Three Days of the Novel

Mailed. Now for the waiting.

Yup. Printed and mailed it yesterday.

And now we wait. And wait. And wait.

posted by Greybishop @ 12:11 PM 0 comments

Talk about under the wire!

Done.
18,861 total words, about 2/3 as long as "Bred in the Bone", but seeing as how I slacked all day Saturday just thinking up the story rather than labouring behind a keyboard, that's not too surprising.

Still, the pressure of a shorter deadline brought economy to the story. I'm pretty happy with it, overall.

The title is "An Oath as Stong as Bone"

Phew!

posted by Greybishop @ 11:17 PM 7 comments

Bed time, Day 2.

Well, Saturday was a bust, but here at the end of Day two, I have 10,219 words written.

I'm happy with that.

Tomorrow's gonna be nuts, but that's ok.

G'night all.

posted by Greybishop @ 1:58 AM 1 comments

Way, way behind...

Well, I'm way off the pace from last year.

I've only written about 6,000 words and it's almost 10 PM on Sunday.

Charlotte was right about not being able to write while doing retail.

I also couldn't get into writing when I go home last night.

So, here I am, way behind. Still, if I can get to 10-12000 words tonight before bed, I should be able to turn in a 24,000 word novel by tomorrow night. I'm on a bit of a roll right now, so here's hoping that continues.

Thanks for the kind words and support folks!

posted by Greybishop @ 9:48 PM 2 comments

Time for bed.

Last year, I wrote 2319 words from midnight to bedtime.

This year, 2306. First chapter (well, the prologue really) done.

And it's a sequel to last year's "Bred in the Bone", in case you were wondering.

G'night folks!

posted by Greybishop @ 1:50 AM 7 comments

About 15 minutes to "GO!"

My next entry will be just before bedtime. Last year I wrote about 2500 words/7 pages before bed on the Friday night. I suspect that I'll match or better that this go 'round.

posted by Greybishop @ 11:45 PM 1 comments

Just about ready...

I've got a pretty good idea of what I'll be writing about, I know which font and what size and that's all set (I can take HOURS picking a font sometimes) and my stew is stewing.

I'll probably write for a couple of hours from midnight to bed time. Get a good beginning and then hit the sack.

Tomorrow will be hard, because I'll be at work and having to deal with customers. Normally (as far as last year goes) I write from around noon on, so if I can get at least some writing done in the morning and then putter away in the afternoon while it's busier, then I shouldn't be too far off my pace from last year.

Anyhow, I'm settling in with tea and a movie between now and midnight.

Cheers.

posted by Greybishop @ 10:21 PM 0 comments

Step One.

Mailed my entry form/fee.

Just this side of late.

Phew!

posted by Greybishop @ 10:25 AM 2 comments

Talk about last minute!

Tomorrow is August 31.

The deadline for mailing your entry form and $50 fee to the three day novel contest is...you guessed it: August 31.

I'll be mailing my entry...you guessed it: Tomorrow.

Why such a close call? I just keep friggin' forgetting! Honest.

I wake up every morning and think: "Make out that check and mail it
today." Then I get home at 6:30 and think: "Damn. I have the attention
span of a mildly inebriated fern."

So, tomorrow it is.

I also have absolutely NO clear idea of what I'm going to write this time around. On the up side, I did remember to buy all the ingredients for my patented "Writin' Stew" that I'll whip up tomorrow night in my slow cooker.

Since I'm going to close the store on Sunday and Monday, I'm only hamstringing myself for the 9 hours I'll be at the store on Saturday, but there's no reason that I can't write at least a little during business hours.

Last minute isn't new to me. Last year, I had an outline in mind, but really the final story wasn't much like what I'd envisioned. So no real worries on that front.

And awaaaay we go!

posted by Greybishop @ 11:59 PM 0 comments

And the winner is...

Not me.
At least I got this nifty certificate!

posted by Greybishop @ 8:20 PM 0 comments

And finally...

I sent the printed copy in by courier on Tuesday. It arrived in Vancouver and was signed for at the front desk by "Patty" at 10:26 AM Local time.

Now begins the LONG wait for the judges to sort out a short list and eventually pick a winner.

Last year they had around 300 entries and the whole process took nearly 4 months, so it's gonna be a while.

I have no expectations of winning or even short listing, but you don't enter something like this without a little hope that somehow you might just be good enough...

4 months is a long time to hold your breath, so I'm just gonna cross my fingers.
And toes.

posted by Greybishop @ 8:29 PM 3 comments

For those interested...

