NaNoWriMo 2015 - Story Ideas

It's September and I'm starting to think about Nanowrimo 2015, that exciting and crazy month in November, where every year I attempt to write a 50,000 word first draft of a novel.  I think September is the earliest I've thought of my Nanowrimo novel, normally it's some time in October I start to think of it.  But I'd really like to give myself a good go of it this year.  Perhaps this year will be the first one I actually win Nanowrimo?

Beckie / Flickr Creative Commons License

Feeling inspired by my Art Challenge earlier this year, where I created a fantasy image based on an idea of a British secret service covertly fighting alien threats in the Victorian era.  How would Victorian technology fare against alien technology?  Aliens, alien abduction, experimentation on humans, shapeshifting aliens, alien robots and monsters attacking Earth and it's inhabitants would all seem very alien and very strange to 19th century humans.  

My Artwork: 'Ancient vs Futuristic' - Colour Pencil on A5 Sketchbook paper

Although they could use Victorian guns, probably flintlock pistols and rifles, and gunpowder (most enemies don't fare too well against large explosions), I think they would still struggle against alien enemies.  Perhaps they could make use of the occult knowledge that was so popular in Victorian times.  Consulting psychics to determine when and where any alien encounters or threats had or would happen.  They could also seek out witches and mages to do battle against alien enemies, summoning spirits and werewolves to do their bidding.  This may make the battleground a more even one.

Lemurian Grove / Flickr Creative Commons License

Their communication abilities would be very archaic compared to today, before telephones of any kind were invented, not even radio communication existed.  Letters would have been posted, and if something could not wait 24 hours for first class post, messengers could be sent, like errand boys (or grown men if they could not trust them) to deliver paper messages that were urgent.  Members of the secret service could turn up at an agent's house, or meet them at a pre-arranged time, such as at a park.  They could pass paper messages that would need burning after reading.  Or they could have some sort of code.  Perhaps Braille? They could have secretly invented before it was released to the public to be used by the blind, it could have been used as a discreet code around the edge of postcards or greeting cards to be sent through the post to secret service agents.

lokarta / Flickr Creative Commons License

Steampunk technology could have been invented in a similar way, to look like Edwardian technology, that was secretly invented earlier than was released to the general public.  What kind of Steampunk technology could they have had?  Electricity hadn't been invented, so it would have to be something running from a steam engine, or cogs like a wind-up clock mechanism, which could be very small like a pocket watch, or something very large like Big Ben.

Calsidyrose / Flickr Creative Commons license

Perhaps I can spend these 2 months leading up to Nanowrimo researching Victorian technology and what occult and superstitious beliefs they had, to give me plenty of ideas to go through in November.  I find I struggle when I don't know what is going to happen next in my novel, I've tried winging it with absolutely no prep at all, and I've tried with lots of ideas seemingly carefully planned, and then run out of steam.  

This year I hope to be more prepared with ideas I can pick at random, and make use of the Mythic Game Master Emulator, originally designed to emulate the Game Master (or Dungeon Master, if playing Dungeons & Dragons), and allow a group of friends to roleplay without a GM (or DM), or to play a roleplaying game solo, without any other players (which is what I originally bought it for).  But when you read into the Mythic Game Master Emulator ebook, you learn that it can actually be used for writing a novel, ideal if you up against a deadline (such as Nanowrimo), and don't know what to throw at your characters next.  I'm hoping it will help me keep pressing on with my novel, when I'm stuck and feel I don't know where to go next.  It should also help it feel like a game too, making it more fun!  I might even try having a list of ideas or events, up to 100, that I can then throw a 100 sided dice (1d100 or 2d10's), to pick something at random to put my characters through.  I love challenging my characters, and seeing what they can survive through!

Anyone else thinking of their Nanowrimo 2015 novel?  I'd love to hear what you're working on and any tips you have for ploughing on through 50,000 words in 30 days!

Planning a novel - Urban Fantasy in Space

I have a new idea for a novel that I'm thinking of planning out for the CampNanowrimo August novel writing month challenge.  It's basically an urban fantasy set in space.  So more of a Sci-fi Fantasy hybrid genre.  I wanted to write an urban fantasy novel, but figured there are literally tons of urban fantasy novels out there, how can I make mine unique?  That's when I thought of setting it in space. 

