MelloWriMo - Relaxed Writing Month

**CatInASuit** · 24 Oct 2011 07:42 AM

As several people may already know, November is NaNoWriMo month, where lots of people slave away to produce 50,000 words, or 1600 words a day, of their novel in one month.

Now there are plenty of creative writers on the board and several who have probably completed NaNoWriMo before, so I was wondering about something different: A collaborative attempt. The idea would be that several people try and write several chapters of a novel independently with the only proviso that by the end of November, we have to have written 50k words in total.

How it would work? We decide on a brief synopsis and main characters and then everyone writes their chapter at the same time. The chapters wouldn't have to be even in the same genre, sub characters could come and go etc. as long as the story kind of sticks together and we wind up at the end over 50k words.

The more people join in, the less everyone has to write.

So, anyone interested in creating the next Atlanta Nights?

**The Original An Gadaí** · 24 Oct 2011 11:40 AM

Yeah sign me up for a chapter.

**Orual** · 24 Oct 2011 08:06 PM

Unfortunately, I've made a couple other Novemberly writing commitments, so I don't think I could promise a whole chapter. It's a cool idea, though!

**Zuul** · 24 Oct 2011 08:41 PM

I loved this idea, so I'm definitely up for a chapter or two. I already poked Marsilia and she said she would be as well.

**CatInASuit** · 26 Oct 2011 08:09 AM

The more people join, the less everyone has to write. Even if you only add a thousand word chapter, its all good.

**What Exit?** · 26 Oct 2011 09:55 AM

I wish I could but I suspect the only way I could work it in is if there was a chapter where one character was telling a story to the others. My time seems to be crunched lately.

**Malacandra** · 26 Oct 2011 10:16 AM

Okay, put me down for a chapter - I have completed Nano twice

**Elendil's Heir** · 27 Oct 2011 10:32 PM

What the hell, I'll do a chapter. Might be on the short side, but I'm game.

**CatInASuit** · 28 Oct 2011 07:44 AM

Well that makes 6 people who will go for a chapter, 1 for a small chapter and Orual who needs persuading to write something no matter how small.

That makes it about 7,500 words each and 5,000 for What Exit? Only 250 words a day or so.

All we need now is a title, synopsis and main characters.

Random Book Title: The Seventh Thief, an adventure in seven parts.

Synopsis: ??

Main Characters: ??

Anyone any good ideas?

**The Original An Gadaí** · 28 Oct 2011 08:03 AM

Well my chapter's about a superhero, I've decided.

**Zuul** · 28 Oct 2011 07:23 PM

Let's go with a simple arc and build on that: an ordinary young man is brought into an extraordinary adventure.

**The Original An Gadaí** · 28 Oct 2011 07:31 PM

How about the young man is given a magical book and whatever chapter he opens up leaves him in a disparate chapter length story....

**Zuul** · 28 Oct 2011 07:51 PM

He discovers he has the power to hop between alternate dimensions!

**The Original An Gadaí** · 28 Oct 2011 08:18 PM

Or does he???

Spoiler (mouseover to read):

Presented by M. Night Shyamalan

**What Exit?** · 28 Oct 2011 09:27 PM

Our young hero (anti-hero?) comes of the tutelage of a sage older thief dying slowing of consumption. He of course teaches through a series of short stories recanting both his own success and that of others he knew?

**Elendil's Heir** · 28 Oct 2011 11:25 PM

Recounting, not recanting, I presume? Or is he filled with regret for his life of crime? Otherwise, I like it.

**Zuul** · 29 Oct 2011 10:36 AM

Yes, I think that works nicely. Multiple voices can be heard that way, all held together with a common theme!

Perhaps it would go...

First chapter: Introducing our young anti-hero coming to the old sage.
Five or so chapters of stories from the old sage.
Final chapter: Back to the young anti-hero and what he does in response to his learnings?

**The Original An Gadaí** · 29 Oct 2011 04:48 PM

Is it all gonna be fantasy? Fantasy is the genre I've got the least interest in, so can each chapter be diverse in locale, tone, genre etc?

**Zuul** · 29 Oct 2011 07:27 PM

Originally posted by The Original An Gadaí

Is it all gonna be fantasy? Fantasy is the genre I've got the least interest in, so can each chapter be diverse in locale, tone, genre etc?

