leave behind perfectly good stories in hopes of finding solace in pure originality. As artists, we are influenced each and every day by books, movies, and the world we live. Follow a story through to the end!

3. Don’t get caught with your pants down-

My recent short story “Cycles” that was published by The Absent Willow Review on June 16th was a pleasure and honor, as well as a learning experience. I discovered three spelling errors in the text, and that is a mistake that will be forever imprisoned in the draft. Before submitting anything for publication, revise, revise revise! If your first draft doesn’t look like a zombie battleground when you’re done editing, then do it again! Editing is as much as a skill, as it is a torture. Learn it and prevail!

4. Better to go out with a bang, than consumed in silence-

The end of your story should resonate like a bomb in a crowded room full of the undead! Too often, authors will write a kick ass piece of fiction and then the ending fails the piece. Beginnings and endings, are two of the most important parts of any literary tale. Don’t let your readers down

5. Whatever you think about them they will never go away-

Critics are like hordes of zombies- if you ignore them, they will run up into your house and eat you alive; however, if you overcome them you will learn some valuable lessons. Never ignore a valid critiquing response or became dismayed by a harsh beat down. Instead, learn the error of your ways and ascend into a zombie/critic kicking mo’fo!

Good luck in the oncoming invasion.

Coming on 200 Years of Frankenstein

I’ve always been intrigued by early Science Fiction. Whether it be a steampunk assumption of what a steam-based future might be or early stories of wild techologies which filled a limited world. Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein is one of the most powerful novels in the genre (well in my opinion.) The ideas of a creature being created and turn against it’s creator has become a popular mechanic in many author’s minds. Think The Terminator where machines become self-aware and attempt to destroy humanity.

We recently finished the novel in class and it is a great pice of literary work. A gothic theme with romantic overtones that resonate well with the scenery and description. Weather is a core example of setting the mood and swamping the reader with ominous feelings and foreshadowing.

Times are a changin’ Is it time to Wave Goodbye?

” Times are a changin” Sang Bob Dylan as he mouthed a captivating song to a

photo © The lovely Megan Reigle http://www.flickr.com/photos/meganreigle/

changing generation; and he was right. Times change and common systems we love change as well and then we find ourselves at a forked road; do we embrace the new change and follow it through to see what else may happen, or do we cling on to the old and forsake the new ways?

The literary world has seen startling changes in the way we share our work. The old world methods of paper manuscript sent via snail mail to slush-piles and stamps and other manual things are ways of a distancing past. With the rise of the internet we find ourselves doing our business through E-mails and online forms, and we are wearying away from paper and ink, for electronic formats are for more beneficial both economical and time-wise. Will the next generation even remember what paper feels like?