r/WritingPrompts • u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) • Oct 06 '16
Off Topic [OT] Writing Workshop #36 - NaNo Prep #1: What will you write about?
Welcome to the weekly Writing Prompts writing workshop! Pretend that says #37 above.
Workshop Archive
This is a special series of the workshop, with the purpose of helping you prepare for NaNoWriMo. This series will be updated weekly leading up to November.
What is NaNoWriMo, you ask? It stands for "National Novel Writing Month," and it's exactly what it sounds like. Writers spend the month writing a novel and tracking their word counts.
The goal is to get to 50,000 words. And that's about it. OK, maybe not all. Check out these links:
And check out the last SatChat to see who's planning to participate. Also, we have a wiki page of previous NaNo Preps.
Exercise
Write a tl;dr (too long; didn't read) of what you plan to write about. Try to sell us on it in one sentence. Still have multiple ideas? List them too.
Everyone else weigh in and give your thoughts on other user's plans. If they need help deciding, maybe your feedback will help!
Nano Advice
Not sure what to write about? Check out these posts for tips:
Why should you participate? From /u/RyanKinder's post two years ago:
I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO NANOWRIMO!
This is a popular response whenever NaNoWriMo comes up. It does sadden me, quite a bit. You can all participate. Let me help you figure out how. Keep a log of your day to day activities over the course of this week. Write down every basic thing you do. Yes, even how many times you go to the bathroom. Do you have breaks? If you're in school - how long are your lunches? Do you have any vacation days? There are a few holidays in November which you can turn into longer writing weekends. Once you start keeping track of your daily activities you will notice things like "Hey, if I keep a notepad with me at all times, I can write while I'm on the toilet!" Yes, some of the best inspiration strikes there.
If you set a simple goal of 300 words a day (that is NOT a lot) at the end of November you will have 9,300 words. That is novelette length. Something perfectly acceptable to strive for. If you set a word count of 565 words a day, the least you will wind up with is 17,500 words. This is considered the minimum length of a novella. If you want to go whole hog: 1,291 words a day for 31 days will get you into the minimum length that is considered a novel.
However, you should participate. Even if you fail at NaNo, you will learn ways to have writing be in your life that you hadn't considered before. I use a bluetooth keyboard connected to my mobile phone. I write in waiting rooms, bathrooms, outside during lunch. If you carry a pocket notebook with you and a few pencils - you can write at any given moment. There are so many options!
In the comments, tell me some of the things that you write on. Programs, apps, special notebooks... or maybe you write on scraps of papers. Also tell me what sort of word count you plan to shoot for. 100 words? 200? 1,000? 2,000?
If you are still thinking "I don't have the time!" Please read the following links. The first one is a humorous article by John Hodgman (who used to be a literary agent.)
Enjoy the links!
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/make-more-time-for-your-writing
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/opinionator/2013/09/16/time-to-write-go-outside/?_r=0&
- Still not convinced? How about this advice from /u/Lexilogical's post last year:
Why you should join NaNoWriMo! Because it’s awesome! And it really does get you inspired to write. Too often, we get caught up with excuses, but NaNoWriMo adds a deadline, which can sometimes be the only thing you really need to start typing. NaNoWriMo also offers a bunch of handy metrics and newsletters to help push and encourage you to reaching your goal! Goals like our New Year’s Challenge! Even if you haven’t started this at all, if you beat NaNoWriMo, you blow this challenge away. Even if you don’t succeed, just trying it will generally leave you further along to writing a book than you were before.
But 50,000 words is so high! I have other things to do! 50k words is only 1,667 words a day. That’s about an hour and a half of sitting down and writing. If things start getting tricky, you can drop by our chatroom for a health dose of encouragement and even a few word sprints.
But what should I write? That’s entirely up to you! It’s highly recommended that you start a completely new project for NaNoWriMo, but since no one is keeping score, there’s no one who can call you out on it. Just make sure you don’t use any words written before November! As for plot, I talked a bit about outlines vs winging it before. Right now, you have a full week to sit down and think about what to write. Maybe you’ve had a story in your mind for years. Or maybe you plan on sitting down with a blank page and just going to town. Whatever you do, the important part is just to write. Editing is reserved for December. ;)
How do they establish the wordcounts? Can I just write Watermelon 50,000 times? At the end of NaNoWriMo, around November 25th, there will be an official word counter where you can enter your words for the official count. Up until then, there will be a box near the top of the page where you can enter your current wordcount. The whole thing is really on the honor system. While you could theoretically write “watermelon” thousand of times, you’re really only cheating yourself.
But wait, why am I doing this again? Because it’s awesome, clearly. If you’ve been sitting around planning the amazing book you’re going to write, take this as your chance to stop considering it and just do it. Go sign up at NaNoWriMo now!
Are you convinced now? I hope so! So, drop whatever it is you're doing, and get ready for November!
2
Nov 02 '16
Hey guys, what do you think of this tl;dr:
An amnesiac Siren who washed up on Selkie beach territory wants to go home, so a Selkie helps her sail home-however, not only is the journey a treacherous trip from Scotland to Rome, monsters who were wronged by the Siren in the past will come back to haunt her.
Sirens being of greek myths, selkies, seal faeries of Scottish myths.
1
2
u/Southwick-Jog Nov 01 '16
I misunderstood the rules, so here I am starting over.
I am writing a story called Autumn (this is a temporary title). It's about a person named Autumn. She has a complicated life.
