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

[Accordion Noir]

I do a Skype video chat with my 13-year-old grandson most days. On Saturday I showed him our brief and chatted to him about the NOVEL IN A DAY.
I suggested that whilst he is in 'lockdown' he could also write a novel, and we could check up each other's writing each day to see how things were progressing.
He has had a very hard year with being bullied at school and was seriously depressed. The past two days he has begun writing and drawing again. My daughter said he was even smiling and enthusiastic about things, something they haven't seen in months.
There is much power in the written word - not only for the one who reads.

Thanks, Piggy for letting me be part of the Novel in a Day.

That is the kind of real-world impact a writer hopes to have. The idea of quarantine being a relief from bullying is very sad. Wish your grandson well.

[JacquelineM]

Wow, just finished reading the Blue version (I bet we all read 'our' version first!) and I think it held together with the fewest contradictions of any of the NIADs I've read. Kudos to all of us!

And endless gratitude to Pigfender for coming up with the idea for NIAD and leading it all these years. We may never win fame and glory (or a penny of royalties) but when the process is such fun, who cares?

Now I'm off to read the other versions of 'my' chapter. (Does anyone else do this?)

I’m reading the other versions of ‘my’ chapter to see how it should be done!

NIAD is a sort of Master Class in how to write a novel.


Overall, this provided a welcome diversion during these troublesome times and I thank @pigfender for organising this event and for his encouragement and help.

[gr]

Have finished reading all the alternates to my chapter. Feeling like I fared okay. Four of the six variants (including mine) solved the narrative challenge of the chapter by splitting time between an invented police officer and Roberta ("That's Speaker of the House Miguel, to you!"). The remaining ones made Roberta the sole protagonist of the chapter and found ways to cover narratively what was supposed to be going on in the city and the police.

Still, even in the cognate chapters there is quite a variety in how each variant imagines the (apocalyptic) state of things. So, I am really curious to know how this all plays out with the other chapters.

Still in suspense about the overall plot.

[BethCutter]

I've finished reading all the versions of Chapter 7, and I think we all did darn good versions.

It was interesting to see where some of us hit on the same notes, and in contrast all the unique tweaks. I fussed over lack of medicines and birth control. Someone else took care of all the zoo animals.

Pretty much the theme of the chapter was the food supply, but even there.... I mean, I was a bit worried people would hate that I killed off all the pet dogs and cats, but it never even occurred to me that they could have served as a food resource.

Oh, meant to mention: only one chapter has eight versions, and one has only three, and most have five or six. But I think at the start there were enough names for eight copies of each chapter and seven for just one. Does that mean there were THAT many people who dropped out at the last minute? Has that happened with each NIAD? Sadly, I was a drop out one year, totally spaced it was even happening until just five or so hours before deadline for submissions so I'm not throwing stones. Just....it must be frustrating for Pigfender to have to sit around, waiting and waiting for the Great Pumpkin to show each year.

[gr]

I think there can’t be any chapter with eight versions, since there are only seven versions of the book! Or there is a secret Gold Edition I am not privy to??

I think the count went from 81 to 72 before all was said and done. The sign-on was a record high, so it makes sense the fallback in absolute terms would be greater. I just hope that no one had to stand down because they became ill.

-gr

P.S. Have started to read around in the full book and just got the Pigfender chapter — a rare treat! This is good stuff — great character stuff here. I think we definitely need more of that content in these NIADs going forward — for every niad a chrome ‘Fender. We should be satisfied with no less!!

[JacquelineM]

I think there can’t be any chapter with eight versions, since there are only seven versions of the book! Or there is a secret Gold Edition I am not privy to??

I think the count went from 81 to 72 before all was said and done. The sign-on was a record high, so it makes sense the fallback in absolute terms would be greater. I just hope that no one had to stand down because they became ill.

-gr

There were definitely 83 of us on the list when registration closed on Friday.
I know because I didn’t register until Thursday. I deliberately didn’t commit until late because of worries about the pandemic, and I’d rather not join than have to cancel and let people down.

There was one year when I cancelled quite early on (I think it was 2017) because I would be going abroad just before NIAD. As it turned out, it was lucky I did as I had the flu on the day!

But if there were 72 of us, which is enough for exactly 6 books, why are there 7?
A select group of obviously talented writers are in 2 books!

[gr]

But if there were 72 of us, which is enough for exactly 6 books, why are there 7?
A select group of obviously talented writers are in 2 books!

Because there were, as we noted, more than that at the starting gate - enough that seven books was the right number to plan for. But once you distribute the Brief for chapter N to as many as seven people, then if all those people come through, you are right there committed to doing seven books, come what may.

[JacquelineM]

But if there were 72 of us, which is enough for exactly 6 books, why are there 7?
A select group of obviously talented writers are in 2 books!

Because there were, as we noted, more than that at the starting gate - enough that seven books was the right number to plan for. But once you distribute the Brief for chapter N to as many as seven people, then if all those people come through, you are right there committed to doing seven books, come what may.

