Novel-in-a-Day 9½ - SPECIAL APOCALYPSE EDITION

[Accordion Noir]

1,518 at Midnight in Vancouver.

I wrote my kids in, and there's an squeezebox, but I haven't decided if it's a good accordion, or a bad one.

Governments and religions fall by decisions like this.

[thegirlclaudia]

I am finding this brief extremely challenging.

[Kramer]

Morning all.

Read through the brief at1220 (UK) and went to bed with my head filling with ideas .

What little I know of the White House is purely down to President Bartlett and his team in The West Wing - so who knows how my chapter will turn out for authenticity!!

Anyway, it's now 0815, I've had my first coffee of the day and...I'd best get started.

[Kramer]

1,518 at Midnight in Vancouver.

I wrote my kids in, and there's an squeezebox, but I haven't decided if it's a good accordion, or a bad one.

Governments and religions fall by decisions like this.

I could write a ukulele into my chapter...our characters could jam together if everything goes pear-shaped for them.

[pigfender]

there's an squeezebox, but I haven't decided if it's a good accordion, or a bad one.

Wait... there are *bad* accordions?!

[JacquelineM]

Hi everyone, I’m stuck!

I thought we were going to be writing The Road or The Hunger Games.

Instead, I’ve got to research what happens in the White House during some kind of nuclear attack. I mean I know very little about American politics, and nothing about the geography of the White House.

I have a dvd of the West Wing series 1 lying around somewhere here, but I haven’t got time to watch it today.

Harder still, I’ve got to imagine a popular Republican President.

[pigfender]

I am finding this brief extremely challenging.

When I feel that -- and I feel that a lot! -- I always make sure I understand if my story is POOEE.
P -Protagonist - who is my protagonist for this scene?
O- Objective - what are they trying to achieve?
O - Obstacle - what is stopping them?
E - Escalation - what happens to make things harder / worse?
E - Ending - how am I going to resolve that objective (either successfully or not)
I find knowing that helps me on whatever scale I'm looking at -- whether it's a book, a chapter, a scene, or sometimes just a paragraph.
Plus I drink coffee.

[pigfender]

What little I know of the White House is purely down to President Bartlett and his team in The West Wing.

Great TV show. Can't go wrong.

I could write a ukulele into my chapter...our characters could jam together if everything goes pear-shaped for them.

If?

[pigfender]

Hi everyone, I’m stuck!

I've sent you an email with answers to some of your specific questions

I thought we were going to be writing The Road or The Hunger Games.

There are, sadly, a great many types of apocalypse! My browsing history from the past 2 weeks will defeintely have me on a watch list!

Instead, I’ve got to research what happens in the White House during some kind of nuclear attack. I mean I know very little about American politics, and nothing about the geography of the White House.

Google is your friend! https://www.businessinsider.com/white-h ... -portico-4

I have a dvd of the West Wing series 1 lying around somewhere here, but I haven’t got time to watch it today.

Find a 5 minute clip on Youtube. It's a great tv show!

Harder still, I’ve got to imagine a popular Republican President.

Now, now...!

[JacquelineM]

Hi Pigfender,

Thanks for the email and your advice here.

Much appreciated!

I guess the point of this exercise is to get us out of our comfort zone.

It’s certainly doing that!

Perhaps the next NIAD can be a Fantasy genre and we can invent our own world?
Back to the research and writing...

[pigfender]

Hi Pigfender,

Thanks for the email and your advice here.

Much appreciated!

I guess the point of this exercise is to get us out of our comfort zone.

It’s certainly doing that!

Perhaps the next NIAD can be a Fantasy genre and we can invent our own world?
Back to the research and writing...

This is fantasy and you can invent the world!

[Alobear]

Talking about being out of comfort zones - my chapter seems to be all about electrical engineering and I have a BA in English!!
Let the technobabble commence!

[pigfender]

Talking about being out of comfort zones - my chapter seems to be all about electrical engineering and I have a BA in English!!
Let the technobabble commence!

:D
It can be about electrical engineering or about electical engineers

[Alobear]

Talking about being out of comfort zones - my chapter seems to be all about electrical engineering and I have a BA in English!!
Let the technobabble commence!

:D
It can be about electrical engineering or about electical engineers

Or about non-electrical engineers trying to help electrical engineers and being rubbish at it... )

[pigfender]

Talking about being out of comfort zones - my chapter seems to be all about electrical engineering and I have a BA in English!!
Let the technobabble commence!

:D
It can be about electrical engineering or about electical engineers

Or about non-electrical engineers trying to help electrical engineers and being rubbish at it... )

With accordions!