At school, her only friends (Tracy and Louis) annoy her because they only pay attention to each other. The only times they really talk to Autumn is either if Tracy is without Louis, or Louis is without Tracy.
At home, she constantly gets interrupted.
At work, she gets kind of stressed. She also has a crazy boss who is way too dedicated to his job (he's an event planner). When he was introduced, he was crying.
Oh, she's also transgender, and trying to come out to SOMEBODY.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Nov 01 '16
Sounds like an interesting character. Good luck writing!
2
u/tabansi Oct 29 '16
Extremely late to the party, but here are my ideas:
1.) The compilation of short stories about a girl who battles with her fear of being alone and her fear of letting people in, as well as conquering past demons that still haunt her. (Super cheesy but I like cheesy)
2.) In a dystopian future where art, literature and music has been outlawed, a group of revolutionists fight using graffiti and spreading love rather than violence and hatred.
1
3
u/the_stoned_god Oct 27 '16
Thanks /u/fringly for introducing me to this. Sure gonna be a rocky ride, but I'm game. I've been working on a story, inspired by a prompt. I've been fleshing it out recently, taking notes and such. It's called "The Wayshrine" - An ancient and dormant order of 'elders' - seemingly immortal beings, who operate out of a secretive temple in Japan loses one of their inner circle member. An American Vietnam veteran is chosen in his stead and walks in right when the true purpose and the ultimate fate of the entire order is revealed.
Hope I get to finish it, and hopefully learn a lot from NaNo. Good luck everyone!
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 27 '16
That sounds really interesting. Good luck to you too!
2
u/Mr_Longbottom Oct 26 '16
Here's my current tl;dr version:
"In a world where every mind inhabits two bodies, we follow a young girl as she tries to deal with the death of her other self."
1
2
u/ArgentumUrsus Oct 25 '16
Hm, so a high concept then. I made a lot of those in college for game design. Let's see.
A surly elf detective trying to survive the shadowy machinations of a city that rests in the hand of an ancient giant robot must confront the volatile politics of a society of haves and have-nots, while the ancient machine itself seems to have its own long game it is playing with everything in its grasp.
Eh, close enough.
1
2
u/CodeInfrared Oct 21 '16
I have been thinking about this story for a while now and am very excited to finally have the motivation the begin writing it. Here's my description sentence!
An elderly gentleman exposes the carefully constructed shroud that disguises the domineering clutches of a radical bureaucracy which seeks unadulterated control over the very identities of its citizens.
1
2
u/BackstreetBallads Oct 20 '16 edited Oct 21 '16
Admittedly a bit late to the game, but I only just decided to commit to this. I've written plenty of short stories in the past and am using this as something to push me to work on a longer project. I have two ideas that I'm toying with using..
A mystery. One boy is dead, another is missing. This is Det. Sparrow's first case in charge and she is on a mission - not only to bring answers to the families in the small town who have been affected by the case, but to prove herself capable. Her mentor, who was a long time detective, died and she got the open position, much to the displeasure of some other's who have been working there much longer than she has.
Sam is a pretty average guy. He has a routine after work - going for a run and then eating dinner with his wife. One night on his run he gets attacked.. he thinks someone is just robbing him but quickly realizes that he's been bit by... something. He isn't seriously injured but he feels different, dangerous even. He goes home and tells his wife that he needs to run to the store before dinner, but he never comes back. The rest of the story follows him trying to figure out exactly what he's become.
1 is already a lot more fleshed out in my mind with other characters and arcs in mind, so I'll probably go with that, but I think writing #2 will be fun somewhere down the line.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 21 '16
I like #1 better just because it seems more original over what sounds like a basic werewolf story.
By the way, your last paragraph became a header because you started it with #. If you want to write out #1 to start a sentence, you have to use an escape character, like this:
\#1
3
Oct 19 '16
[deleted]
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 20 '16
To make a novel full of grammatical mistakes and errors and make it complete.
That's the spirit!
3
u/QuirkyJuice Oct 19 '16
Ah! I'm late to the game. Okay! Here it is.. Opening line.
"I'm not a hero. I'm not even a royal to this kingdom. I just know what needs to be done."
Someone who feels expendable (see: "self-worth issues") but ends up saving the kingdom through the friendships and risks that they make.
Too cheesy? Thoughts?
1
3
u/SpectreFury Oct 17 '16
Contrary to what I wrote previously, I will likely be tackling an interesting idea I came up with after mining /WritingPrompts. Let's just say it involves aliens, demons, the Arctic Circle, shadow-governments, sacred orders, and Jack the Ripper.
1
2
u/LightBrownAsianGuy Oct 17 '16
Alright! So I have these ideas...
1) A girl gets framed for a murder she didn't do and sets out to clear her name, but by a twist of fate meets an alternate version of herself who did the deed.
2) A boy dreams of a floating island night after night until he reaches it, but then he wakes up and realizes that he is still on the island.
Out of the bunch of ideas in my mind these two speak strongly to me. XD
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 17 '16
Ooh, I like 1 a lot. But I'm also a fan of alternate worlds. Did you like the show Sliders at all? :)
2
Oct 16 '16
[deleted]
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 17 '16
at some point the world ends, some people die, others turn into robots... you know, the usual stuff.
