Uhm....right.
For the next thirty days, starting tomorrow (Nov 1st), this site will be where I post my attempt to complete NaNoWriMo, the National Novel Writing Month. The idea behind this challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, which means I'll have to try and post about 2500 words a day for the next four weeks. This may not work. I may not have time. I may sit in front of the computer and stare blankly instead of writing. Whatever I write may be so awful that I put a stop to it.
However the most likely thing to happen is that I'll just say: "Ah, I can't be bothered." and never even start at all. Which is why I'm writing this now. So that you can shame me into at least starting it.
The novel may suck. In fact, it's bound to suck. First drafts usually do suck. But there might be the kernel of a good novel in there, and I think if I can get out a first draft, that'd be something I could work on. Then I can say:
"I wrote a novel."
"Did it suck?"
"Yeah, but I wrote it, god-damn it. At least I did that."
This blog has never been much more than what you might hear if you sat down next to me in a pub and asked what interesting thing I had done recently. Well, for the next thirty days, it'll be as if you asked if I had an interesting story to tell. Except serialized.
How can you help? Well, by reading it, for starters. Praise is appreciated. Constructive criticism is useful. Pointing out that it sucks isn't- even if it does. Asking questions or observing that certain points were not clear is useful. Pointing out any real or implied references to my actual existence isn't. If you're also NaNoBlogMoIng, let me know and I'll link you and read your work.
You can also help me find an ending. Right now I have about 17 beats of what needs to be, barring overruns, a 20-beat story. The last three beats are a mystery to me. I need some help there. I also need some help being INconcise. Contrary to this blog's existence, I tend to get to the point a bit too rapidly to make a good novelist. If you read anything and think: "I wouldn't mind knowing a bit more about that.", I can go back and add more. Any and all ideas are welcome.
See you tomorrow- wish me luck.
This is a 
*gasp* this is soooo cool! I remember seeing this 2 years ago and wishing I didn't have uni work and exams so I could do this. It seems really perfect that this has come up now... I'm gonna do it.
I'm having some trouble signing up though, hmmm.
It's pretty cool that you're going to post your work here - I don't think I'm all that confident.
But good luck and I look forward to the first installment.
What's a beat?
Thanks, Nat. I feel if I just did it in secret it'd be too easy to give up without anyone knowing.
A story beat is a place you want the story to get to, usually an event that occurs but sometimes is some speech or realization you want a character to have. Let's say you've thought what you wanted your story to be about.....an enormous storm hitting London, for example. Once you've got the basic idea, it's a good idea to divide it into 'beats', like, little portions. "And then the Thames floods Oxford Street....so our protagonist has to move to Higher Ground, so goes to Primrose Hill.....where he meets that crazy woman he ignored on the streets the previous day....and so on." Each 'and then' is a beat, like an event. Like that Sandman book where each chapter heading is a rough summary of the chapter: "Dream comes to an understanding with Delerium." That's a beat.
This, from the FAQ on the NaNoWriMo site...
Has anyone had their novel published?
A growing number! Jon F. Merz was one of Team 2001's winners; his NaNo book The Destructor was published by Pinnacle Books in March 2003...
Go Dan, you crazy kamikaze novel-writer you.
PS don't know if you knew, Neil Gaiman is giving a talk in London
when: Tue 8 Nov (7pm)
where: Logan Hall, The Institute of Education (20 Bedford Way, WC1, 020.7387.4130) Tube: Russell Square
price: £7 / £5 concessions
Good luck, Dan!
DAmn and I have my Residents Meeting that day. Although I bet it's sold out already.
Good luck Dan; the serialisation is a brilliant idea, and especially brave.
I've pretty much committed to web publishing mine, but I'm definitely going to hold onto it for extra redrafting right up until the end of the month. Expect to see it early in December, unless I cop out and withhold it.
Yeah, I'll look real dumb if I fail to keep up- hopefully that will force me to produce. You should do the same!
IF (if) I manage to complete it I have promised myself I will have the second draft published via Lulu. Lovely people who help me out with suggestions and edits over the next month will get a copy as well. And, uhm, they'll be on the acknowledgements page!
I'm not going to serialise - I'm serious about wanting to hold onto it until the last possible moment. Besides, I've written novels that suck before, so the question isn't whether I can stick at the writing, but whether I can let it go and stop holding out for one last revision.
I've told various groups of people about it, even invited requests as to what should be in it, so I'm going to look pretty stupid if I don't produce something at the end of the month. That should motivate me plenty ;-)