I just got confirmation from "Melissa" at the 3 day novel contest that its OK to e-mail the file to my individual friends. They don't consider that to be publishing. If you want to read it, send a self-addressed, stamped e-mail to "greybishop1@yahoo.ca" so I can e-mail you the file. It's a word doc, so you gotta have Microsoft Word!

posted by Greybishop @ 12:20 PM 0 comments

I'd love to let you read it but...

I found this on the 3 day site in the rules:
Manuscripts will NOT be returned. Entrants retain all copyright for their work, however, publishing an entry in any form (including self-publishing, chapbooks, or web publishing) before the winner is announced will disqualify the author from winning. After the announcement, we will present the winning author with a publishing contract. All other entrants may develop or publish their novels as they wish.

I'm going to e-mail them to see if it's ok to send copies out individually...

posted by Greybishop @ 11:19 AM 0 comments

And then it hit me...

It took a half an hour, but as I was coming down the stairs from my den, it occurred to me just how cool it is that

I ACTUALLY FINISHED A NOVEL!

In Less Than 72 Hours!

Fortunately, my couch and television were the only victims subjected to the GB Happy Dance.
No injuries have been reported at this time.

posted by Greybishop @ 12:41 AM 1 comments

THANK YOU, EVERYONE!

To everyone who posted a comment, sent me a prayer or spared me a good thought this weekend, THANK YOU!

Knowing that there was an audience that would be disappointed if I didn't finish gave me an extra push more than once.

Happily though, I never had any real "down" times. I'm guessing that I actually logged 36 hours in front of the computer, maybe a smidge more. I even had time for a short nap on Saturday and never slept less than 6 or 7 hours in a night. All in all, it was tough, but regardless of outcome, I'll be doing it again next year.

Thanks again guys!
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 12:21 AM 0 comments

And the final count is...

All printed and ready to mail.
Final tally: 94 Pages, 28,823 words. My edits actually gained words and dropped a page in the page count. Wierd, but sometimes that's how it works.
I have just one word left in me:
Whew!

posted by Greybishop @ 4:14 PM 2 comments

And...Time!

Bred in the Bone is FINISHED!
95 Pages, 28, 366 words.
I still plan to edit it tonight, since I'm sure there are things that I can improve upon, but it's DONE!
I'm gonna have dinner now. I'll let you all know how the editting goes.
GB.
Woo-Hoo!

posted by Greybishop @ 4:08 PM 3 comments

Bed time for GB on day 2.

84 Pages, 25,065 words.
The final battle has been joined and the characters are just about at the end of their journey. I have a pretty solid idea how all of this will turn out and I anticipate another twenty or so pages to the end. All in all, I'm right where I aimed to be.
One more day, folks.
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 1:56 AM 0 comments

Dinner break, day 2

56 Pages, 16,622 words and time for dinner.
Two new MAJOR plot twists just jumped out of my head onto the page in the last three hours.
My goal tonight is 85-90 pages, 25,000-ish words. That will leave about 10-15 pages to write tomorrow, and some time for a quick edit before midnight.
All in all, things are progressing nicely.
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 4:59 PM 1 comments

Bed time for GB on day 1.

44 pages, 13,098 words. I'm pretty much on target and aside from changing the plot three times in the last 24 hours (Each on for the better, I think) things have gone very well.
I'm off to bed, catch y'all tomorrow.
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 7:19 PM 1 comments

Dinner break

20 pages in the hopper, 6,555 words. My goal is to double that before bed. I'm actually getting more sure of the story in the middle now, so that has me relieved.
Dinner time.
Later folks.
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 7:17 PM 1 comments

Lunch break...

Well, I've been writing all afternoon and just now decided to eat lunch. I'm not much of a morning person, so I spent a couple of hours relaxing this morning, clearing my head and drinking coffee. I've written another couple thousand words and have now ventured out of "outlined" territory. I knew how the story opened, I know how it ends, but now I have to write the (Hopefully) exciting middle bit. No idea what's going to happen, so it'll be an adventure between now and this time tommorrow.
I'll keep y'all in the loop...
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 3:07 PM 0 comments

Bed time for GB...

Seven pages, 2319 words and I haven't run out of "outlined" story yet. I actually (surprise!) know what will be happening in the next five or ten pages, so I'll be diving right in once I get coffee down the gullet tomorrow morning.
Off to bed.
I'll keep you posted.

posted by Greybishop @ 11:28 PM 1 comments

And...go!