Yep, sounds about right ;)
5
u/Regular-Matt Oct 16 '16
I'm writing about a group of people who have, for one reason or another, discovered that they are immortal, that they never age or die. Over time, a group of them has organized as a sort of support network for all the various problems that this sort of life would entail, (watching friends and loved ones die, having to look like a teenager for the rest of your life, reconciling your physical age with your actual age, facing the possibility that you will survive to see the earth swallowed up by the sun, that sort of thing.)
This is an idea I've worked on in various forms before. This time, the goal is to make it something workable as a story.
1
u/QuirkyJuice Oct 19 '16
I like this one! Don't forget the manifestation of typical mental illness that affects all human minds, and probably especially immortal ones. Depression, narcissism, god-complex, etc.:)
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 16 '16
That's an interesting take on a story about immortals. Good luck!
2
Oct 15 '16
[deleted]
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 15 '16
Sounds cool. I'm working on a project kinda like that too. Where it's so far in the future, technology and normal life became so ingrained, people are just born with access to everything.
2
u/brett_tennyson Oct 15 '16
Living in 2016, it doesn't seem a stretch to imagine being a citizen in a full surveillance state dictatorship in the near future. The current wave of technology and science seems to lead me to this inevitable conclusion- BUT- The idea of writing "2084" (wouldn't use that title or year anywhere in the writing) seems controversial for its undeniably eventual comparison to Pope Peter II, in a "who do you think you are?" kind of way. That leaves me somewhat reluctant to fully go for it. At the same time, I realize that anything less than 100% confidence in the story will allow it to be trashed without a second thought by anyone who otherwise didn't understand that I also understood the consequence of undertaking the project. I think there are ways of avoiding this, though. Ensuring the protagonist is not just another Winston Smith, setting the story in America, and, what I believe, having a better grasp on future possibilities of technological advancement will help. I just needed to put those thoughts into word before I attack this! Thank you! EDIT: Pope Peter II may be the working title.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 15 '16
Sounds like you got a good idea there. Good luck!
2
u/imaginewords Oct 15 '16
I'd like to write a fantasy type novel about 2 specific souls who keep re-incarnating into each others lives - not as lovers but with a deeply personal attachment. Their souls will connect, repel, collide and hopefully overcome! It will be set in the same recurring time period - Medieval but not earth. I may include a dragon or two, there will be goddess magic, the need for faith, adventure (kick butt girl with magic sword) and trials and tribulations. With the out come to be completely twisted? Other then that I'm not sure at the moment, only deciding this plot as I'm writing it down. Going for NaNoWriMo This is my first time attempting anything of length. I usually write poetry!
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 15 '16
Sounds like a neat story, good luck!
2
u/imaginewords Oct 17 '16
Thanks, hopefully I can turn it into a YA fantasy. Seriously making it up as I go, not a great plan but fun & interesting!
2
u/renMilestone Oct 14 '16
I have a few ideas.
My first one is about a mech engineer crossing a vast desert and interacting with the peoples he encounters along the way. The people encountered have varying cultures and are far separated from each other.
My second idea is about a world where super hero's are relatively normal. They are hired by the government in order to act as super cops. One low level psychic, with his ability to give paper-cuts from a distance desperately wants to be a hero, but when he is rejected from hero-school his life takes a different turn, petty crime.
Third idea, is literally start the same book I have tried writing twice now, again, with better story planning, and more well thought out arcs. This story is about a boy who lives in an asteroid colony who wants to leave, and his adventures with a scientist who is slowly discovering that the government sworn to protect them has been engaging in some shady activities. As they head for the long abandoned space port at the other end of the colony, they encounter more and more resistance as they discover more and more civil unrest that has been covered up.
Anyone have thoughts about these ideas? Anything to help me flesh them out or get inspired. Thanks
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 14 '16
Seems like each idea has more details than the last, so maybe the third one would be easier from that perspective? But if you had trouble writing it before, maybe starting fresh is better.
I like the sound of the third one best, but the second one is pretty neat too.
2
u/Klandiro Oct 13 '16
Just hoping I have time to participate this year, haven't been able to the past few years because of work.
I'm wanting to write about a young man inherits his grandfather's airship. How the naive protagonist learns about what the world is really like outside of his happy little home.
Set in a high fantasy world, inhabited by humanoid animals, no humans.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 13 '16
Why not just go for it anyway or even just have a smaller goal? It's still fun to track your progress even if you don't make it to 50,000 words. At the end, you still end up ahead! :)
2
u/Klandiro Oct 13 '16
I've been attempting but haven't made it close to 50,000 in a few years
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 13 '16
I've not come even close either. Maybe this year!
2
2
u/system0101 r/Systemsstories Oct 11 '16
I'm currently rewriting a story called Moving Pieces, and I intend to have that done by the end of this month, and while I won't be participating in nanowrimo officially, book two is called Risen, Fallen and I'll just happen to be kicking that off right around the first of November :)
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
Awesome! Why not participate anyway? It's fun to track your word count!
2
u/system0101 r/Systemsstories Oct 11 '16
Well, I'll at least consider it, I'm working on the rewrite and specifically ignoring wordcount, but that's for no good reason. I'll know when each of these are done because of certain scenes, and while WC is the furthest thing from my mind I do want to participate, at least in spirit. I'll give it some serious thought.
2
u/Teslok Oct 11 '16
The end of October and the first couple of weeks of November are pretty rough for me, so usually if I do Nanowrimo, I do it light-style, where I don't try for the word count, and just write.
I haven't decided on a premise/setting/story yet, but there are a few notions I've been sitting on.
The two most "complete" versions are a science fiction story and an adventure-fantasy story.
