Hi guys!
I've just written an outlandish novel. A novel of adventure, silly humour and ridiculousness, covering a span of over a century of improbability. I would like to read other people's crazy, messy, insane, imaginatorial novels, especially if they're a surprsing mish-mash of genres. If your novel defies the laws of physics and reason, this is the place for you. Please post here if you'd like to swap an outlandish novel with me or someone else.
Here's details on mine:
Title: Black Hole in Halls Gap
Length: 50,670ish words
Draft: Number one but looked over it a bit already
Language: Australian English
Brief Summary:
My brother went missing ten years ago, leaving a slightly unusual answering machine message: “Mum and Dad, I’m sorry. I’m going to make a new life for myself in the 1870s." Meanwhile, back in the 1870s, a mysterious new-age cult has sprung up in rural Australia, led by a dolphin figurine toting physics professor from Utah named Don E. Lloyd. Somebody out there has been stealing things from this cult, and it makes Don E. Lloyd angry.
Where is my brother? Why is there a mechanical girl hidden away in one of the cult buildings? Who is Detective Harry Potter and why can't he get proper funding for his local police station? All these questions and more are addressed and attempt to get answered in this tour-de-force of whimsy.
Sub Genre - A science fiction historical humorous romance.
Keywords - Time Machines, 1870s, Halls Gap, Melbourne, Australia, Cults.
Known Issues - I write a few times about the fact that this is a november novel and I mention wikipedia way too much!
Critique Requested - if you want to give it, then fine. This is mostly a swap for fun, but why not be helpful?
Critique Tolerance - I got a thick skin.
Experience & Goals - Third Nanonovel, but first one I want to swap with people.
Method of Communication - e-mail: clarechad@gmail.com
Disclaimers - one kind of gross bit,and language.
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65,012 / 50,000
déc. 1, 2008 - 07 27
Awesome, I'm not the only one.
Title: The Dark and Stormy Night
Length: About 65,000 words
Draft: First, but with minor edits for consistency, grammar, etc.
Language: American English with brief forays into and quotations from Old English and Latin.
Brief Summary:
Edward Bulwer-Lytton (of dark and stormy night fame) is abruptly thrown into the twenty-first century, where Richard Nixon is alive again and planning to take over the world by means of nuclear war. With the help of some intrepid graduate students, a lost manuscript written by Catiline (the Roman conspirator), a medieval abbot, and an author who seems a lot like J.K. Rowling (to be more heavily disguised if I ever publish), Bulwer must race back in time to save the world, all while untangling some mysteries surrounding famous and not-so-famous literary texts.
Sub Genre & Keywords: Time travel, Richard Nixon, plagiarism, literary history, police state, United States
Known Issues: The relationship I meant to be developing between my FMC and my MMC is mainly in my head! The plot is jumpy and the characterizations are weak.
Critique Requested: I need help making my characters stronger/more interesting, and with plot structure. I'm more confident in my ability to clean up the grammatical and mechanical errors myself.
Critique Tolerance: Be honest, I can take it; but please let me know what you liked as well.
Experience & Goals: This novel is my first; I am probably not going to publish this one: I'm looking for where I went wrong so that I can have a stronger plot/more compelling characters next time.
Method of Communication: Send me a NaNoMail and we'll do email from there.
Disclaimers: Violence at a distance (a nuclear war is looming/has begun but not in the neighborhood of my characters).
50,109 / 50,000
déc. 1, 2008 - 12 29
My novel would probably be classified as "transgressive", sort of like Chuck Palahniuk, just not as good. It's about a guy who has suffered one failure after another, but he wants to be remembered for something before he dies. Sort of a mid-life crisis. His goal is to get in the Guinness Book of World Records by sitting in a bath tub full of maggots for 2+ hours. His family and friends can't understand any of this, of course. Then the troubles keep compounding when he kills his daughter's boyfriend, cheats on his wife, etc. Lots of gross scenes, some funny parts.
Title: Disco Rice
Length: 50,100 words (but will probably eliminate a whole chapter, roughly 1,500 words of filler)
Draft: First draft, but based on a published story
Language: English
Keywords - New Hampshire, maggots
Known Issues - Gratuitous sex scene and a dream sequence, both of which have little to do with the rest of the story.
Critique Requested - Aiming for publication, if this is salvageable.
Critique Tolerance - Thick skin, but certainly prefer constructive criticism
Experience & Goals - Third NaNo novel. Hoping to publish this one, maybe self-publish if necessary
Method of Communication - e-mail: chrismiller64@hotmail.com
Disclaimers - Gross scenes involving maggots, graphic sex scene, some curse words
50,670 / 50,000
déc. 1, 2008 - 12 49
I just burst out laughing reading the title of that one. That is such a cool title.
50,592 / 50,000
déc. 1, 2008 - 13 21
Title: The Pigeon Racer
Length: 50,500-and-something words (just check my wordcount over on the left there)
Draft: First draft, has not been proof read yet either. I shudder to think what grammatical horrors it contains.
Language: Australian English
Brief Summary:
Errol Sprüng was Belgium's finest chef until he remembers that he had a dream of becoming a pigeon racer when he was five years old. This memory soon becomes an obsession with pigeon racing and as a result, Errol finds himself jobless - so, he pursues pigeon racing. After some in-depth research, he discovers that the only way he can become a successful pigeon racer is to go on an arduous journey of discovery to get in touch with his inner pigeon.
Why is there a commune living in a cave on a mountain? What has Frederick A. Hoopenfullen been getting up to on that very same mountain? Where does Viktor Dunne get all of his wealth?
Sub Genre - To be honest, I'm not entirely sure.
Keywords - Pigeons, Racing, Belgium, Chef, Discovery.