I was thinking the frame story with the young man and old thief could be set at some point in the near future. As all the stories the old thief is telling are in the past relative to the frame story, that widens the range of settings. He could tell a story about when he was young and it could be modern day, the story of his own mentor and set it in WWII, some ancient thief of legend's past during the Dark Ages, etc. Since they're stories that are being retold, there's more leeway on what elements they might have, being fantasy or a straight war story or what have you.

Would that work for people?

**Elendil's Heir** · 29 Oct 2011 11:04 PM

Yeah, I could go for that.

**Malacandra** · 30 Oct 2011 10:13 AM

Sure, why not?

**What Exit?** · 30 Oct 2011 02:22 PM

Sounds good.

**CatInASuit** · 31 Oct 2011 08:29 AM

Nice idea Zuul, that should work nicely.

Did anyone have any preference as to whether they want to write one of the story chapters or the opening or closing chapter. Also, I'll create some threads in Creation Station for each chapter/person, so everyone can see how it is going.

**The Original An Gadaí** · 31 Oct 2011 08:32 AM

I'd prefer a story chapter if that's all right.

**Zuul** · 31 Oct 2011 09:17 AM

I'll take the opening chapter of the framing story. If needed, I can take the end as well, but that might be a bit more writing than I can make time for right now.

For POV, I assume we'll have it essentially be first person, borrowing a bit from Joseph Conrad. The young man is telling us the story, while the old thief is telling him the story, though the old man may mostly speak in third person about other people.

Since it will primarily be stories being retold, do the young man and the old thief need names or should they just be nameless archetypes? I'm good either way.

So if I have the number of possible writers correct:

Chapter 1: Introducing the frame story and the characters of the young man and the old thief. - Zuul
Chapter 2: ?
Chapter 3: ?
Chapter 4: ?
Chapter 5: ?
Chapter 6: ?
Chapter 7: Concluding chapter, returning to the young man.

**The Original An Gadaí** · 31 Oct 2011 09:40 AM

I'd like mine to be set sometime around 1945-7 in Britain or the US.

**Zuul** · 31 Oct 2011 10:01 AM

Sounds good. Positions of chapters can be shuffled based on chronology, once we have that worked out.

Chapter 1: Introducing the frame story and the characters of the young man and the old thief. - Zuul
Chapter 2: Story set in 1945-7 in Britain or the US. - The Original An Gadaí
Chapter 3: ?
Chapter 4: ?
Chapter 5: ?
Chapter 6: ?
Chapter 7: Concluding chapter, returning to the young man.

**CatInASuit** · 31 Oct 2011 10:08 AM

Originally posted by The Original An Gadaí

I'd like mine to be set sometime around 1945-7 in Britain or the US.

It's your chapter - write what you like

And feel free to include as much or as little magic or science as you like.

**Marsilia** · 31 Oct 2011 02:04 PM

I'll take the last chapter!

**Malacandra** · 31 Oct 2011 05:48 PM

A middle chapter, set in the early 1800s.

**Elendil's Heir** · 31 Oct 2011 10:57 PM

I'll take a middle-ish chapter, set during the American Civil War, if you please.

**CatInASuit** · 01 Nov 2011 07:36 AM

I'm undecided on time frame, but its likely to be earlier than those already mentioned.

**Zuul** · 01 Nov 2011 09:05 AM

All right then. As I get settings for the last two bits I'll shuffle things to make room for them. We're now at:

Chapter 1: Introducing the frame story and the characters of the young man and the old thief. - Zuul
Chapter 2: Story set in 1945-7 in Britain or the US. - The Original An Gadaí
Chapter 3: American Civil War. - Elendil's Heir
Chapter 4: Story set in the early 1800s. - Malacandra
Chapter 5: ?
Chapter 6: ?
Chapter 7: Concluding chapter, returning to the young man. - Marsilia

**Sarahfeena** · 01 Nov 2011 02:15 PM

I'm not a writer, so I can't help, but I'm very much looking forward to reading the result!

**CatInASuit** · 01 Nov 2011 03:30 PM

I'm not a writer either

**The Original An Gadaí** · 01 Nov 2011 04:13 PM

I can barely rite.

**CatInASuit** · 02 Nov 2011 08:38 AM

I'll pick up chapter 6 - Southern France during the renaissance.

First 500 words up.

**What Exit?** · 02 Nov 2011 09:16 AM

So chapter 5 for me, not sure of the setting yet.

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