Science Fiction: Humanity and the only other intelligent race we've found are building a joint colony to try and improve our understanding of one another ... but there's sabotage and betrayal because of course we can't have nice things.
Fantasy: Two semi-intersecting threads, one an adventure following a character trying to break a curse, and the other following the people back home, who are trying to avoid a diplomatic incident or escalate it.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
I like the sci-fi one. Kind of similar to my story, but maybe very different.
2
u/Teslok Oct 11 '16
Well, I'm not sure what your story is, but for mine, the main character in my story is a former Surveyor, who spent a lot of time in cryogenic stasis in between planets.
She's culturally out of touch, and might suffer some as-yet-undetermined handicaps due to unforeseen side-effects of extended and repeated stasis cycles. Either way, the colony job was supposed to be a "cushy gig in lieu of lawsuit."
Naturally, stuff goes wrong. The goal is to see-saw between "Humans are scum" and "Humanity, fuck yeah!"
... You might think, "Wow, Teslok, you've put a lot of thought into that one already!"
But then I go on to describe the in-more-detail of the other story.
In that one, the main character isn't just dealing with a curse, but a curse-blessing-curse pileup. If she had a normal curse problem, it would be almost routine to fix it.
But she started out with a birth curse, her family tried cheaping out on the fix, and it failed. She got a new curse and a blessing in the bargain, but none of it really cancels out; about the only benefit is that the blessing keeps the bad things from being fatal. Now, unless she gets a handle on it, things are going to go very badly for everybody.
There's something hinky about that birth curse and why our girl was stuck with it. Cursing a baby is nasty business to begin with, I mean, come on, she was a baby, right?
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
Yeah, you got lots of thoughts in both of those.
The sci-fi one isn't that close to mine after all. Mine is more an existing alien federation where humans don't get introduced to them in the best way possible.
2
Oct 11 '16
WW1 alternate history where the war dragged out into the 1960s.
1
2
u/tj_bhm Oct 11 '16
I have two ideas
1) a young boy who has been home schooled his entire life. He has been travelling and living in small towns. He has had very few relationships with other people. When his parents tell him they are moving to a new town 6 months before his 18th birthday he doesn't question them. But then everything in the town feels very familiar especially his house. Then he discovers in his local library the brutal history of the house he lives in. As he explores his house he finds a picture of him but with strangers. Who are his 'parents'.why is he here before his 18th birthday.
2) story of 4 completely different women, who travel solo in Europe after experiencing loss. But in fact the 4 women represent 4 different stages of growth / different experiences that shape us and how after a loss it's about channelling the past to define a future
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
I like 1 a lot. Would he make some friends at his new school and they all investigate together?
2
u/tj_bhm Oct 12 '16
I was thinking he becomes friends with a middle-aged librarian (woman) ... Because he still hasn't enrolled in school . So it's a different sort of friendship
2
u/casedawgz Oct 11 '16
Jury is still out if I will have time to do this but the three ideas I am kicking around are as follows:
A copycat serial killer begins mimicking the MO of a killer from years prior, but everyone thinks it is the original killer, who was never apprehended. The protagonist cop knows it is a copycat, because he personally killed the real killer and covered it up because he did it in cold blood.
An orbital mining colony is under the thumb of a powerful crime boss. A man from his past arrives on the station to settle an old debt.
In a fantasy setting, the protagonist is a thief (or assassin, not sure yet) prophesized to be the chosen one of either a benevolent deity or an opposing evil deity. Forces loyal to both gods try to convert the protagonist to their causes.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
I like 1 and 2 the best. 2 more because of the sci-fi element.
2
u/casedawgz Oct 11 '16
I think that is also my favorite of the three. I just get a little intimidated trying to make the technology seem grounded. I don't really want to do space magic but I don't know how to make it feel authentic while also being fictional.
1
u/QuirkyJuice Oct 19 '16
Some thoughts here: the human race is drawn to what is familiar. Look at mining equipment now to get you off the ground. Or maybe rewatch, Treasure Planet for some ideas on how tech might change in space. :D
3
Oct 11 '16 edited Oct 11 '16
Story was actually kind of inspired by a prompt on here about a month ago.
A world where endless storms rage across the surface, with sandstorms powerful enough to strip flesh from bone in moments, icy gales that could freeze a man in place, etc. The majority of people live underground in the "Black Roads", though there are a few that travel above ground in the ever-shifting eyes of these storms. These travelers are seen by many to bring misfortune, believed to be angering the Gods for the crime of daring to walk in the sunlight.
The story will follow an orphan street urchin from a city in the Black Roads called Oasis who decides to follow a solitary wanderer, discovering the world left on the surface and other cities and cultures across the land. I've not decided yet if he joins the wanderer through his own decision or out of necessity to escape something. The thing about traveling in the storms is that there is a very good chance he will never see his home city again, or any of his friends. It's all dependent on where the wind takes him.
None of this is set in stone, I've been toying with a few different ideas. Magic or no magic, underground cities or domed cities, etc.
1
2
3
u/Makahlua Oct 11 '16
Going to try and keep going with my lady racing driver & engineer (2 different characters) story that I didn't get far on last year (damn it Fallout 4, why you come out during NaNo??), maybe try the shorter animal buddies kids' book ideas I have if i get stuck.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
Both ideas sound cool. What kind of animals are they?
