I need some help deciding which of my novel ideas I'm going to tap into for the NaNoWriMo. I'm currently writing my strongest novel idea (or the idea I'm most enthusiastic about) so can't use that in November. Instead I'll go for one of the science fiction ideas (write what you know) and pick between the following:
1. A private research team that is working on brain scanning technology makes a breakthrough where it is possible for multiple people to share the same experiences... if three people are looking at the same scene they see each can see it from three different places creating very high depth perception and spacial awareness. Due to a clause in their contract, their work is appropriated by a national government for exclusive military development for one year. At the end of that one year the technology will be available for public use in the medical and entertainment fields, netting the original research team their billions. The novel follows the team throughout that years as they have to work with the military (despite their pacifistic tendencies) in various conflicts around the world, trying in each circumstance to cause as little harm in the world as possible.
2. A time cycling story, I guess vaguely comparable to Groundhog Day, in which our protagonist sends his memories back in time to his younger self, who loads in his future memories and has another go at life. He does this many, many times. The story is told in reverse, starting with his last ever life, then telling progressively earlier lives and his adventures, then finally we are told about his first life and how he managed to send his memories back in the first place.
2. A time cycling story, I guess vaguely comparable to Groundhog Day, in which our protagonist sends his memories back in time to his younger self, who loads in his future memories and has another go at life. He does this many, many times. The story is told in reverse, starting with his last ever life, then telling progressively earlier lives and his adventures, then finally we are told about his first life and how he managed to send his memories back in the first place.
I'd rather read this one. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it grabbed my attention more than the first one.
Although, the idea of multiple people sharing a single vantage point is pretty interesting. Maybe you could combine the two by having the guy who's transferring his memories be one of the scientists? He could use the memories to help with minimizing the damage in the conflicts the team is forced to get involved with.
I hear from a bunch of my friends that Ywriter is an awesome program for novel writing. However, I haven't had the chance to try it out for myself, as it's only for Windows. I prefer to write on a laptop so I can take it out with me, and my laptop is a mac. At the moment, I write segments in Text Editor. It's easier that way for me, because there are no formatting distractions. Many online markets take plain text submissions, so this way I know that removing formatting won't detract from the story. (Because there isn't any besides paragraph breaks.)
2. A time cycling story, I guess vaguely comparable to Groundhog Day, in which our protagonist sends his memories back in time to his younger self, who loads in his future memories and has another go at life. He does this many, many times. The story is told in reverse, starting with his last ever life, then telling progressively earlier lives and his adventures, then finally we are told about his first life and how he managed to send his memories back in the first place.
I'd rather read this one. I'm not sure why, exactly, but it grabbed my attention more than the first one.
Although, the idea of multiple people sharing a single vantage point is pretty interesting. Maybe you could combine the two by having the guy who's transferring his memories be one of the scientists? He could use the memories to help with minimizing the damage in the conflicts the team is forced to get involved with.
I'm actually planning on using the time cycling character in all the fiction I write set in that same time frame, but never as a main character, just as someone mentioned in the story or as an evil billionaire or as a major politician, to show that he made many more time cycles than ever outlined in the book, and led many different and diverse lives.
I think I'm in the mood to write a horror or mystery this year, though I'm not sure what about. Currently toying with various hooks in my mind. If all else fails, I can rewrite a neat sci-fi story that a friend and I created in an AIM-based RPG years ago.
I think I'm in the mood to write a horror or mystery this year, though I'm not sure what about. Currently toying with various hooks in my mind. If all else fails, I can rewrite a neat sci-fi story that a friend and I created in an AIM-based RPG years ago.
Oooh, make sure your characters scare the hell out of you every time you write, at least if you're going with the horror theme.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/400252 This is my NaNoWriMo profile. Add me as a Writing Buddy or post your id here so I can add you. The more buddies, the more peer pressure!