I now have my main characters, a Witch, a Merman, an Incubus, a Werewolf Girl, an Elf Girl, a Gargoyle, a Wolfman, and possibly a female Satyr / Drow-Elf Hybrid.  I've also planned that they'll all be living on a space station, orbiting the Earth alongside the Moon (this could have interesting effects on a Werewolf's transformations - possibly every night?).  The Earth would be post-apocalyptic, Demonic Forces could have caused the destruction of the Earth, leaving a deserted radioactive planet, awash with dangerous mutated creatures, and (possibly mutated) crazed human survivors.  And of course the humans have to visit the planet to scavenge resources, whilst trying not to get killed.

The most difficult part of planning my story at the moment seems to be planning when my novel should begin?  Just before or long after the apocalyptic event on planet earth?  I also have the problem of how do I get all my supernatural creatures up on board the space station, and spend so long in cryosleep without anyone noticing the fact they're not all normal human beings.  For example, the Merman would be rather conspicuous in a liquid filled cryotank.  And my Satyr/Drow Elf Hybrid has large curled horns, she can hide them under a cloak hood, but not whilst unconscious floating in liquid.  I won't have the same problem with my Incubus (whose similar to a Vampire), as he will be left on the planet, and able to survive.  Even though his regular food source (humans) will be few and far between. 

I'd love to hear any other ideas and suggestions, and whether you think this is a good idea I'm working with!  I will be planning my novel over the next couple of months following through the Nanowrimo book: Ready, Set, Novel! I love to plan out my novels, but have never tried a full workbook like this - my novel planning is usually pretty haphazard!  So maybe this time I will plan a full novel, and actually complete it!

A New Story for the New Year

For the New Year I want to write a new story. I have the idea of writing about an albino time travelling assassin/agent. She may travel back and forth in time, picking up people from different time zones. She could visit an ancient tomb, just before someone else is about to pick up a relic from there that will give them the power to conquer the world. Perhaps someone like Hitler, or Hitler himself would get hold of it if she didn't intervene.

They could be a specialist team righting the wrongs of the time space continnuum. I would love to have a Victorian gentleman, possibly a scientist. Though that would be difficult, as I would have to have an understanding of science, and an understanding of what science was around at the time.

What other specialists from time would you collect if you could? Who would you want on your team, that has died in their prime? Someone who you could travel back in time at the moment before their death, save their life, leaving all in the past believing they were dead.

I would love any ideas and suggestions. Who would you want on your team?

Nanowrimo Ideas - Shrinking People

I've started planning my Nanowrimo novel with a vengeance, I've decided to write about shrinking people! I have always been fond of various TV series about "the little people" - two of my favourites being: Land of the Giants and The Borrowers. Here's what I've come up with so far:

My Nanowrimo Idea
I've got the basic idea of a top secret government experiment to shrink people to approximately six inches tall. They pick their test subjects randomly from the British public, anyone they deem to be not important, or a pain in the side of the British Government or society in general. Something goes wrong after they've shrunk their test subjects - an explosion destroys the building the lab is in and the equipment there. Miraculously, a number of miniature test subjects survive and escape into the wild. They are a group of odd random people, struggling to survive in a giant world. Consisting of (possibly) an MI5 agent, a Professor of Ecology (like a college lecturer), a Cafe Worker (a Waitress), an immigrant from another country (maybe polish, or some part of Europe), a young college student girl, a rich business woman, and maybe a criminal of some sort).

_________

I have been making brainstorming diagrams with pen and paper (something I've not done before when planning a novel), and I like the sinplicity of it, and how easy it is to throw various ideas to a question you have about your novel. A very good piece of advice I found when planning a novel is to keep every idea and let it tell you why it deserves to be in your novel. Then later you can cut what you don't like, but at least you have plenty of ideas to play around with and then you're not staring at a blank page with no fresh ideas to play with.

Good Luck to everyone else embarking on their Nanowrimo adventure this year - Hope to see you on the forums and reaching 50,000 words by the end of November!