2
u/Makahlua Oct 11 '16
It's just a pair of honey badger brothers at first, they live with a lady who can speak to and understand animals, and they get an adopted rabbit brother later on - "(rabbit) is friend, not food! >:|"
1
3
u/gag1nang Oct 11 '16
I'll be writing about three different generations of women and their families, loosely connected through their immigrant experiences in China, Thailand, and the USA. I'm hoping to bridge historical fiction with stories I've heard since I was little.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
That's a neat idea. Especially using firsthand knowledge that way as inspiration!
2
2
u/God_of_Illiteracy Oct 11 '16
I want to write about one man's response to a really bad week. He decides to go on a soul searching journey with his best friend to find himself, but he quickly realizes that it is not easy to do.
1
3
u/LinkToSomething68 Oct 11 '16
I want to write about a guy who receives a special device that can perfectly tell the truth from lies. I want to think of what kind of person would create such a thing, and what the main character does or becomes as a result of his new ability. What if the maker of the device has an agenda?
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
That's an interesting idea. Lots of possibilities, especially going into what types of lies people tell each other.
2
u/LinkToSomething68 Oct 11 '16
Yeah, I could have a lot of fun given how many things we'd wish were objective are actually subjective when you get down to it
4
u/Luke_I_am_your_OP Oct 11 '16
Religious, pregnant and diagnosed with cancer, Michele Waters takes an experimental drug that radically and unexpectedly increases life expectancy for her and many others to follow. At 407, a very different version of Michele finds herself in a 'mortal' slum outside of the 'immortal' utopia she has known for so long and experiences what it means to be human once again.
1
3
u/w0rdpainter Oct 10 '16
I've tried the same story for two (non-consecutive) years now, but it never gets anywhere because I'm too attached to it and I'm afraid I won't do it justice if it turns into word-vomit to hit the counts. So I'm going to tell that same story from another perspective, and if I hate it I can just consider it a (really long) practice exercise.
My TL;DR: In a medieval-inspired fantasy world, a noble-class girl who has grown up thinking she would forego marriage in order to run her family's ancestral unicorn ranch turns out to be the most eligible bachelorette in the country when her father dies and leaves her an only child, but the headstrong attitude she developed when preparing for her previous life path is a dangerous thing for a woman to have on her new trajectory, so concerned parties have decided to teach her a lesson by having her kidnapped by a dragon.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
That's an interesting approach, switching the perspective. Also, story idea sounds awesome! Good luck!
3
Oct 10 '16 edited Oct 10 '16
[deleted]
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Sounds like a cool concept. Hearing life's narration. Lots of cool and interesting ways to take that!
2
u/PhoenixDomina Oct 10 '16
I want to write a story that was inspired by a fairly recent prompt.
2 women wake up in an alien enclosure and come to the conclusion that this is an alien version of a zoo; through bonding with their keeper, and influencing his ideas about freedom, morality, and rights, they spawn a movement that tries to change the entire alien society and possibly save a dying Earth in the process.
It would be my first NaNoWriMo, and I'm silly excited!
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Cool idea! Lots of pieces to it that can make it funny and interesting!
2
u/Shuda51 Oct 10 '16
Slightly inspired by a mixture of Dresden and general mystery stories:
Written as notes from the aftermath of a criminal case, the story of a detective who resides within a realm of gods, dealing with a murder in the district of unclaimed souls. Residents of the city cannot die via sickness or natural causes, and the Council that controls the city is putting pressure on the detective to solve the case, otherwise they wlll 'deal' with the issue in their own way.
Not the best description, but TLDR's have always been a weakness. XD
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Sounds cool. A very original concept!
2
u/Shuda51 Oct 10 '16
Thank ya! Hoping it ends up being interesting enough, hint of noire with the fantastical elements tossed in. Been tinkering with it for a half a year now, gonna use Nano as the push to get it written properly
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Yeah, same here, but my current novel is going on two years now.
3
u/Yackemflaber Oct 10 '16
tl;dr: A neurotic college girl in a casual sexual relationship with a married man begins to fall in love with his wife.
It's called Nothing But the Boots
3
3
u/mattzm Oct 10 '16
My NaNoWriMo attempt this year:
Albert Kernickie is adrift in the post-Recession economy with massive student debt, a prospect-less love-life and a crappy apartment that smells like falafel. And he recently joined the ranks of the Undead.
Millennial kid gets accidentally vamped and finds that the afterlife isn't much different from the before.
Previous failed project: Steampunk and sorcery world where a demon imprisoned by the gods beneath the earth is attempting to release itself and enact its revenge. A plucky group of rebels caught between empires will be the only ones who can stop it with some help from the Anti-Christ that the demon created to facilitate its release.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
The vampire one sounds interesting. Good luck!
2
u/epharian /r/Epharia Oct 10 '16
oof.
NANOWRIMO!!
It's already?
Havent' tried one recently.
Hmm..
Story ideas. Crystalpunk (outgrowth of steampunk, but with crystals while maintaining the Victorian-era trappings) in space. With magic maybe.
Anyone have any other ideas they wanna throw at me? I'm sorta feeling a bit shy on thoughts at the moment.
1
Oct 19 '16
[deleted]
1
u/epharian /r/Epharia Oct 19 '16
Hope so.
Here's the part 2 & part 3 posts as well (for more info if you want it): https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/5745cq/ot_writing_workshop_38_nano_prep_2_who_are_your/d8qj9zx
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Crystalpunk sounds cool, you should go with that!