I'm just about ready to go. Printer and keyboard installed and tested, fridge loaded with instant or near instant edibles and tons of juice, water, milk and pop, slow cooker doin' its thing with the weekend o' stew and I've got the den computer fired up and a nice, (font-ed and formatted-I can bog for hours picking a font...) blank page up and ready to be filled.
I'm posting this now, with about 40 minutes to go before start time, so I can have a quick cup of tea, relax a bit and clear my head.
When I've reached the end of tonight's stamina or inspiration (whichever comes first), I'll put up a quick "where I'm at" post here, just so those interested can keep score at home...
See you all just before I turn in...
Thanks again for the kind words of support, all of you.
Wish me luck!
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 11:21 PM 1 comments

Three hours and counting....

The crockpot is full and sitting in the fridge, awaiting it's time in my slow cooker. I went and bought a printer on the way home, so I'd have a paper copy to mail first thing Tuesday morning. I also borrowed my work computer keyboard, since it's the one I do the most typing on. I'm heading up to install both right after I publish this article.
Feels like I'm ready!
I'll post once more before I begin and then again before I turn in for the night.
Blog ya later!

posted by Greybishop @ 8:56 PM 0 comments

T Minus Twelve Hours...

With a scant twelve hours to go, I can feel the adrenaline starting to flow. I still have to whip up GB's Special Beef Stew when I get home tonight and take care of a few chores around the homestead before midnight, so I don't have any major interruptions this weekend.
The good news is: I have a plan. Surprise!
Actually, all you Losties will appreciate this. The book will basically be a short adventure wherein the hero breaks into a wizard's stronghold to "take care" of said wizard. While he's making his way through the gauntlet, his origin and history will be told in a series of...
Wait for it...
Wait...
Flashbacks!
It came to me the other night on my way home. I was trying (Inside my head, it would be WAY too out of character for me to actually write this stuff down...) to organize the book in a straight "origin, adventure, resolution" timeline and it just hit me. Flashbacks. So simple and yet so elegant a solution to the problem of introducing a completely new character to readers and yet keeping the plot moving along at a swift and interesting pace. Devoting a third of a short novel to a character's origin would be a big snooze otherwise...
A few of the soon-to-be-written-down plot twists are boiling away in the back of my brain as well.
Yay!

posted by Greybishop @ 12:04 PM 2 comments

The den is ready! Kinda...

I just finished a final clean up in the den. I put in the desk and chair, plugged in the 'blaster for my ambience music, installed and double checked the computer and even chose a font to work in.
Whew!
I wish I'd had enough time to finish the drywall, paint and install the floor, but at least there are no giant gaping holes in the walls anymore...
One day to go!
This is gonna be fun.
I'll do my best to put up a progress report once or twice a day when I'm taking a brain/food/pee break, so you can check in here and see how insane I'm going...

posted by Greybishop @ 12:10 AM 3 comments

The Ikea Connection

Lunch today consisited of a Bonny chair and a Mal-whatever desk, straight from Ikea. Tommorrow, I'll be picking up some background music for the weekend. Spanish guitar, Celtic instrumental and maybe some upbeat classical but I have a lot of that already. Tonight, I'll be picking up supplies for the weekend as well, 'cuz GB's Special Beef Stew doesn't grow on trees...

For those interested, it doesn't look like the den will be completed in time, but it will be complete enough to be functional. The final drywall mud will happen tonight and I'll get some painting done Thursday night and maybe even some on Friday. Work on the novel, tentatively titled "Bred in the Bone" will commence at 12:01 AM Saturday, sharp. I plan to write myself to sleep that night and get a reasonable 6 hours of sleep, regardless of when I finally put myself to bed. From Saturday morning to Saturday night, it'll be write, write, write. Six more hours of shut-eye and then write, write, write all day Sunday. Six final hours and then write/edit until midnight Monday.

I will take a few minutes here and there to eat, stretch, etc.
I can't wait!

posted by Greybishop @ 1:16 PM 2 comments

Someone actually put me in the paper...

Building a 72-hour novel:

Hundreds of would-be novelists are polishing their
prose for next weekend's 3-Day Novel Contest. The rules are simple: Start
writing book after midnight Friday; finish it by midnight Monday.

The Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Page: C1 / FRONT
Section: The Citizen's Weekly Arts & Books
Byline: Alexandra Zabjek
Source: The Ottawa Citizen

To write a novel in 72 hours you might need a little luck, a lot of
practice, or, in the case of James Richardson, a big crockpot of stew.

Next weekend, Richardson's Prescott home will transform into a scene from a
college student's mid-term nightmare: he will unplug the phone, live off a
three-day supply of beef stew, and try to write a book by Monday at
midnight.

It's the 3-Day Novel Contest and Richardson will enter a world inhabited by
writers who are willing to put pride, story ideas and a long Labour Day
weekend on the line to produce a short novel.