Hi gr,

Thank you for clarifying that. I understand now - you’re saying that 11 people didn’t submit their chapter on the actual day.

Well, we can’t be too hard on them, not with what’s going on re the Corona virus at the moment. Here, in the Uk, we’re all shocked that our Prime Minister is seriously ill in hospital and in intensive care.

It’s amazing that 72 of us collaborated to write 7 books in just one day!

[pigfender]

I do a Skype video chat with my 13-year-old grandson most days. On Saturday I showed him our brief and chatted to him about the NOVEL IN A DAY.
I suggested that whilst he is in 'lockdown' he could also write a novel, and we could check up each other's writing each day to see how things were progressing.
He has had a very hard year with being bullied at school and was seriously depressed. The past two days he has begun writing and drawing again. My daughter said he was even smiling and enthusiastic about things, something they haven't seen in months.
There is much power in the written word - not only for the one who reads.

Thanks, Piggy for letting me be part of the Novel in a Day.

Bron, thank you for sharing this story! So sad to hear your grandson has had a hard year -- especially at that age when a year can feel practically the same as a lifetime. Great to hear that he's been smiling. If we've been even a small part of that then that's amazing. Keep us posted on how both of your efforts are progressing!

OMG no more champagne that took me a while but have it up there now:) thanks guys

Haha! Happy Anniversary, homeport!

Now I'm off to read the other versions of 'my' chapter. (Does anyone else do this?)

Absolutely! I can't help but get a bit of a mental image of what I'd put into each of the chapters as I work up the briefs each year, and I'm always fascinated and impressed by the directions that people take them in that would never have occured to me with the lifespan of an infinite monkey! This year -- for the first time! -- I was actually able to do it with a chapter I'd actually written! Such an eye opening perspective.

(PS - Typos? Check! Wrong name for characters? Check! Cheesy writing I'm slightly embarassed by? Check! That's the day-after-NiaD experience I remember from back in 2013 when I last took part!)

I understand now - you’re saying that 11 people didn’t submit their chapter on the actual day.
Well, we can’t be too hard on them, not with what’s going on re the Corona virus at the moment.

Indeed - several people had to drop out at various points for a variey of reasons, and that's understandable given that real life occasionally happens, and of course this was a very last minute NiaD in very unsual times. As always, early notification (or indeed, notification at all) that I shouldn't wait for a submission keeps people on the 'nice list'!

[JacquelineM]

@pigfender

OMG!

I’ve just realised who you are!

When I read chapter 1 in the Red book on Sunday morning I thought,
“Wow! This is extremely well written. This talented writer certainly knows a lot about the plot, and it ties in remarkably well with the information Rog sent me, and which I info-dumped into chapter 2.”

But then I read @gr’s and your recent posts, and noticed the new 9 1/2 latte cup on your signature...

So, well done, Sir. I think you should always write a chapter for NIAD - a bit like Alfred Hitchcock putting in a cameo performance in his films.

[gr]

(PS - Typos? Check! Wrong name for characters? Check! Cheesy writing I'm slightly embarassed by? Check! That's the day-after-NiaD experience I remember from back in 2013 when I last took part!)

That NiaD experience which we have all come to know and inexplicably love. The above remark alone would convince me that we should insist on pigfender chapters every year! The suffering! The glory! The shame! The glory! Nobody should miss that.

[gr]

So, well done, Sir. I think you should always write a chapter for NIAD - a bit like Alfred Hitchcock putting in a cameo performance in his films.

Or he could Hitchcock a paragraph in every chapter.

[Camy]

So, well done, Sir. I think you should always write a chapter for NIAD - a bit like Alfred Hitchcock putting in a cameo performance in his films.

Or he could Hitchcock a paragraph in every chapter.

That's a dangerous idea, I much like.

[pigfender]

It was a SPECIAL EDITION! I only take part in special editions with fancy award mugs now!

I stand by my traditional message on this issue, which is that I wouldn't wish organising a NiaD on anyone, I certainly wouldn't recommend they do it in only two weeks during their busiest ever period at work and submitting a chapter whilst dealing with the largest ever number of participants, 40% of whom were taking part for the first time. I think the odds of seeing another pigfender chapter are very slim indeed!

Luckily, I am very well stocked up on coffee and tea (thanks to some of you lovely people!) and that has kept the creative energies flowing when more traditional reserves would have faltered!

[CeramicFairy]

@pigfender

OMG!

I’ve just realised who you are!

When I read chapter 1 in the Red book on Sunday morning I thought,
“Wow! This is extremely well written. This talented writer certainly knows a lot about the plot, and it ties in remarkably well with the information Rog sent me, and which I info-dumped into chapter 2.”

But then I read @gr’s and your recent posts, and noticed the new 9 1/2 latte cup on your signature...

So, well done, Sir. I think you should always write a chapter for NIAD - a bit like Alfred Hitchcock putting in a cameo performance in his films.

Haha, I also thought Chapter one was pretty awesome in Red and also hadn't made the connection - a nice act for us two to follow! Gotta say I also loved the opening chapter in Green too... We are rubbing writing with some high-calibre for sure!