Also, if anyone is curious, here is what came of my 2006 NaNoWrimo attempt: Catalyst. It's not the greatest (some cliches, some overwrought dialogue and angst, some badly-done erotica in chapter 17), as can be said of so much that comes out of NaNo, but it's by far the most decent piece of writing I've churned out during a November so far.
I wrote a four-sentence concept to base my novel on, which stemmed from the words "Road trip" and "two guys".
"Two guys decide to go on a road trip to a gaming convention. Car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, it is unfixable. Instead of getting a ride home, they decide to hitchhike the rest of the way. Adventure ensues, wing it from there."
Well, my job at the Ren Faire just fell through, so it looks like I may have some free weekends. Maybe I'll give some writing a try...finish my NaNo project from last year.
Okay, I have settled on a concept that I would like to see flowing from my fingertips this November:
Chicks in power armor fighting each other. Underground. On Mars. And there are mafia guys. And somehow, there is a decently coherent plot behind all this, or at the very least, an homage to 80s sci-fi movies and anime.
Pretty close, yeah! XD I'm thinking I'll either cheese it up, fill it with awesome action scenes, or do both. Most likely both. I need something that contrasts the more serious setting I'm playing with in an LJ RPG right now. Otherwise, I'll probably just get sick of writing the same thing every time I write any kind prose during November.
I'm definitely cheezing it up, gonna do a comedy/horror Zombie thirller in Wildwood NJ :-p It's going to be bad, but maybe after I'm done I can actually rewrite it into something somewhat good.
Comments
And I was trying to think of the word, actually. I have horrible memory for random terms.
1. A private research team that is working on brain scanning technology makes a breakthrough where it is possible for multiple people to share the same experiences... if three people are looking at the same scene they see each can see it from three different places creating very high depth perception and spacial awareness. Due to a clause in their contract, their work is appropriated by a national government for exclusive military development for one year. At the end of that one year the technology will be available for public use in the medical and entertainment fields, netting the original research team their billions. The novel follows the team throughout that years as they have to work with the military (despite their pacifistic tendencies) in various conflicts around the world, trying in each circumstance to cause as little harm in the world as possible.
2. A time cycling story, I guess vaguely comparable to Groundhog Day, in which our protagonist sends his memories back in time to his younger self, who loads in his future memories and has another go at life. He does this many, many times. The story is told in reverse, starting with his last ever life, then telling progressively earlier lives and his adventures, then finally we are told about his first life and how he managed to send his memories back in the first place.
What do you think?
Although, the idea of multiple people sharing a single vantage point is pretty interesting. Maybe you could combine the two by having the guy who's transferring his memories be one of the scientists? He could use the memories to help with minimizing the damage in the conflicts the team is forced to get involved with.
I hear from a bunch of my friends that Ywriter is an awesome program for novel writing. However, I haven't had the chance to try it out for myself, as it's only for Windows. I prefer to write on a laptop so I can take it out with me, and my laptop is a mac. At the moment, I write segments in Text Editor. It's easier that way for me, because there are no formatting distractions. Many online markets take plain text submissions, so this way I know that removing formatting won't detract from the story. (Because there isn't any besides paragraph breaks.)
edit: I think we were reading your live-journal or something.
I just was amused because we just had a coversation about a story/web-comic to write ^_^
I will be participating.
Also, if anyone is curious, here is what came of my 2006 NaNoWrimo attempt: Catalyst. It's not the greatest (some cliches, some overwrought dialogue and angst, some badly-done erotica in chapter 17), as can be said of so much that comes out of NaNo, but it's by far the most decent piece of writing I've churned out during a November so far.
"Two guys decide to go on a road trip to a gaming convention.
Car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, it is unfixable.
Instead of getting a ride home, they decide to hitchhike the rest of the way.
Adventure ensues, wing it from there."
Good enough for me. :P
Also, my profile: Link
Chicks in power armor fighting each other. Underground. On Mars. And there are mafia guys. And somehow, there is a decently coherent plot behind all this, or at the very least, an homage to 80s sci-fi movies and anime.
This gon' be fuuuuuun. ;D