Up for grabs is a mouthwatering prize for any scribe: a publication
contract. There's also a second prize ($500) and other literary goodies.

Now in its 29th year, the novel contest attracts hundreds of writers from
around the world. Most, like Richardson, have been writing "since the first
time they put one of those big, fat red pencils in my hand in grade school."
The 36-year-old cellular phone repairman hopes to pound out a prequel to the
fantasy novel he's been toiling at for years.

He has no illusions about winning. He simply wants to write.

"If I can finish the book and not be horrified to let people read it, I'll
be more than happy," he says.

The contest began as a barroom bet among a group of Vancouver writers and
has been kept afloat through four small publishers who have produced 22
books from it. When Vancouver's Blue Lake Books shut down in 2003, the
contest came close to following suit, but friends Melissa Edwards and
Barbara Zatyko volunteered to keep the literary marathon running. They still
manage the contest today, with Edwards based on the West Coast and Zatyko in
Toronto.

The rules for writers are simple: mail in a $50 entry fee, start writing no
sooner than 12:01 a.m. this Saturday. Stop writing 72 hours later and have
someone witness that you did it. Outlines are allowed and there's no
mandated length, but entries are usually at least 100 pages. Novelists
writing by hand have four days to get their manuscripts typed, and finally:
don't cheat -- the judges will know.

"There's a tone and an energy that comes out of people who really commit
themselves to this contest that if people cheat is lacking," says Edwards,
the contest's managing editor, who wrote about a bachelorette gone wrong
when she entered in 2001. Entrants, though, she says, rarely cheat.

About 20 independent writers and publishers comb through the manuscripts,
producing a 12-book shortlist that's given to a separate group of judges.
It's a time-consuming process; last year, it took almost four months before
Portland, Oregon writer Jan Underwood's Day Shift Werewolf was chosen the
winner. The contest saw 300 entries.

While anyone who slogs through 72 hours of novel writing earns at least some
bragging rights, the quality of entries vary. Edwards has received novels as
short as 10 pages but it's rare for anything less than 80 pages to be
considered for the shortlist.

The winning novel is edited with a "light hand," usually to correct gaps in
logic or to keep the story line focused.

"Plot is a good idea," says Edwards, noting that books focused on character
development usually aren't page-turners. Ultimately, Edwards says, writers
who want to win should ask themselves: "Is this a book I'd want to walk into
a bookstore and read?"

Despite years of recognition among amateur and seasoned writers, the 3-Day
Novel contest still runs on a shoestring budget -- or rather, it runs on
Edwards' credit card until registration fees start rolling in. But this
year, the project will get more coverage as the organizers have struck a
deal with BookTelevision to film 12 contestants writing their masterpieces
at a Chapters store in Edmonton.

"Barbara and I think it will be a lot of fun," says Edwards. "That's really
the only reason we're doing it, because it's an exciting new angle for the
contest. I'm very curious to see how it will turn out."

Also raising the contest's profile is winner Underwood, who has been touring
bookstores with Day Shift Werewolf, a collection of short stories about the
mishaps of several "incompetent monsters" living in Stevens' Ferry, a small
West Coast town.

The book's title character is Warren, a werewolf who is demoted to the
dayshift for his low body count. Union rules protect him from being fired.
Warren -- who is scared of dogs and proud of his beefsteak tomato plants --
is initially disheartened, but the shift change helps him discover he
doesn't particularly enjoy hunting humans.

Readers will find Underwood's prose concise and humorous as she details the
monsters' insecurities. The plot lines are simple but clever, and you might
find yourself pausing in the middle of her stories to think: "She wrote this
in three days!"

The offbeat comedic horror fits well with the ethos of the 3-Day Novel
contest, says Underwood, and winning books are often fantasy stories that
combine several genres.

"There's an element of zaniness that's built into the idea of trying to
write a whole novel in 72 hours," says Underwood, who teaches Spanish at a
community college in Portland.

Underwood had been thinking about the character of Warren the werewolf for a
few years and spent time researching monsters ("Do zombies actually suck
brains?") before sitting down at her keyboard last Labour Day weekend. She
said a lifetime of writing helped her pump out the book, although she added
two chapters to her original submission during the editing process.

"There's a predictable trajectory that people go through," Underwood says
about the writing contest. "It's a bit like the five stages of grieving."
The first day is exciting, the mood tapers off on the second day, and day
three is just plain treacherous. "It's a normal thing and it doesn't mean
that you can't do it," she says.

Undoubtedly, every author will bring unique anxieties to the contest when
forced to fill a computer screen with story ideas they've been kicking
around for years. Some are taking unusual steps to prepare for the
challenge. Prescott's James Richardson for one is determined to complete the
unfinished den in his home in order to have a place to focus on his writing
next weekend.

