"There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." - William Somerset Maugham
Ah, W.S. Maugham. How witty you were. Are. Continue to be. It's always a funny thing to try and refer to an author or an author's work, becuase while they may be dead, as is the case with the author of "The Painted Veil" and "Of Human Bondage," their works are still very much living, attaining a new life every time thier covers are cracked open. In that way, writers seem to be immortal, continuously in the present tense.
And that immortality is what many participents are probably striving for as NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, begins. I applaud the intrepid souls who are starting out on this suicidally tinged quest for greatness -- I once tried in the 9th grade, got 8 thousand words in and decided it was hopeless. Now I have my heart set on being a teacher, a much more marketable use for an English Degree. If that falls through, I plan on becoming a librarian, in the hopes that I may someday help a handsome ex-pat break out of jail, go gallivanting through the desert in search of buried treasure, and be able to explain, while in a somewhat inebriated state, "Mr. O'Connell, I may not be an adventurer, or...or an explorer...but I am proud of what I am! I...am a Librarian."
Additonal props to anyone who knows what movie that's from.
For those of you not familiar with NaNo, let me elaborate -- NaNoWriMo is a contest, of sorts, in which aspiring novelists across the country commit themselves to writing 50,000 words in one month. 30 days.
As I mentioned before, tinged with thoughts of suicide. Especially if you're a full time student like me. Which is why I am staying far, far away from it and contenting myself with one small, insignificant fanfic at a time.
Props to all of you crazy people, though. I hope W.S. Maugham's three rules occur to you some time in the midst of your word churning. Who knows -- perhaps this time someone may actually write them down.
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Totally in concurrence with you there, Mercury - I just hope I find out the three rules at a point where I can remember them enough to get them down on paper! It is very true, though. Some days I've churned out three 3000 word chapters in quick succession fuelled by nothing but chocolate fingers and ginger ale- and then spent the next three weeks painfully writing one line and wondering what went wrong... Guess the three rules occasioanlly flash up and then desert us!
ReplyDeleteThe Mummy
ReplyDeleteHaha, Gotta love that quote. I live by that quote.
ReplyDeleteThough, as my high school English Teacher always told me, "Just Write."
I figured that was as good advice as any!