NaNoWriMo starts in just under three weeks and I still have no idea what to write about. This would be less of a problem if I didn’t have a ridiculous goal.
Since NaNo is about challenging yourself, maybe it’s time to take on a type of novel I’ve never done before. I’ve written at least elements of every genre listed on the NaNo genre list.
* write a non-human protagonist. I’ve written non-human major characters before, but never a protagonist)
* write a epistolary novel. I’ve co-written part of a still-unfinished epistolary novel, but never written a full one myself.
* adapt a past non-novel work. This would technically be rebelling, but it’s a serious possibility and I have a script of my own in mind for it.
* write a novel taking place in 24 hours This one would just be fun.
* write a protagonist of color or of some other minority. Okay, this may be something I don’t think about much thanks to pantsing my way through the novel, and since I haven’t put much thought into this, that probably means they default to white, straight, middle-class characters. As a racial half-minority and someone who cares about human representation everywhere I find this problematic. I’ve included quite a few other major characters who are non-white, LGBTQIA, or some other minority, but that a main character isn’t of such a role yet is something I do find disturbing. This is something I certainly intend to fix this year.
* rewrite a past novel. Again, this would be rebelling, but I have a second draft of only one novel and I’m not that happy with it. And okay, I’ve done this before, but not for November NaNo, so this stays on the list.
There are certainly more (including “silly” challenges like not using a certain word or letter, or only using certain words), but these are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. I intend to cross off at least one of these this year.
What are your “Never have I ever”s for writing?
3 replies on “In writing, never have I ever…”
Write LGBTQIA; especially the A, they have a NaNo thread on their main board! http://www.asexuality.org/en/topic/93327-nanowrimo-2013/
I’ve been unfortunately narrow in my genres (YA realistic fiction, scifi, or fantasy) but never seem to be able to branch out before my plot veers back into one of those three. I’d love to do something creative with my plot structure more than the genre. Something like a 24hr time constraint, all in letters, loop, or some such. Although right now I’d just be happy to have a plot or characters at all, frankly…
Join the plotless club! I’m not super excited about the few ideas I’ve kicked around, so who knows what’ll happen come November.
I’m seriously considering LGBTQIA this year. And great to see some A-identified doing Nano!
And I can understand gender narrowness; it’s easy to get familiar with a few genres and then find yourself writing only those. For me it’s less genre and more writing novels that are real-world identified. World-building? Pffft. Forget that.
This “Never have I ever” thing sounds like a good Nano forum discussion, come to think of it. Hm.
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