NaNoWriMo

I know a couple people are doing this NaNoWriMo business and I was wondering when they decided they were going to do it and what the genre (possibly title if you're brave sharing it) of their novel is. If you have a story mapped out, that's cool and it'd be interesting to get a teaser-type description of it. I think there's stuff on the official website to allow us to share information, but I'm not sure how to work the site (I think it might have something to do with writing buddies but I have no clue how to add anyone).

As for myself, I've seen NaNoWriMo fly by for several years and every time I thought "wow, that'd be cool to do." Now I registered for it and am all motivated to do it, but I have no idea what to write about or even _how_ to write a novel. I mean, once you sit down at the keyboard, you realize the extent of your abilities. The website is pestering me to "edit novel info" but the first thing on the list is a title. I mean, I don't even know what genre I'm writing about, how the hell am I supposed to have a title?

o hey, i found out how to add people as writing buddies.
u have to go to their profile and click add budy (you can't find their profile using search which is stupid.
however, you can put this in ur browser bar:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/***put_username_here***

for example mine is:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/en/participants/itsame273

Ok, I've decided to leave the title for later. The genre of my NaNo is gonna be Sci-Fi and it's gonna be heavily inspired by the secluded monastic lifestyle of the Dark Ages. I'm kind of having trouble starting. Like, what's a good first chapter supposed to have? An introduction to the protagonist, setting, theme? Ah, whatever I'll just start writing.

The Starting chapter/sentence is often the hardest. Here's a good site that tells you how NOT to do it:
http://adamcadre.ac/lyttle.html

Corenat Rovarnus wrote:The Starting chapter/sentence is often the hardest. Here's a good site that tells you how NOT to do it:
http://adamcadre.ac/lyttle.html

that site is hilarious. I think I found my first sentence: "Jennifer stood there, quietly ovulating."

Pimp showed me this site. It's positive reinforcement.
http://writtenkitten.net

I got my ideas together and finally finished my first paragraph. Read it and tell me what you think. Does it make you want to read more?

What have I done? Ignus lay prostrate, his head weighing heavily against the icy floor. Silence. Far above him, a single lamp shed its pale rays, striking the onlooking statues and casting their shadows long on the surrounding walls. My brothers. In flesh and stone, living and dead, his brothers were here to watch him die.

mah synopsis:
In the beginning, there was nothing but thoughts; although it is not accurate to say "In the beginning" as there was only the concept of the beginning an time was, at the time, nothing but a thought. Everything was but a thought, until the thought of existence came to be. Then all these thoughts were carried into existence and came to be, creating the universe as well as the one we refer to as God; for our purposes, we will refer to this 'God' as Xe. Xe at some point discovered that humans seemed to have broken free of the original thoughts that created the universe. As Xe is a being that is composed of thoughts that created the universe, one could say that Xe is 'omniscient'. As an omniscient being, Xe is unable to comprehend humans. incomprehension can prompt one of two different responses: an attempt to understand or intent to erase. In the past, Xe has tried to understand humanity, leaving marks upon humanity in the form of religion. Humanity proved to be intangible to Xe and a new though began to manifest in the original sea of thoughts: the thought of erasing all that does not belong. This is the story of the human resistance. This is the story of the post-apocalyptic world. This is the story of the fight against the will of the universe.

plz give feedback and flaming. i luv flaming

@dave
yea, i think ur opening is a pretty good hook, it gives off kind of an impression about how dark the story is going to be and pulls the reader in as they want to find out wut happened

In the beginning, there was nothing but thoughts; although it is not accurate to say "In the beginning" as there was only the concept of the beginning an time was, at the time, nothing but a thought.

Haha, this is a great beginning; although it's not exactly accurate to say it's the "beginning" because it's really just a description of the "beginning" which is actually just a concept of the beginning, an time was nothing but a thought. Of course, nothing was alive to think it so that leaves the question whose thought was the beginning originally, and what was the concept of time that lead to this person's beginning? It's an infinite chain, but of course we all know that infinity is just a concept thought up by Xe.

Oh man, I like your beginning KK Harrison. Makes me think of gargoyles, which are really cool.

