Old West

"Anyone else writing something set in the Old West? Cowboys and Indians and outlaws and all that fun stuff?"

I am venturing into this realm, with a Christian theme.

I'm writing about an older west of 1849, not the post-Civil War west. I have done extensive research, some of which might be helpful for the 1870-1880s. Please Nanomail me because I may not read a post on this thread.

I'm using the Wild West (1800s) for a backdrop in my steampunk-themed story.

The beginning of my speculative fiction novel is set in the California Gold Rush in 1852. My intention is to portray the protagonist as a man who has no memory of his past life, learning to cope with the realities of the era, and carving a niche for himself in the rugged and sometimes lawless region. I am fortunate to be able to spend time at the historic sites and have access to many publications on the area.
My concern is how to plug through my novel and not become bogged down in the research. Not to mention that there is another layer of research that is needed, in that the main character is from another time period, and I have to keep the technology of time travel theory in mind.
Any advice from the experienced Historical novelist is greatly welcome. Please feel free to send me NaNo mail.

Have a Great 2008!

Mark

~Dream~

My story is set on a fantasy type world with wild west technology, but a previous civilization left steampunk tech lying around, which sometimes people figure out how to use, Sometimes with fatal results.

Barbara

2008 Nano: To Those Who Wish to Remain Lost

Winner Nano: 2003-2007

I'm gonna write a Western myself. I have a lot of studying to do...hopefully I can manage at least a bit of historical accuracy. I've also got to iron out my plot points, I've got the general location, characters, still a bit hazy on the plot. I just need a few hours to sit down and think about it. Good luck everyone! Happy plotting.

~We've done the impossible and that makes us mighty.~

set during the ten year period that Texas was a republic. Everything else is heavily romantisized though. Its litfic, horror, history, action, fantasy, and steampunk rolled into one.

I'm also doing a Western/Steampunk thing. At least, unless I decide to strip out the Steampunk elements in the next couple weeks. I'm going less for historical accuracy, and more of a romanticized Wild West.

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." -John Wayne

I'm thinking of writing one, although I'm not sure.
I'm thinking of a Louis L'Amour style, very traditional.

I'm going to attempt one also. Mine is going to be post-Civil War west, not quite sure what part of the west yet though.

I wrote one last year. It kind of failed even though i hit 50k. :( Make sure you have an idea where your story is gonna go and that it's not just a bunch of action sequences and stuff.

2007- Grass Chop (hit 50k but couldn't conclude D:<)
2008- Half Life (driving me crazy but coming along)

*points at self*

I wrote a Western, last year. Finished 81,000 words, a complete novel, in 27 days. I'm doing another one, this year. I did tons and tons of research, for the previous one, so I'm all primed for another! Though, I didn't stop writing them, after NaNo ended, last year. I wrote two more and serialized them on my website, along with a bunch of short stories. NaNo kickstarted me, and I'm still going, full blast!

Last year, I was kind of wondering whether my story belonged in Historical Fiction or Adventure, and after much flip-flopping, I finally decided on HF. I'm putting this year's in HF, by default, but there is a part of me that still isn't sure it belongs here! I wish there was a Western category, and that would settle my flip-flopping brain.

Kai Starr

I'm writing about the 1900s in Texas on the railroad but right now I'm just dancing around the details. I'll have to fill in some more later or otherwise I'll get bogged down right now.

This is the era I'm interested in. Especially Montana in the 1850's. i started writing a novel a year ago, but decided for NanoWriMo I would just take a character from that era and just run with it.

It's a lot of fun. I've spent a vacation just touring the old historic towns and ghost towns in Montana. I'm not trying for accuracy with this novel, just want to get some words down and have fun.

My story takes place in Colorado in the 1880s - I haven't settled on an exact year yet. One of my MCs is a doctor, so I'm having a good time researching the medical care back then.

Unfortunately, I have taken the period of Texas history from 1824 to about 1910--the life of my main character. I say unfortunately, because I am trying to be as accurate with the historical details as possible, asn I have to stop to check my facts. i.e. Could "Dusty" have fought with Sam Houston? No, he was only 12.

It's too big a time spread. I'm having fun, but I'm about to get to the point where I tell myself to hang the details and go on with the story.

"When you're in the right, and you have the might, you don't have to bite...but it doesn't hurt to bark!" -- Hank the Cowdog (paraphrase)

Errr, kind of.

I'm writing a story that takes place in 1848 at the beginning of the California Gold Rush, which I guess kind of counts. No cowboys yet, but lots of rough and ready miners. And a large sandhill crane. Does the crane count? ;)

It's pretty fun so far, though mostly historically based because I've actually never read a Western. Which is kind of bad, I suppose.

Anybody got any good websites for Old West slang?

Good luck all. :D

My story is technically a western, although it involves elements of fantasy and sci-fi. Essentially, werewolves in the Old West. I've just revealed the whole werewolf thing in Chapter 4, but it was hinted at as early as Chapter 1.

I'm using my NaNoWriMo project as a springboard for something potentially much bigger. I'm really happy with how it's going so far.

Like the above poster, I've not read much in the way of westerns, although I'm trying to get through Louis L'amour's "Hondo" this month. I managed to find what seems to be a first edition paperback (copyright 1953) in a local bookstore. I've seen a ton of western films, however, so I feel somewhat grounded in the genre.

i'm on the California Trail in the 1850's and loving it! but so far i've only gotten through Kansas or so. does that count?

Mexico, Texas and Mississipi Delta in 1867. Cowboys, Indians, outlaws and more.