Tuesday, 31 October 2006

NaNoWriMo 2006 - Shifting Into Gear.

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow! That's just 12 hours away...

I participated in last year's NaNoWriMo. Even went to the meet they had organised in MPH 1 Utama. But my efforts sizzled pretty quickly as work took over my life. But thanks to a different job and a lifestyle change this year, I'm pretty confident I can make the 50k mark this time round.

Phew! 50,000 words. The number almost leaves breathless every time I think of it.

Hey, it's just, you know, words.

Anyway, I've decided that I won't be writing the usual angsty stuff I usually write in my short stories and will be aiming for a novel with a science fiction/young adult persuasion. One that doesn't require me to think too much. Plot driven, rather than character driven. Something that would most likely fit in the mass market.

My influences would most likely be... er... lemme list 'em: The Hungry City Chronicles, The BFG, Snow Crash, Eberron, The Golden Compass (but not the rest of the His Dark Materials books), Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Silver Chair, Hayao Miyazaki's early movies (think Castle of Cogliostro, Nausicaa, Laputa... and not Totoro) and - yikes! - Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Anyway, that's the plan, but I'm not sticking to it. I'm letting the characters tell their story. Here's hoping I make it out alive with 50k words at the end of November.


  1. I'm still undecided as to whether I should jump on the NaNoWriMo bandwagon this year, but if I don't start in a week, I might probably let this year slip. Never finished the last two years either.

    So all the best with your NaNoWrimoing!!!!

    And if you're combining Phillip Pullman with Hideki Anno and C.S. Lewis, your story should be a heck of a read. :D

  2. Why think about it? Why not start anyway, then if you can't continue, don't. At least you'd have tried... and who knows something might come out of it...

    But thanks anyway! I hope you join in!

    I would've liked to combine Kareshi Kanojyo no Jijyo too, but I think that would've made the story too bizarre...

    Anyway, I'm just citing them as influences or perhaps, I should say, inspiration. The final product could be totally, TOTALLY different. Eeks!

  3. Ted you are back! Can't log in for 1 day and I've already missed so much.

    I suppose writing 50K words is great, but I hope it won't zap too much of your energy. That's a whole novel in there!

  4. good luck teds! I'll be watching that words-meter you got at the sidebar

  5. Xeus: I think I will be very much close to dead at the end of November... but I think it will be worth it to have a completed novel!

    Sharks: Thanks! I'm watching it too... got a daily target to meet :D

  6. you've made a great start ted. i found that the trick was to always try to keep slightly ahead of the word limit so that you have some words spare for emergency days when you are busy or don't feel so good.

  7. Thanks Sharon, I'll keep that in mind. Am totally stoked I've got all these words written down but am a little worried I'll lose steam half-way...


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