Vroop wrote:Oh man, I like your beginning KK Harrison. Makes me think of gargoyles, which are really cool.

Hmm I actually wasn't going in that direction at all, but you've given me several new ideas which I'm currently letting rattle around inside my head. I'll keep you posted with how this progresses.

As it is, I have a historical/sci fi/mystery type plot in mind that's evolving the more I write. Expect a very weird religion that worships electricity and transcribes digital information without any ideas or means of utilizing the ruins of the advanced technology around them.

[quote="Dave"]

of course we all know that infinity is just a concept thought up by Xe.

o man it's not a concept thought up by Xe, it's a concept that Xe is made of.

itsame273 wrote:o man it's not a concept thought up by Xe, it's a concept that Xe is made of.

For some reason that reminds me of those meme posters that say "I don't do drugs...I AM DRUGS "

Corenat Rovarnus wrote:For some reason that reminds me of those meme posters that say "I don't do drugs...I AM DRUGS "

Does that strike anyone else as a little disturbing? I mean, wouldn't that imply that little kids are... addictive? And that there are people who need kids to get their "fix"?

Yeah, probably shouldn't be surprised.

@Dave:

I was inspired by you guys, and started my own novel. Here's the first part. I gave it THE BEST I'VE GOT.
Please, tell me if it is not to your taste.

After a LONG, HARD Day's work, Cragkor the Brutal took his bodily-fluid stained sword to the scabbard and JAMMED IT IN with a heavy grunt. He turned to pick up the helpless screaming woman lying on the ground, and slung her over his bulging muscular shoulder. His burly compatriots accompanied him as they began their march homeward, leaving behind the burning wreckage of the village they had just raided. Cragkor thought they had managed a good haul of nubile WENCHES and hearty ALE, but there was always room for more. As the men traversed the mountainous landscape, the woman flailed in his grasp, crying out for help. Cragkor held her tight and smiled. The feisty ones are the best, he thought.
Then he noticed two men in gleaming armor approaching his savage band on horseback. One of them lifted his visor and pointed at Cragkor. "Unhand yonder maiden, you filthy barbarian!" he called out. Cragkor laughed a DEEP, THROATY laugh at the knight's nervous sweating face, as smooth as a mere BABY.

I love it. The smooth baby imagery at the end is absolutely hilarious.

Well its over now, none of us won. I started writing on the very last day, here's pretty much all of the resulting text. I'd like to hear feedback on what genre of novel you think I'm writing from just this and what existing novels this reminds you of.

Clockwork Hearts: A novel by Igor Peuce(which is totally my real name)

Edna Mallory aimlessly meandered within the empty greenhouse, her footsteps echoing lightly. 3 weeks had passed since the sudden disappearance of her husband Travis. The common consensus was that he had run off with another woman, but no one wanted to say that to the shy, sweet Edna herself. She was both figuratively left in the dark on this important matter, and literally so in the greenhouse. She stopped in the center of the dimly lit edifice and stared skyward. Only gray light filtered in through the distended ceiling panes, as it was an overcast day. She kept wondering how vibrant and lively it would be had he not left, for it was his idea to live in a manor with such facilities. Muted crying began from the house proper. Edna breathed a heavy sigh, hiked up her long maroon skirt and briskly exited the greenhouse to tend to her child, a babe of less than 6 months.

The Mallory residence, though large, was an empty husk devoid of decoration and much furniture at all. They had moved in just after the wedding, and were too busy to start filling up the rooms. Edna seemed to be the very model of a loving devoted housewife. She could not bear to be away from Travis for more than a day. On the day of his departure he assured her with several hugs and kisses that he would be gone only 2 days. She promised to remain strong, but wondered where in the world he was going and what he could possibly be doing. All he had told her was that it was a "business" trip, but on the 6th day a representative from the shipping company he worked at arrived at the house inquiring as to his whereabouts, and it became obvious that he was not coming back.
Over the next week she fell into depression, refusing the leave the house or talk to anyone that came to check up on her. The only person she would allow in was Roger Fenwick, an elderly man who was deeply tied with Travis' family and began serving as their butler when the Mallorys birthed their first child.