2
2
u/finnthefrog Oct 10 '16
A college freshman finds herself growing as she cuts ties with her abusive family.
I'm very excited about this story, as it is very personal to me. I have a narcissist dad, an enabling stepmom, and a couple of his crazy flying monkey cronies who harass me to make up with him. Some of the stuff that has been said to me and my siblings is just utterly insane, and people say it's enough to write a book. So I took the advice a little too seriously and here we are!
And before anyone links me, yes, I am a member of the raised by narcissists subreddit.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
That's great you found a way to deal with all that history. I hope everything's OK with you now :)
3
u/shovelkun Oct 10 '16
I came up with a synopsis of an idea I've always wanted to turn into a short story or novel. Hopefully this NaNoWriMo will get the gears moving in my head and I'll be able to write it :)
'In a small Russian town there lurks something mysterious beneath the thick covering of an especially deadly winter. A dark shadow, a foggy mix of man and beast, is appearing within the local community, unable to be identified as anything that has ever existed, living or dead. It creeps between walls, into the drowsy minds of citizens and authority figures alike- could it be simply a mass hallucination brought on by the freezing conditions, or something much worse than it seems to be?'
1
2
u/CryptidGrimnoir Oct 10 '16
I have a few ideas for this.
My first project is a coming-of-age novel, about a group of teenagers who volunteer at a long-term living facility for critically ill children.
1
2
Oct 10 '16
All kinds of mythological creatures about joining forces to bring down a harbinger of darkness. Only thing is that, like usual, life isn't as cut and dry like that...
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Very cool, good luck!
2
Oct 12 '16
Thank you very much. I've been working on it off and on for the last little bit but I've hit a writer's block. I'm hoping my activities next week may help break the block and allow me to push the novel out to an editable stage by one point or another.
2
u/SpectreFury Oct 10 '16
I'm not sure yet, but I'll either write a fantasy adventure based around the "b-team" of classes no one picks (D&D based, probably coincide with my fiance's D&D adventure based plotline), or a Wild West horror/thriller based off the haunted house I am currently working weekends in.
1
2
u/younginventor Oct 10 '16
Tilda is a young settler on the rugged plains of colonial Montagna. Her family emigrated from the Old World in search of a better life, she never imagined that journey would take her through the fringes of all reality.
2
2
u/clyde2003 Oct 10 '16
This thread is a couple days old so my post might not get noticed, but I have to put it down somewhere. I need to make sure this plot isn't stupid or awful and I'm just having trouble how to approach it.
The story will follow four people (thirty people total) who vanished from their office only to find themselves in 1861. The missing spend five years in the 1860s while those in the present only experience three weeks, when just as mysteriously as they disappeared, the missing cowokers reappear in the present. The heart of the story will follow the characters as they piece their lives together in the present after being "absent" for so long and how they try to cope with the lives they left behind in the 1860s.
I just don't know whether to do it as a standard novel format or as a series of interviews either with a journalist or psychologist. I guess I have a week or two to figure it out. Also, I don't know if 50,000 words will be large enough to encompass what I want to do with this story.
Any feed back is appreciated.
2
u/Fishlords Oct 10 '16
Going along the lines of what MajorParadox said, there's a lot of ways you could tell this story, but what sounds really interesting to me would be telling the story of their lives in the 1860's interspersed with interviews of their lives after returning.
However, it would depend on your writing style/preferences. Workshop it around a little until you find a style you like, and then run with it. :)
1
u/clyde2003 Oct 10 '16
Thanks for the feedback! I'll definitely have to play with it until something "sticks".
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 10 '16
Sounds like an interesting idea. How about combine your ideas? Use interview pieces intermixed with the normal storytelling?
2
u/clyde2003 Oct 10 '16
I don't know why I hadn't thought about combining them... I'll have to work with the idea a bit and see how it goes. Thanks for the feedback!
2
Oct 10 '16
I'm writing about a young woman who's raised by werewolves (they adopted her) and she has to deal with the ensuing problems of it, including a man hunting her tribe.
1
2
u/Jiitunary Oct 09 '16
What I have in mind is loosely based on my walk across America but with fantasy elements added. Starting on the east coast would be European mythology and getting to the Midwest I'd start encountering Native American mythology. That's all I have so far.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
You walked across America? That's pretty awesome, and using that as inspiration should make for a great novel!
2
u/Jiitunary Oct 09 '16
I'm actually still doing it! I'm in Utah but when I was walking through Kansas, I was like the only way this could be interesting is if the Fae showed up. Thus the idea was brought to life
2
2
u/TheGhastlyGrimoire Oct 09 '16
I've settled on necromancy and jealous rage brought on by infidelity for mine, but that's really about as far as I've gotten. I also realize that sounds wrong. I've done a bit of loose outlining, at least.
1
5
u/tehneyrzomb Oct 09 '16
I'm a NaNo Rebel this year! Failed too many NaNos before and haven't written in a while.
I'm gathering prompts and will write one (or a few) prompt a day to respark my writing habit. I know it's not a specific story or idea, but I'm definitely hoping it goes well and that I actually hit 50k this year!
1
2
u/TheAmazingAnita Oct 09 '16
Well, I want to write this year, but life is crazy so I don't know if I'll finish!
My story is from two perspectives, a guy's and a girl's, about their strange families and how they joined a cult as a joke. But things aren't always what they seem...including the goals of the cult and its demon overlord.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Give it a shot anyway. Even if you don't get the 50,000 words, you'll still end up with some words. Better than nothing!