Known Issues - Too many to list! And I'm fairly sure the ending of my novel is very brief as I got to a "I just need to finish this!" point.
Critique Requested - If you'd like to critique, that's okay, but I'm doing this for fun. It's not a serious novel!
Critique Tolerance - Pretty high.
Experience & Goals - Third completed Nano novel. Never swapped with anyone except clarechad before, though.
Method of Communication - Send me a PM and we can go from there.
Disclaimers - Rather violent hawk attack.
50,770 / 50,000
déc. 1, 2008 - 13 40
Title: It's all about the wordplay
50,770 words
First draft in american english
Summary: Kaye, a teenage schoolgirl, is writing a story on her computer that is about princesses and evil handmaidens and magical mirrors- a story that is loosely based off her own life, including her boyfriend Aiden, who is a magic magnet (if something magical is going to happen it'll involve him!) The story she is writing however, is coming to life before her very eyes, literally, with a plot of its own to take over the world...
Genre- fantasy, romance
key words: Mirror, magic, school
known issues- not very much plot
Critique Requested- PLEASE! i want to be a better writer
Critique Tolerance- i think i can handle it- hit me!
Experience and Goals- first NaNo EVER!!!! EPIC VICTORY!!!
method of communication email- forthysweetlove29@gmail.com
Disclaimers- serious plot issues!
PM ME IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS- GOODY GUMDROPS I'm EXCITIED!!!!
----------2008: It's All About The Wordplay *EPIC VICTORY!!!*
50,018 / 50,000
déc. 1, 2008 - 16 00
Title: Two Sides, One Destiny
50,018 words, First Draft (for now) and in english
Brent Lewis, a faithful Christian has a secret. He's gay, but no one else knows except Erin. Erin isn’t suppose to know, but Brent doesn't think any bad would come to it. His twin, Jack, shouldn't know but Erin tells him by defying Brent's plead to keep it under the cover. He doesn't believe her, but when Brent tells him himself, due to the influence of a new relationship with his crush, Chad, another closeted teen, things go haywire. He loses friends, and his parents, and the most important of them all, Jack. Brent goes into more and more turmoil, as he faces others who he never thought he'd show shame to, and he wonders how it could happen. Chad is the only one to help him now, but Chad has to try hard to not fail at doing so. In this parallel plot between twins, come see how Brent faces inspiration, sadness, and guilt from going from the closet to the room in less than 24 hours, facing a lot more in the next dreadful days. A hopeful book for those who face the same problems, and a book of understandment for those who don't know what it feels like, or those who think the homosexual life is full of no cares or worries.
"homosexual teens" "homosexual and afraid"
Known Issues - Nothing I'm ashamed of to not be told, I want a concrete critique.
Critique Requested - I would like to maybe publish it, even self publish, for maybe a club or group of friends. I would like a lot of feedback on if it is touching enough, if it makes sense, the Pov (epically how i use first person) and anything else who reads this comments on. These are just ideas I'm throwing out.
Critique Tolerance - Be completely honest. Now, if this conflicts with your views on sexuality and the novel is bashed, thats not a fair trade. If it is bashed, because you feel things are not well in a literature sense, then I am all for your honesty, and may prefer some bashing.... You can't perfect a piece of music if someone goes "oh yeah, its good enough." And then turns to the director and says, "he needs work." It doesn't happen then or in life. So dont be afraid of my feelings, for they go away when I read reviews. :D
Experience & Goals - This is my first full novel, and I may be looking for publishers. I haven't sent it out because I would like to see how it pans out with the general public first.
Method of Communication - lilfreshiethethespian@yahoo.com works. Also if you Aim, I am shortyrocks141. To send the edited versions I scan, but unsure how you would do it.
Anything else? Not too bad of language ( if there is, circle it so I can see if it needs to be there.) The only other disclaimer is that even though it is part of a story of a gay teen, the furthest him and his crush go are by kisses. He describes him a little without his shirt, but its not steamy or sexy, just "wow"s
Thanks to anyone even considering to review! Ill be watching for things I'd like to review as well :D
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50,060 / 50,000
déc. 9, 2008 - 20 18
Title: Rock and Robots
51,000 - 53,200 words.
First draft.
Language: American English, with lots of slang. Gratuitous use of the word "jammin'".
This is the story of a man trying to integrate with society, get a life. He hates his friends, doesn't know what his job is, and has weird dreams of another world. In that world, several great programmers and computer scientists, with no regard to history, are gathered in Victorian era London to advise the Queen and build robots. Also, the man is in a band struggling for success. They're far from it.
Also, the themes turn to lucid dreaming (a subject I have little or no experience with and have heavily bastardized), paintball, and vague existential something or other.
Sub Genre & Keywords: "rock", "robots", "lucid dreaming"
Known Issues - Early on, the novel shifts back and forth between past and present tense, often within the same chapter. I'm not entirely sure how I should tie everything up yet, so it kind of hangs at the end. Also, several chapters are just kind of how the MC spent his day, which might be a little boring. I'd need a second opinion on whether it helps or not.
Critique Requested - How fleshed out are the characters, does it work as a whole, and how accurate are some of the things I say? (i.e., realism in setting, dialogue, characters, etc.)
Critique Tolerance - I'd like a bit of each, like if you can find something positive to say, find something that needs improvement, and vice versa. Balance.
Experience & Goals - This is my second year doing NaNoWriMo, but my first year finishing. It'll be the first time I swap.
Method of Communication - email: vashts.firefrost at gmail.com. Any other methods of communication could be discussed here, by NaNo-mail, or email.
Disclaimers - lots and lots of strong language, gratuitous use of words like "jammin'", "chillin'" and references to people like Buckethead, Dijkstra, and also some New Wave things (not in the most positive light).