Edna entered the baby room to find Fenwick tending to the crying infant. "You're still here?" she asked incredulously. "Why would I not be, Mrs. Mallory?" Fenwick answered nonchalantly without looking up. "Well, I- I can't spare any money to pay you with, so you have no reason to keep-" She stopped, seeing him shake his head. "Oh no, I'm not in it for the money, please don't think of me as that kind of man. I know that Travis is, eh, gone now, but you're still family so I want to make sure you're all right. Besides, he left a sizable amount in the bank that is more than enough for my monetary needs."
Edna took on a conflicted expression at the mention of her husband. "Ah, I apologize for that, I thought you had recovered from your intense mourning."
"I'm over the worst of it, yes, but I still wish I knew what became of him." There was a worry gnawing away inside her, a worry that perhaps Travis was still alive, trapped somewhere, and she was not doing all she could to find out, get him back. Opposed to this was a subconscious fear that she might not like the truth, that her husband might have chosen to leave his entire life behind.

Corenat Rovarnus wrote:Well its over now, none of us won. I started writing on the very last day, here's pretty much all of the resulting text. I'd like to hear feedback on what genre of novel you think I'm writing from just this and what existing novels this reminds you of.

Edna is a prototypical example of a strong female character. Echoing the revolutionary feminist writings of the great Kate Chopin, author Igor Peuce details a modern awakening of the female spirit. Edna lives alone, her husband having disappeared several weeks prior to the opening of the novel. At first, Edna enters an intense period of depression at her husband's absence, but eventually comes to realize that this very absence is a most masterfully crafted titanium warhammer with which she can use, in a fit of blind passion, to smash apart the chains of patriarchy which bind her somewhat erotically.

Living alone, her only comfort is the old butler who takes a little too much interest in her young child. Ignoring his obvious ill-intentions, Edna allows the butler to satisfy her intense carnal yearnings with his libertine wiles. She will experience an epiphany mid-comforting-encounter in which she realizes that the butler is merely using her to get close to her child. She will lapse into another fit of depression and in order to save herself and her child, she will swim off into the ocean and never return. How will this save her child? Only Edna can know.

Dave wrote:to smash apart the chains of patriarchy which bind her somewhat erotically

That was unexpectedly funny.

Oh man, who's going for NaNoWriMo 2013 this November? If you are, it's a good idea to start planning now. While its against the rules to start writing the actual novel before the event begins, make some rough outlines/summaries of what you're going to do.

Let's GAO! Didn't know you were participating Kooay!

My fellow proz, I present to you, A Savage Tale, part 2!

Cragkor dropped the wench to the ground and strode over to the knights. He was a big, hard, GIANT of a man, matching the riders in height despite them being MOUNTED.

“WHAT'S THIS BABY FACE WANT? HIS MAMA'S MILK?” he roared.  The other raiders chuckled and guffawed at this HILARIOUS taunt.

Cragkor grunted deeply, and they brandished THICK lengths of wood crudely fashioned to BLUDGEON and PENETRATE. They moved to encircle the two knights, toothy half-grins on their faces. Cragkor bore the largest grin of all, confronting the cowardly knight who spoke up.

The BABY-faced one shied away from Cragkor's glare, both hands now gripping the reigns tightly.
He gulped and spoke again, pointing with shaking fingers:

“I- I command you! Lay down your arms, in the name of....THE KING”

Utterly disregarding those unmanly words, Cragkor grabbed the man by the neck and lifted him BODILY off his horse. In Cragkor's other hand was a wineskin filled with an unknown fluid attached to the end of a huge STICK. A fellow savage ripped visor from helm as if it were PAPER, exposing the face.

“*Hrk* N-no! Please, d-don't! NOOOOO!!!!!” the squirming coward screamed like the CRAVEN he was.

“HERE'S YOUR MILK, BABY MAN!!” Cragkor crowed. He mercilessly THRUST wineskin and stick into the man's mouth and RAMMED the full SHAFT down the throat.

His victim quickly gagged from the GIRTH of the stick, the strange fluid dripping from the lips. This was only the latest of many Cragkor had dispatched to warrant the title of the BRUTAL, a title he bore proudly.

The other knight wheeled about, searching for a way out of this nightmare of laughing barbarians and lamenting women, but to no avail.