Done Like Dinner
I would like to humbly notify my Avid Fans that I am 269 kb, 26,500 words, 104 double-spaced pages, and one complete 3-Day Novel Contest's worth of DONE!
This one was a bit of a bugger to write. At noon on day two I had about sixty pages, but I had no idea where the story would lead, nor how it would end. Then I stopped worrying about it and let the narrative flow carry me.
It seems to be a recurring thing that my stories lead me to their conclusions, rather than the other way around.
It happened in my first story, where I started wondering about what would happen if three people chose to rob the same bank on the same day. I needed to get everyone together for the climactic confrontation scene and they just would not go. Finally I let the characters tell me where they needed to be, and how they needed to get there.
My second book, about the murder of a garbage man, some stolen diamonds, and a vanished baby, went much the same way. I tried to separate the characters into two or three confrontation scenes, but they all wanted to get together and have a big party on page 102.
This time the story was about a man who loses his wife to a random act of violence ... or is it? I had to write until the end to figure out who the murderer was.
The butler, it turned out, had nothing to do with it.
I'll send it in to the contest tomorrow. Wish me luck!
posted by Metro @ 9:05 am
7 Comments:
Good for you to at least attempt. I love to read murder mysteries/crime stuff, but am not clever enough to write one, I think. I've tried, and have several interesting scenarios, but I just can't get the whodunnit or motivation part. I'll stick to fantasies I've been writing since I was a teenager!
Good luck! And congratulations! Your wife says it's amazing. I hope I can read it someday.
Thanks to you both.
@WC
One of the great advantages to the 3DNC is that all doubt and fear get burned away. It's "root, hawg, or die." You either produce a complete story or you don't, and there's no-one you need to satisfy except yourself.
Hell, it runs on the honour system and people play along. Because this is a contest that's really only pitting you against your best self.
@pj
Thanks for the good wishes. For me, this is already a victory. I wrote a complete story, and I broke my threshold of 100 pages. WIth those two requirements satisfied, I'm content.
Mme Metro may be prejudiced in my favour somewhat, but now that I have three manuscripts sitting around I am singularly determined to get at least one to a publisher.
Ahem, I'm still waiting to get a gander at last years attempt. You did say you would forward a copy, but I've somehow been overlooked or forgotten.
Now that it's been a year can I claim hurt feelings?
IH
Bonsoir M Metro
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Mdm Metro is a Lady of Taste und Discrimination
Good Luck with the Competition
Better to have loved and lost ... than not to have loved at all
... but how much more satisfying to have won a prize
Alles Gute, mon ami
G Eagle
@IH:
Ah ... um ... it's in the mail? With the cheque, somewhere I have no doubt. Blast that Canada post anyway.
@G Eagle:
Most humble thanks, gutes Aigle-douce.
Good luck to you and muchos kudos for getting it done and sent in!
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