Posts tagged with "nanowrimo" - Faerye Net

I surrender.

2005-11-30T22:07:08+00:00

I’m beginning to think that I am, by nature, an optimist. Certainly as I sit here on the last day of my visit to my parents, a visit I rashly envisioned leaving plenty of time to write another 5,000 words on my NaNoWriMo novel, I seem to have been irrationally so. After all, I thought, surely I’ll need to sneak off by myself and steal a little time alone with Puck. I’ll need to get away from the bustle of people at Thanksgiving! I’ll have an hour or two to myself after my parents go to bed!

HA. NO. I may manage to squeeze out another chapter tonight, thus pushing me a little farther over a measly 10% of my goal. Why have I failed in the challenge? I wasn’t strict enough with myself about it, of course, but also, I think I failed utterly to just produce without caring much about quality. I rather like my cheesy little story. And for that reason, I shall not leave off as the clock strikes twelve tonight. I shall carry on, I hope, until it is finished. Maybe, just maybe, before November of next year. (I’m trying to temper my optimism…)

Update: 12.466% of goal. Tra-la!

What's in a hat?

2005-11-10T23:11:25+00:00

As some of you may have noticed with disapprobation, Saul Jordan, the hero of my NaNoWriMo pulp novel, remains vaguely defined. In part this is because all the world knows the features of Saul Jordan’s face from his previous adventures (sorry, I do love my own pulp pretensions); in part it is because the combined clich— I mean, power— of Saul’s description might bust your noggins; and in part this is because I figure it is unnecessary. However, one piece of his description IS necessary. It shades his firm jaw and sets off his gunmetal grey eyes. However, I cannot bring myself to define it.

Perhaps the problem is that Saul Jordan wears many metaphorical chapeaux. He is a cynical, world-weary private detective; an international man of mystery; a decorated war hero. These roles cannot be subsumed into one hat. Moreover, what hat can I use? Given Saul Jordan’s true-blue history as an ace fighter pilot, I had to have his non-PI wear include a flight jacket. Therefore, he absolutely cannot wear the hat which his PI role would imply: a fedora. Saul Jordan is not a cheap Indiana Jones knockoff! Saul Jordan is a cheap Sam Spade/Indiana Jones/Jack Colton/Flash Gordon/Lucky Starr/Richard Seaton knockoff. (I’m keeping my options open.)

The fedora ruled out, what is a girl to do? He can’t wear a pilot’s helmet to match his flight jacket. That would just be weird, and besides, Sky Captain was too disappointing for any part of it that didn’t involve Angelina Jolie kicking ass to influence my hero.

He cannot wear a cap, as styled by news boys, Eponine, Bertram Wooster and myself. Not only would it be below his dignity, but on Planet Hard-Boiled, only the most coffee-and-doughnut loogan wears a cap. It’s a symbol of the lowliest thug, not the loftiest hero.

So what then? Every other felt dress hat is too wimpy or too evil. Pith helmet? PLEASE. Aussie hat? I do not plan on putting velociraptors in my story (though I keep my options open.) Cowboy hat? Urgh. We are from Chicago, people. We are not every steely-eyed American stereotype. I’m sorry, Johnny Ringo, but that even goes for the best evil cowboy hat evar. (The best good cowgirl hat, incidentally, was worn by Prue on Charmed. I want this hat as I have never wanted a cowboy hat before.)

All this nattering aside, where am I left? Is Saul Jordan, besides being the greatest hero of his generation, the only man in that generation not to wear a hat? In sunny, high-altitude Peru? Would a hero be that stupid?

Here there be pulp!

2005-11-04T22:43:15+00:00

I have finally followed through and begun the epic tale of Saul Jordan and The Bride of the Golden God. 1,199 words down…48,801 words to go!

Go read it if you’re so inclined!

Attack of the NaNoWriMo!

2005-11-02T03:01:26+00:00

I had meant to inaugurate National Novel-Writing Month/Personal Pulpy Power Month with a first chapter on the first of the month, but, well, I was busy learning some rudimentary bits of css and xsl in order to piece together the cover, binding and title page of The Case of Saul Jordan and the Bride of the Golden God. In order to satisfy my two totally contradictory biggest fans, I’m serializing the NaNoWriMo efforts, but on a different blog. I’ll let you know when there’s more to see.

NaNoWriMo looms -- what SHALL our intrepid heroine do?

2005-10-17T12:30:15+00:00

I have never taken part in National Novel Writing Month before this year. I have quite enough novels half-written without adding a sub-par rush-job to the stash, thank you very much! But for some reason I feel like doing it this year. I feel like writing a terribly pulpy novel with international intrigue, hard-boiled dialogue, and quite possibly violence. Why do I feel like doing this? The spirit of procrastination delaying my ‘quality’ novels? Shouldering the burden laid down by sister sledge last year? I am not sure, but I think I’ll have to go with Captain Kirk on this one. Because it’s there.

Now taking opinions on whether to serialize the thing here or on another blog, or to wait until it’s done and post all 50,000 words of it somewheres. To leave your opinion, please press the friendly ‘Post Comment’ link and type after the beep.

I’m lying. Please don’t wait for a beep.