10 Possible Novel Choices
Since I am doing this NaNoWriMo (stupid name), I thought I should let you, my fans, in on some of my possible ideas for novels and the hurdles I face in composing them:
1) Indians with Machineguns -- Crazy man goes back in time and give Indians machine guns, therefore changing history forever.
First of all, Machine Guns is 2 words. But I like how "Machineguns" flows. That might be enough to derail it. Also, I know virtually nothing about Native American culture. That could be a problem, unless I make them somehow metaphorical or euphamistic "Indians." Oh, and the title's bound to offend, which is never good.
2) The Scouts -- A secret society dedicated to bringing evil creatures to earth...well...lots of stuff happens that makes this idea original and interesting.
This idea, when written out, is unorginal and uninteresting. Also could offend some actual Scouts (Boy, Eagle, or whatever).
3) Your Mama's Green -- The semi-autobiographical story of a 12-and-under softball team that has many madcap misadventures, like softball games.
Hits too close to home. Potential copyright issues with kids who grew up in my neighborhood. Can you incorporate people you know into a novel? Any similarity between characters and persons living or dead would not be coincidental, at any rate.
4) Something Bureau of Something -- The story of a pizza delivery man who is really a government spy whose semi-partner goes missing, and he has to find her but he doesn't know what she looks like (it's a long story).
This story writes itself, but has too much of a living-my-life-vicariously-through-my-writing feel to it. Possibly pathetic. Includes lots of dialogue, which I hate.
5) Adventures of Yagow -- ripped from role-playing games I played in high school, it's the story of a Space Viking who gets involved in a web of things he doesn't understand.
This might be too big a story to write in a month. Also has potential copyright issues with people I knew in High School and characters they created. I would have to get their permission, and that takes time and too much explaining to really be feasable.
6) Cross Country -- Story that does for cross country running what Vision Quest did for wrestling and The Fast and the Furious did for street racing.
Running is boring. And I don't know if I'm ready to write a teen drama right now.
7) Violent Parodies Director -- The title character is interesting, and we follow his biggest fan on a quest to meet his idol.
This novel also writes itself, but may be more of a short story than a novel. Needs a new title, too.
8) Number 8 -- The people of earth discover what causing millions of children to go missing: Another planet is stealing them. They send 8 ships on an exploratory mission to this other planet.
This really works best as two (2) novels in one, which may be outside the scope of my current talent. Also, this is technically the 8th in a 9-novel series, and I would start with Number 1 but I don't know what that is yet. Furthermore, the ending s-u-c-k-s sucks. sucks.
9) The Problem -- A little boy may hold the key to the Problem -- which is an undescribable feeling that's slowly growing in all people, that is the destruction of the world.
This is a screenplay, not a novel. An incredible challenge that I don't have the walnuts for right now -- how do you describe the undescribable? Also, it has a character named "Flower".
10) Allie -- A dog that fights crime still poops and pees on the carpet in thunderstorms.
Less of a book than me venting my frustrations with my current dog.
Those are my 10 choices for now. I'd better pick soon, November is nigh upon us!
1) Indians with Machineguns -- Crazy man goes back in time and give Indians machine guns, therefore changing history forever.
First of all, Machine Guns is 2 words. But I like how "Machineguns" flows. That might be enough to derail it. Also, I know virtually nothing about Native American culture. That could be a problem, unless I make them somehow metaphorical or euphamistic "Indians." Oh, and the title's bound to offend, which is never good.
2) The Scouts -- A secret society dedicated to bringing evil creatures to earth...well...lots of stuff happens that makes this idea original and interesting.
This idea, when written out, is unorginal and uninteresting. Also could offend some actual Scouts (Boy, Eagle, or whatever).
3) Your Mama's Green -- The semi-autobiographical story of a 12-and-under softball team that has many madcap misadventures, like softball games.
Hits too close to home. Potential copyright issues with kids who grew up in my neighborhood. Can you incorporate people you know into a novel? Any similarity between characters and persons living or dead would not be coincidental, at any rate.
4) Something Bureau of Something -- The story of a pizza delivery man who is really a government spy whose semi-partner goes missing, and he has to find her but he doesn't know what she looks like (it's a long story).
This story writes itself, but has too much of a living-my-life-vicariously-through-my-writing feel to it. Possibly pathetic. Includes lots of dialogue, which I hate.
5) Adventures of Yagow -- ripped from role-playing games I played in high school, it's the story of a Space Viking who gets involved in a web of things he doesn't understand.
This might be too big a story to write in a month. Also has potential copyright issues with people I knew in High School and characters they created. I would have to get their permission, and that takes time and too much explaining to really be feasable.
6) Cross Country -- Story that does for cross country running what Vision Quest did for wrestling and The Fast and the Furious did for street racing.
Running is boring. And I don't know if I'm ready to write a teen drama right now.
7) Violent Parodies Director -- The title character is interesting, and we follow his biggest fan on a quest to meet his idol.
This novel also writes itself, but may be more of a short story than a novel. Needs a new title, too.
8) Number 8 -- The people of earth discover what causing millions of children to go missing: Another planet is stealing them. They send 8 ships on an exploratory mission to this other planet.
This really works best as two (2) novels in one, which may be outside the scope of my current talent. Also, this is technically the 8th in a 9-novel series, and I would start with Number 1 but I don't know what that is yet. Furthermore, the ending s-u-c-k-s sucks. sucks.
9) The Problem -- A little boy may hold the key to the Problem -- which is an undescribable feeling that's slowly growing in all people, that is the destruction of the world.
This is a screenplay, not a novel. An incredible challenge that I don't have the walnuts for right now -- how do you describe the undescribable? Also, it has a character named "Flower".
10) Allie -- A dog that fights crime still poops and pees on the carpet in thunderstorms.
Less of a book than me venting my frustrations with my current dog.
Those are my 10 choices for now. I'd better pick soon, November is nigh upon us!
posted by Mike Pape @ 9:04 PM
1 Comments:
At 10:24 PM,
Brian said…
That's awesome, Mike. Nanowrimo is fun. And there are all sorts of ridiculous forums to read and post on. You know how nerds love forums.
There's an HBO show I am netflix-ing and watching called Six Feet Under. Good show. A character on the show, Brenda, is writing a novel. Her boyfriend's response? "Oooh. I've always wanted to be thinly veiled." Which is awesome.
My whole Nano from last year (yeah, that's seriously what they call them) was so full of thinly veiled characters that at least three of them wouldn't speak to me if I finished it. Which I didn't. Come to think of it, only two of them speak to me now. Which is nice, turns out that third one was just a kink that worked itself out anyway.
Also, I'm sorta writing a screenplay, but lack the..how you say...walnuts to really DO it. Alright. Time to make the donuts.
Post a Comment
<< Home