Hello there Wakingtowinter. Welcome to WF! I can't help you with your question. But because you are a new member, you should go over to "New Member Introductions" and properly introduce yourself. This is the norm. I Hope you like it here, and I'm sure there are people around willing to help!
Go to "Book Discussion," that's the forum to talk about literature that's already been written/published. I'm sure more people there will know how to answer your question!
I would replace American Psycho with Less Than Zero, given your particular concerns. And the obvious addition would be 1984. Aside from that, I'd recommend Wonderful, Wonderful Times or Lust by Elfriede Jelinek and either In the Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami or Snakes and Earrings by Hitomi Kanehara.
Lord of the flies? Running Man? The Time Machine? Brave New World? It seems you're looking for dystopian fiction?
NaNoWriMo National Novel Writing Month is this November! Is anyone up for it? Writing 50,000 words in 30 days. I'm a little nervous, but I think I'll join in this year. http://www.nanowrimo.org/
Of course I am going to do it! How often are we allowed to follow the 'quantity over quality' rule? Last year was the first time I managed to actually finish it. The year before my computer died on me halfway through november and by the time I could continue it was to late. But over all I am quite pleased with what I did last year. Though looking back on it I realized I should have done a better job with the military... that or atleast make the captain of Unit7(yes I am one of those people who will slip something like that into a story.) atleast old enough to drink. Apparently he was some badass military dude who, thanks to the military, trained him since he was about 13. Why? Dunno. But aside from that part of the story, I really love the rest of it. It was a zombie apocalypse type story. Though the whole lesbian thing sorta came out of no where. Anyways enough of my ramblings. I sort of have a story idea in the works. Even got a title 'The Blood Temple' should be fun.
I've technically "completed" it every year for about 4 years now... I tend to get 10,000 words into a special NaNo project, decide I'm making a mess of it, and just add up my word count for the month anyway. I'm a pretty prolific writer anyways - usually try and hit 2000 words a day if I can, and only on really bad days do I not write anything. So actually writing 50,000 words isn't a problem for me - it's the attention span. The way I write is to take lots of breaks on projects and move between 3-4 at a time. I've tried focussing on just one for the month, but there's always a point where I get bored and the pressure of NaNo makes me keep on writing, and I write a dud chapter, then the whole thing goes out the window. Probably also because I've been carrying on one of the other couple of projects on the side as well even when I was trying to focus. I usually try and write a story that's been bugging me for months but doesn't actually have any kind of value to it that I think would give it star quality - I'd only look at it because I had a competition, not because I'd write it for fun. So far the only forced writing comp. that's been any good for me was Script Frenzy this year. I wrote a script which I then turned into prose over the next couple of months. Once it was typed out again in a format I was competent in, it's become the best thing I ever wrote.
I write roughly that much most months anyway when I am in first draft form so yeah really excited about it - I am going to take a slightly nuts idea I keep having and see if I can make it a story. Really excited about it. It is going to give me and my characters and chance to try something new and fun. I think it is a fantastic idea to get people to just write and not worry about anything except the story - which I do anyway intially lol I am going to write up my time travel idea - then use it for the script frenzy in April. Plus I love the people I have met through it already and have learned a huge amount from them. It's been interesting and the help I have had with my letter to the publisher etc has been invaluable.
I've tended to consider doing this every year for the past few years but I've never got round to doing it. I am seriously considering doing it this year but I don't see it happening really. The only reason I really want to do it is to see if I can write 50,000 words as I've never written anything that long. Maybe writing novels isn't for me, but I'd like to try. I write every day so if I try and make an achievable word count and gradually increase it then I can eventually get to the 50,000. Whether I do this as Nano or not is another matter mind.
I'm thinking about giving it a shot again this year. Like others have mentioned, it gives me the opportunity to practice ignoring my inner critic and just get words on paper. I have a story in mind that I thought extensively about several years ago but never pursued. So this may be just the time to let it see the light of day.
I'm thinking about it, although at the moment I have no ideas. I also want to complete something I'm currently writing, and I don't think I could get it done in the next month. I don't want to have to stop and start. If a good idea comes I'll go for it though. EDIT: I thought of story, I'm going to do it if it kills me.
I'm still doing my research, reading books that are similar in theme, etc. But I think I'll have the outline ready in about a week, maybe... I've never participated before, so I don't really know if it will work for me, but I am excited.
Preparation? PREPARATION????? This is Nanowrimo we're talking about here. Preparation shouldn't be allowed. One second after midnight November 1st is when you should start trying to come up with an idea for your novel. If you have even the germ of a story in mind before then, you're cheating. Probably. At least, that's the way it SHOULD be ...
Hehe, well played. . . . P.S. I'm "Chudz" over there as well if anyone wants to friend-up for the attempt.
I've got exams in the midddle of it I'll try anyway. I only have the grain of a story in my head, don't intend to develop prior to starting.
I have no idea what I'm going to write. Wheee! Hasn't ever stopped me from winning it before. This will be my 4th attempt!
I was thinking of doing it this year, but I decided to start working on the story I've been planning now instead of waiting. I'm trying to write it in the spirit of NaNoWrMo though, not editing until I'm done the entire first draft. It'll be a challenge I'm sure, a departure from my usual approach.
I have a very rough scene idea for it, so I'm just going to see where my writing takes me at the start. I'm planning on going to write-ins/meetings of other Nanoers in the area so maybe this will be the year I take part and give it a proper go.
I won't be able to do it this year. A big business trip in the middle of November is going to suck up all my time for at least a couple of weeks. Argh. And I mean argh.
