N. Mallory Grasping For A Plot…Again

Cross-posted at Nano Maine, Maine’s NaNoWriMo Blog.

O.K. I’m in.

I think.

I tried Nano last year and didn’t get very far. I seem to suffer perpetually from writer’s block. I’m sure there’s some psychological explanation like I’m afraid of imperfection and afraid of people mocking my art and I’m lazy.

Really, I just felt overwhelmed, like I do know, and a little desperate for an idea for a plot that goes more than one sentence. Heh.

So, I’ve got a couple of tentative ideas.

I could write a space western-type thing; maybe fanfic for Firefly/Serenity. I think fanfic still fits in the rules, particularly if I’m just writing in the “‘verse” and not using any of the characters.

Or I could write a dark fantasy with vampires, magic users, and vampire hunters set in New Orleans and maybe climaxing during Hurricane Katrina.

Then there’s always been the desire to write a Celtic space-kind-of-thing, but again what’s the plot? Who are the characters?

Why has my brain suddenly gone blank as soon as I started thinking about writing for Nano?

tags: NaNoWriMo, writing

3 comments

1. on October 14, 2005 at 10:57 am

   Tamara said:

   When I did Nano last year, I didn’t think of a plot. I just started writing on 11/1 — oh, here’s a character! By the end I had four different POV characters (don’t think it will end up that way if/when I ever finish it) and some semblance of a story.

   I like all your ideas. You’ll figure it out! I haven’t decided whether to do Nano this year or not. I’m trying to get a submission together for a 30,000 word diary type entry for a contest with a 12/31 deadline, and I don’t think I could do both. I guess I could do the 50,000 word Nano and then pare it down for the entry, but there’s no way of knowing whether that would work until afterward. Still, it would be a way to get writing on the entry. ACCCCCCGHGH!!!

2. on October 14, 2005 at 10:58 am

   Tamara said:

   BTW, are you going to attend any of the get-togethers in Maine? I didn’t last year, but I’m thinking that could be fun. I’m just outside Detroit and near Ann Arbor, so I might try both groups and see who I like.

3. on October 14, 2005 at 11:15 am

   n. mallory said:

   Yeah, I’m going to try going to at least the once-a-week write-ins. At least that’s what I’m telling myself. We’ll see when it gets close if my social anxiety talks me out of it.

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