Today marks the beginning of the annual NaNoWriMo. It is the first time in three years that I haven't participated, if I don't. I have nothing, no idea. Ideas didn't get me anywhere for the past two years--last year less than the year before. I had a pretty decent idea last year, but the push to get words on the page derailed it and I had to force it forward very uncomfortably. My "critic" gets started and she just starts screaming! By the end of last years NaNo she was a raving lunatic.
Above is a potential title borrowed from an online friend on a forum. It intrigued me. There could be so many different directions to take it. One of the ideas I had, and I had considered this in past years, was to write a spoof on schism in TEC. Not this schism, but a fictitious one. And perhaps where I stumble is in my desire to write it so that all Episcopalians could get a chuckle out of it. Yes, all. Sometimes it helps us to laugh at ourselves.
My big stumbling block is that I try to think of a controversy, preferably based on scriptural interpretation of the two (or many) sides. I've thought of revisiting the old slavery controversy, but I would like to have the Internet discussions be a part of the process because I think the Internet has exacerbated what might have otherwise been a ripple in the life of most congregations. I've thought of using St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, 13-15. Vegans would have a secure hold on the scriptural debates. And it could be funny because few of us care what our neighbor eats--except that it might cause a ruckus at a potluck. I had three or four more good ideas, but today is November 1st and panic has frozen my brain. I considered Womens Ordination, but it is still a hot topic in some circles. I thought about the Great Commandment because it seems to be so overlooked. Pacifism might actually be a good one! And I have some great ideas where the war mongers have found justification for their point of view. And, I thought about Balaam's Ass. I like that story. Can an ass talk?
I attempted to brainstorm this idea with my friends, but they shut me down before I even begin. They wouldn't listen long enough for me to get to the spoof concept and my dilemma. It doesn't matter if it goes nowhere. I haven't published a NaNoNovel yet!
At any rate, I thought that a great way to write it would be to divide the month of November into thirty days. Yeah, I know! That's already been done. But bear with me here. I thought I could peg out thirty days during the past four--it isn't going on five yet, is it?--years and I could write a spoof journal entry each day, a recollection of what occurred on that day. So simple! Aim for my 1667 words per day and VIOLA NaNoNovelDone!
Late edition: As I've gone through the day I have grown more and more fond of Balaams Ass. I really like it!~ And just think how many times I could use the word "ass". I've always thought there was a deficit of cuss words in my fiction.
Showing posts with label brainstorming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brainstorming. Show all posts
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
March Madness is coming!
It may be an exageration to say that March Madness is coming. It is really just a continuation of the February writing challenge, W.I.S.H. (writing isn't so hard--SEE Skateboard link at bottom of page).
So, dearest Carolyn (link below) has created an assignment: Write TEN (yes, 10) scenes--not just any old scenes, but the heart of the story. Novels are comprised of master, major and minor scenes. The requirement here is to write ten master or major scenes. And, since I forgot to save chat, I hope somebody will send a copy to me.
I can't plan a novel overnight! It takes months for me to do that. So, while taking my bath--my best brainstorming technique--I cooked up a little bit more on my poisoning story. I'm not happy about the idea. In truth, I'd say I'm fairly luke warm. I can get some tension built with what is flopping through my brain right now, but I have no idea where to take the ending. It looks like a fish out of water.
Sudden doubt! Can I develop believable scenarios and emotion? *Will I ever trust myself?*
My old English Comp II teacher would scratch a big red F on this simple brainstorming list. I'l;l have to revise it to satisfy the internal critic that she recorded on my brain. Each item will have to be parallel, of course. Off the top of my head and briefing through it, with every scene subject to change:
ACT 1:
1. Sickness in autumn
2. Health over Christmas
3. Return of illness in January
ACT 2:
4. First discovery of poison
5. Near death
6. Paranoia and suspicion run rampant
7. Previous suspect in doubt
ACT 3:
8. Who dunnit?
9. Angela
10. Escape!
As a backup plan when this thing fizzles, I promise to continue to revise my first NaNo novel. It isn't much better but it does have a plot and it nearly has an excellent ending. The funny thing about writing suspense is that it isn't my genre. Both of these ideas are suspense.
I have a long and dear history with suspense. It comes from two sources. I'm naturally inclined to worry about ridiculously bad things that can happen. I imagine gunmen taking over the school while I'm waiting to pick up my son or I see a woman sitting in a car on a residential street while I'm taking an afternoon walk and I imagine that she's on a stakeout.
Realizing that this tendency to daydream wild scenarios might have a useful application occurred to me one day more than ten years ago while I was reading a novel by Mary Higgins Clark. I thought: 'I could do this!' Not only that, but she even uses simple names. I have a terrible block against naming characters. So, suspense and Mary Higgins Clark brought me back to writing for the first time in twenty years. If I actually write both of these stories, I'll end up equally split between historical fiction and suspense, not counting short stories.
So, dearest Carolyn (link below) has created an assignment: Write TEN (yes, 10) scenes--not just any old scenes, but the heart of the story. Novels are comprised of master, major and minor scenes. The requirement here is to write ten master or major scenes. And, since I forgot to save chat, I hope somebody will send a copy to me.
I can't plan a novel overnight! It takes months for me to do that. So, while taking my bath--my best brainstorming technique--I cooked up a little bit more on my poisoning story. I'm not happy about the idea. In truth, I'd say I'm fairly luke warm. I can get some tension built with what is flopping through my brain right now, but I have no idea where to take the ending. It looks like a fish out of water.
Sudden doubt! Can I develop believable scenarios and emotion? *Will I ever trust myself?*
My old English Comp II teacher would scratch a big red F on this simple brainstorming list. I'l;l have to revise it to satisfy the internal critic that she recorded on my brain. Each item will have to be parallel, of course. Off the top of my head and briefing through it, with every scene subject to change:
ACT 1:
1. Sickness in autumn
2. Health over Christmas
3. Return of illness in January
ACT 2:
4. First discovery of poison
5. Near death
6. Paranoia and suspicion run rampant
7. Previous suspect in doubt
ACT 3:
8. Who dunnit?
9. Angela
10. Escape!
As a backup plan when this thing fizzles, I promise to continue to revise my first NaNo novel. It isn't much better but it does have a plot and it nearly has an excellent ending. The funny thing about writing suspense is that it isn't my genre. Both of these ideas are suspense.
I have a long and dear history with suspense. It comes from two sources. I'm naturally inclined to worry about ridiculously bad things that can happen. I imagine gunmen taking over the school while I'm waiting to pick up my son or I see a woman sitting in a car on a residential street while I'm taking an afternoon walk and I imagine that she's on a stakeout.
Realizing that this tendency to daydream wild scenarios might have a useful application occurred to me one day more than ten years ago while I was reading a novel by Mary Higgins Clark. I thought: 'I could do this!' Not only that, but she even uses simple names. I have a terrible block against naming characters. So, suspense and Mary Higgins Clark brought me back to writing for the first time in twenty years. If I actually write both of these stories, I'll end up equally split between historical fiction and suspense, not counting short stories.
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