For a person who "lives on his computer," Richardson also has made the brash
decision to type his novel on an old Dell system that isn't connected to the
Internet. If all goes as planned, he will have completed a novel about a
wizard slayer named Morgan by the end of the long weekend.

He isn't worried about his page-count: "I'd not be surprised to see me
pushing 150 pages in three days," he says. "My main concern is stopping long
enough to be able to edit the thing."

Other contestants, such as Kitty MacAlpine and Mimi Richard-Golding from
Ottawa, are using the 3-Day Novel contest to unleash the creative energy
that's sometimes stifled in their jobs as technical writers. The pair might
also let loose some professional angst -- their planned novel is a murder
mystery involving the death of a software developer and a technical writer
who is falsely accused of the crime.

"I'm hoping that we'll get rid of the tensions," said MacAlpine.

Richard-Golding and MacAlpine will write in tandem, passing the story off
every 12 hours, with each working from their own home. The friends almost
entered the contest in 2005, but illness forced them to withdraw. MacAlpine
has booked this Friday off to ensure she's ready for the writing marathon.

"It might turn out to be the most ridiculous story on the planet, but it's
going to be fun," said MacAlpine. "No matter what, we'll send it in."

- - -

Writers have until Friday to send in registration fees for this year's
contest. For contest information: www.3daynovel.com

posted by Greybishop @ 9:46 AM 2 comments

Zen cool prevails...

Just not when I'm being interviewed. Poor girl. I think her ears are broken.
So much for calm and reserved. She now nows more about me than I do.

The article will come out the Sunday of the weekend before the Labour Day weekend. I'll try to get a link or post it on the blog, whichever is easier...

posted by Greybishop @ 2:07 PM 1 comments

Maintain Literary Aloof Detatchment...

So I have an interview with the Ottawa Citizen scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30 AM.
I will stay calm.
I will be cool.
I will project a Zen like tranquility.

Once I stop jumping up and down like a kid after too much kool-aid.

posted by Greybishop @ 3:49 PM 3 comments

Developing story...

With a less than productive long weekend behind me, I still face several hours of work (when I'll squeeze it in, I have no idea) before my den is ready for habitation. Still more drywalling and painting before I can put the floor in...

On a different note, I got home last night to find a message on my answering machine, which is an event in and of itself. This message was from a reporter for the Ottawa Citizen who is doing a story on the Three Day Novel Contest. She will be interviewing me about my participation tomorrow...

I'll keep y'all posted.

posted by Greybishop @ 11:08 AM 2 comments

Renovations and changes...

So the drywall arrived yesterday and tonight I'm heading out to pick up the paint tonight before I head out to run Karaoke. I hope that paint is ok in the heat...

On the actual writing front, I may have hit my first hurdle. I think I want to write a different novel. It occurred to me that I would like to know more about Morgan (my new name for the hero of "The Mark of the One") and his early training and quest to secure his very own wizard knife.

Now I'm torn.

Uh-Oh.

posted by Greybishop @ 2:46 PM 0 comments

Renovations.

On the weekend, I did a smidge of work on the den where I plan to do the three day novel contest and I measured the walls so I can buy the paint. When I finish this, I'll be ordering some drywall to use in the last stage of the renovation.

posted by Greybishop @ 3:25 PM 0 comments

And on the second day...

I just filled out the form, wrote the cheque and addressed the envelope.
It's going out in today's outgoing office mail.
I'm SO jazzed.
Thanks to those who have already expressed support. I'll be keeping you posted.
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 10:17 AM 2 comments

Day the First.

Thursday July 20, 2006.

This is the first entry and it's short, since I haven't really done much.
I decided to use my idea for the novel "diary" as the project.
I also downloaded the registration form.
However, my chequebook is at home, so I will have to wait until tomorrow to mail it .

It has been pointed out that I have neglected to explain the contest very well.
3 Days. 72 Hours. 1 Outline. 2 Hands. 1 Brain. Lots of coffee.
The idea is to write a complete novel from start to finish, with no more than a basic outline pre-written. Here is the contest website.

I will be posting a bunch of different things here up to the day of the contest. Strategy, outlines and other novel related musings will appear here shortly after they appear in my head. I won't publish the ending in the outline. The fact that I don't yet know how the story ends will pretty much make that the most simple part of the process.

Comments and offers of hand delivered coffee (followed by immediate going-away-and-letting-the-man-work!)during the contest always appreciated.
GB

posted by Greybishop @ 11:42 AM 8 comments