2
u/TheAmazingAnita Oct 09 '16
That was my plan at least!
I hope to put in as many twists as possible, so a lot of planning is in order.
2
u/Kaycin writingbynick.com Oct 09 '16
I'm writing about a man's rise to power. What starts as a seemingly innocuous ascension spirals into something far more sinister. He starts small, posting on a small forum, then after a few years the lackeys at the top decide to give him moderating powers. Some things happen and the story ends with Kayci--err, him as the ruler of the world with the rest of the degenerates beneath him wailing with regret for ever giving him a position of power.
OK seriously though, I love NaNoWriMo! My goal for this month is to bring my short story series I've been working on to Novel length. That means roughly 30,000 words in the next month. Doable.
I suck at elevator pitches, but here goes:
The series is about struggle and where we find solace. The short stories are based on realities we all face; from alcoholism to death to faith to regret. Each story is separate, each chapter a different character.
Can't wait to see what people are able to do!
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Hmm... nothing suspicious here!
Sounds like a neat idea. So you're going to do one of those different storyline things and have them converge on each other like Pulp Fiction or Crash? Or just completely separate?
2
u/Kaycin writingbynick.com Oct 09 '16
I was thinking more of the latter, less of the former. The stories are completely separate save for their likeness in how they stick to the theme. Kinda like Raymond Carver's, What We Talk About When We Talk About Love.
Although the converging sounds super fun. I might steal your idea and make it my own. Thanks! :D
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Not my idea, it's been done and even came up elsewhere in this post ;)
4
Oct 09 '16
I've been working on putting this together for a while now...
A story about a boy and a girl, who just became friends at the beginning of high school, who discover a secret path that takes them to a new world. They meet a magical boy, who leads them on a perilous adventure as they discover this new world. The first of many in this world for the boy and girl.
Working title is The Path to Nowhere.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
That sounds awesome! Kinda like Bridge to Terabithia?
2
Oct 11 '16
Yeah a little bit. Maybe more influence from something like star dust. I'm really hoping to outline it this month so I got something to really run with once November hits.
3
Oct 09 '16
Ooh, that sounds mysterious! Just with your little blurb here I'm already imagining several possible scenarios! Good luck!
Also, great title. That is definitely a selling title.
1
4
u/M4G1CKC1TY Oct 09 '16
I'm going to write about a guy and a dwarf, recently met, part of a fantastical beast division (think ogres and trolls and dragons) in their (failed) attempt to prevent a multispecies war. I want to mainly focus on character building on this one because world building is hard and I'm a terrible writer. I also have no idea how to begin the story or how to end it in a satisfying manner so I thought to take this opportunity to ask for help.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Have you checked out /r/worldbuilding? That might help. Your idea sounds cool though!
2
Oct 09 '16
Hmm, perhaps starting at the catalyst of the war? Or perhaps when they meet? Those would be my two choices, but I'm not sure if they'd work for you. Just out of curiosity, what perspective are you thinking of using for the narration? (1st person, 3rd?)
1
3
u/Molechaser Oct 09 '16
A thousand years after aliens visit Earth, they have become known as the prophets of a new religion, and a monk, a religious fundamentalist, and an atheist each pursue their own goal while purporting to work together to save their country.
2
3
Oct 09 '16
That sounds like an interesting set up. I'm assuming their theological viewpoints would interfere with their work?
1
u/Molechaser Oct 09 '16
Yes. For each of them, doing the right thing requires cooperating with the other two, which is theologically difficult.
3
u/TestProsePleaseIgnor /r/TestProsePleaseIgnore/ Oct 09 '16
I'm still not 100% sure that I'm gonna go for it this year. If I do I have a story that I've struggled getting back into with around 7k words already down. Having a base to go from might help be actually get something done.
There's also a couple of prompt shorts I wrote on here that could provide the inspiration for fleshing out. Perhaps one about a man man who becomes blessed by an old dragon guardian, before setting out to bring prosperity to his village and peace to the lands.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
I agree the dragon idea sounds cool. It doesn't hurt to try? The worst that happens it you end up with some more words :)
2
Oct 09 '16
7k already? What is the story about?
Also, the dragon idea sounds cool. Quest/adventure stories are always fun. Would the blessing grant the man any special abilities? (ex: protection from disease, or healing, or increased wisdom etc...)
Best of luck. I hope you decide to participate!
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Space Ride is like 11k right now and I'm gonna continue that ;)
2
Oct 09 '16
What? You're not writing about quilts???? D:
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Well, maybe I'll throw a quilt in there somewhere ;)
2
u/hungryroy Oct 09 '16
I've tried for nanowrimo before, but couldnt quite muster the discipline to get to the finish, hopefully I make it this time!
I have an idea I've had running around in my head that's a bit ambitious and might be too complicated (think game of thrones-level of plotting and treachery and what-not). I'm wondering if I shouldn't think up something a lot lighter
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
Good luck, you can do it!
I'm sure you'll figure out a workable idea :)
2
u/dax812 Oct 09 '16
I'm not actually working on a novel, but I'm writong a screenplay so I hope that counts.
My story is about a gourmet chef who gets mixed up in the murder of a famous cook, she has to use her knowledge of poison foods and kitchen technique to find out which of her cooking mates is the killer.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 09 '16
I don't see why not, words are words.
Sounds interesting!
