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Kamikaze Novel Writing
spotmonk writes "November is National Novel Writing Month, and the beginning of this year's nanowrimo program will be starting on Nov 1st. Participants will write a novel of a minimum of 50,000 words in a month's time. Described as valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over talent and craft, nanowrimo takes a kamikaze approach to writing a novel - you may not get the best novel out of it, but at least you've written a novel. Sign-ups last till the end of the month."
It was from "Throw Momma From the Train" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094142/) and Danny Devito's character wrote a godawful short story that started this way.
Hilarious movie. :-)
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.
Last year, you could sign up on the last day of November if you wanted to. If you could write a 50,000 word novel in less than 24 hours, more power to you.
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I remember that the teacher spends weeks coming up with "The night was humid" only to read it in one of his student's works.
There's this oddly manic and excitable and optimistic feel to the atmosphere on the NaNo forums. I can write 50k words in 30 days on my own, but then I wouldn't have the support and encouragement of hundreds of other writers going through the same thing.
And instead of wondering "will this be good" or "will this go over well with readers", we can just let go and write what we want to write. Several NaNoers have regained their love of writing after rediscovering how fun it can be.
A lot of us won't be publishing our stories, or even considering it. We're just in it for the laughs.
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There's another month for getting it right. NaNoWriMo is for getting it written.
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You are what you think.
And when you're done with your novel you can publish it on Lulu. I think Lulu is a fantastic idea, and I hope they don't go out of business.
Education is the silver bullet.
By definition, a novel is 40,000+ words.
A novella is between 17,500 and 39,999 words.
A novelette is between 7500 and 17,499.
A short story is under 7500 words.
And now, you know.
...we send you over to the west country on Dorset.
Commentator: Hello, and welcome to Dorchester, where a very good crowd has turned out to watch local boy Thomas Hardy write his new novel "The Return Of The Native", on this very pleasant July morning. This will be his eleventh novel and the fifth of the very popular Wessex novels, and here he comes! Here comes Hardy, walking out towards his desk. He looks confident, he looks relaxed, very much the man in form, as he acknowledges this very good natured bank holliday crowd. And the crowd goes quiet now, as Hardy settles himself down at the desk, body straight, shoulders relaxed, pen held lightly but firmly in the right hand. He dips the pen...in the ink, and he's off! It's the first word, but it's not a word - oh, no! - it's a doodle. Way up on the top of the lefthand margin is a piece of meaningless scribble - and he's signed his name underneath it! Oh dear, what a disapointing start. But his off again - and here he goes - the first word of Thomas Hardy's new novel, at ten thirtyfive on this very lovely morning, it's three letters, it's the definite article, and it's "The!"
(continues)
p
In Korea, long hair is for old people!
All of which is why my wife does NaNoEdMo in January.
Oh, go on, check out my job.
From the Wikipedia entries on Novel, Novella, and Novelette. The contents of those articles state that they are the guidelines adopted for the Hugo and Nebula science fiction awards. While obviously there is some wiggle room, it would appear that 50,000 words is well into the territory of the average novel.
"I would give my right hand to be ambidextrous."