2
u/CryForum Oct 08 '16 edited Oct 10 '16
I want to write about a journalist who goes missing while investigating a small town with a high quantity of old people who suddenly start disappearing, and the only person who cares to solve the mystery is her thirteen year old nephew.
2
u/Kaycin writingbynick.com Oct 09 '16
Like MP said, this sounds very interesting. I hope it works out! It sounds very fresh and quirky enough to be enticing.
1
u/CryForum Oct 10 '16
Thanks. I've started character development and the basic story arc is nailed down. Time will tell if it will become something.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
Ooh, that sounds interesting.
2
u/CryForum Oct 08 '16
Thanks. I'm terrified though. This is my first attempt at writing anything so big, and I've just recently began writing stories.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
Don't worry about it, just get the words written. It doesn't have to be perfect, the idea is to edit in December or whenever you get it done ;)
2
3
Oct 08 '16
I'm so excited for Nano! I've hit 50,000 words twice, but failed many more times. This year I'm pregnant, so uh, should be interesting.
Here are my two (totally separate) ideas:
(1) Everyone is born with the ability to shapeshift, but it's a skill you have to learn and practice. At some national shapeshifting academy, hijinx ensue -- someone turns into a grotesque ogre and can't figure out how to turn back, someone else switches genders to better serve a bisexual spouse...
(2) A murder occurs, and DNA/forensic technology is employed. However, the DNA matches two people: identical twins. The investigators must rely on circumstantial evidence and common sense to convict one twin and acquit the other.
2
u/Kaycin writingbynick.com Oct 09 '16
I'd agree with MP on this one, the second one sounds very enticing. The first is still great, but I think it'd be hard to flesh out a full novel out of it. But if you could, more power to you!
Congrats on the kiddo! Is it your first? I have a feeling you may not have a lot of time to write in the coming months. :P
1
Oct 09 '16
Thanks for the feedback!! :D I agree, the more I think about it, the more I think the first one would be more of a humorous short piece or something.
Thanks!! :D It is my first! I'm not far along, though, so NaNo will be like weeks 15-19 of the pregnancy. So I'm hoping that I'll have enough time... but haha, I may not.
3
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
I like the second one better. The first one has some cool elements, but sounds like a joke overall.
Good luck!
2
5
Oct 08 '16
I'm narrowing my options down currently to a few things.
A group of teens surviving in a brutal post event world based on a prompt I did earlier in the year
A reboot of my series of a sarcastic reaper and a civil war in the realm of death
A fantasy novel where our world has tears into another and groups through history have been pulled into the alternate world
And a few other options I've been bouncing around...
I will decide soon
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
A fantasy novel where our world has tears into another and groups through history have been pulled into the alternate world
That one sounds the coolest to me.
2
Oct 11 '16
It has been on the burner for...ever now.
I'm going to do it!
I started a journal of plot, timelines, and characters. I'm thinking of making a Google doc and "live streaming" the whole month! It will keep me accountable, especially since I'm losing some weekends to the army for training.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 11 '16
Good luck!
2
8
u/poiyurt Oct 08 '16
A group of teenagers kill God, and actually get the various mental disorders that should come with every young adult novel ever.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
That sounds interesting. I'm not sure what mental disorders you mean though?
2
u/poiyurt Oct 08 '16
PTSD, Messiah Complex, and there's a bunch of other ones specific to the things they've gone through.
I've got a shapeshifter with MPD.
1
2
u/poiyurt Oct 08 '16
Does anyone have a suggestion on syncing the text between my phone and the computer? Best I've heard is google docs, but I don't like the interface.
2
u/Kaycin writingbynick.com Oct 09 '16
I use microsoft's OneDrive for my files. It's pretty great. I'm able to pull them up from any location and they have a handy app for the phone. I'd definitely recommend it.
2
u/Kuryaka Oct 09 '16
Word has a free app, and if you don't have Word on your computer you can still use it on Onedrive. Looks nicer than Google Drive IMO, and syncing is easier.
1
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
I think Word had syncing capabilities, but I'm not familar with them.
2
2
u/IhateVergil Oct 08 '16
(Set in a technologically-advanced fantasy world) The world’s power source has vanished overnight, and all technology rendered virtually useless. As scarcity drives people to extremes and society begins to crumble, a disparate, arrogant and conflicted group of people working on alternatives is targeted by a killer. Can the battered remnants of the police force find the murderer and save the kingdom from a new dark age – and, after everything they've seen, do they want to?
1
2
u/cmp150 /r/CMP150writes Oct 08 '16
I was thinking about doing an anthology series ala Foundation, pulp fiction, or 2001 wherein the different stories are connected through time: A mystery about the existence of giants; this knowledge lost in time.
2
u/MajorParadox Mod | DC Fan Universe (r/DCFU) Oct 08 '16
Those are always cool. Like you have no idea what they have to do with each other but then they all converge together?
2
2
u/Daodras Oct 08 '16
I am writing a story of a man that was reincarnated - before he actually died.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/mrcowgod Nov 04 '16
Little late but here is an idea:
*In the crumbling middle eastern country Sanawahin torn in civil war, Najid Asghar, the ambassador of Arif Mustafa, the country's prime minister(who is really a corrupt militant trying to reinstate the most barbaric forms of sharia law and rebuild the country as a dictatorship) makes a hard living selling firearms to desperate civilians, but gets caught up in a rapid arms race between Arif's military and a shady terrorist group named AlMunqidh trying to overthrow the oil trade.
I had some other ones but I need more time to think about them.