NaNo Prep: Writing Rules III - Return of WriMo

NaNoWriMo is merely three days away, and in the spirit of preparation I revamped my Writing Rules again.  This time when I went back to review them I realized that they were a hodgepodge of thoughts with no form.  So I organized them and revamped them and added some new content.  As always I am open to suggestion if you see something wrong or something that needs clarified or plain just doesn't make sense.

This is kind of long and I have it posted as it's own page here.

A few years back a friend of mine asked if I could pass along some of what I’ve learned over the past couple of years about trying to write a book.  I’ve tried to distill that info here.

I am focused on novel writing, so all of these ideas may not apply to poetry writing or something other than Novels or Novellas.  Please feel free to add in some comments that will help refine this.  This is all from the perspective of a novice unpublished writer, but I have done my homework, and learned a few things along the way.  These so called “rules” are merely guidelines.  There are no hard and fast rules.

Next Big Thing Tag

NaNo Prep: The Next Big Thing.  Janice Hardy tagged Jami Gold, who tagged me.   I’m honored that she picked me and I’m going to do my best to answer:

Ten Interview Questions for the Next Big Thing:

Quoting Jami:

As NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month—write a 50K word novel during November) is all about writing “the next big thing,” I decided this would be a fun tagging game to play.

So have I.

What is your working title of your book?  

Clear Ether.  This is the2nd title I’ve used for it, but I think it works.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

This is my first novel length work, and I had a couple of idea kernels that I ended up mashing together, (those make the best stories don’t they?) one being about a vampire and the other circling loosely around my experiences sitting alert as a military pilot.  It made at least half a dozen major morphs before it emerged into what it is now.

1978 – 8-tracks and Moon Shoes

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 15th installment. 

In 1978 the Dow closes at 805
Inflation was at 7.62%
Average cost of a new house: $54,800
Average income: $17,000
Gasoline: $0.63 a gallon
Movie ticket: $1.50

The Hugo is won by Frederik Pohl for Gateway.
The Campbell Award Orson Scott Card for best new SF Writer.

Worst year for fashion ever!  Leisure Suits, Silk shirts, open collars, gold chains, moon shoes.  Disco is sweeping the world.

The Galaxy 2000 is opened in South Charleston.  It’s a dance club with lighted floor just like Saturday Night Fever.  The Bee Gees tear up Billboard and I actually notice.  I like their music.  It will be years before I start liking heavier stuff.  It will be a few years before I set foot in the place and by then the Disco craze is past.

1977 - Star Wars Impact

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 14th installment. 

In 1977 the Dow closes at 831
Inflation was at 6.5%
Average cost of a new house: $49,300
Average income: $15,000, this is the 1^st year it’s gone down in a very long time
Gasoline: $0.65 a gallon
Movie ticket: $1.50

C.J. Cherryh wins the Campbell for best new SF writer.

President Carter pardons draft evaders.

Radio Shack releases the TRS-80.  I managed to get my hands on one years later.  Two months later the Apple II goes on sale.

Star Wars is released in May.

Elvis does his last concert in Indianapolis June 26^th. Elvis dies at Graceland at the age of 42.

Voyager 1 launches.

1976 - Life Changing Events

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 13th installment. 

In 1976 the Dow closes at 1004
Inflation was at 5.75%
Average cost of a new house: $43,400
Average income: $16,000
Gasoline: $0.59 a gallon, back up fifteen cents
Movie ticket: $1.50

Hugo for best SF Novel goes to Joe Haldeman for The Forever War

My sixth grade class goes to Washington DC, via bus for our Patrol trip.  This marks the first time I am away from home by myself for any length of time.  It is an inspiring trip to the Nation’s Capital and we see all the memorials, the Capitol building, Monticello and the Smithsonian.

1975 - Beaches and Baseball

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 12th installment. 

In 1975 the Dow closes at 858  
Inflation was at 9.2%, it has doubled in consecutive years
Average cost of a new house: $39,300
Average income: $14,100
Gasoline: $0.44 a gallon
Movie ticket: $1.50

Hugo for best SF Novel goes to Ursula K. Le Guin for The Dispossessed.

Fran Tarkington and my Vikings lost the Super Bowl to Pittsburg.  I could have named almost the entire roster for Minnesota back then.

Microsoft is created by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.  The first microcomputer, the Altair 8800 is released.  The Cray-1, world’s first super-computer is commercially developed.

1974 – Paddles and a New Course

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 11th installment. 

In 1974 the Dow closes at 616  
Inflation was at 11.3%, it has doubled in consecutive years
Average cost of a new house: $34,900
Average income: $13,900
Gasoline: $0.55 a gallon, back up fifteen cents
Movie ticket: $1.50

Hugo for best SF Novel goes to Arthur C. Clarke for Rendezvous with Rama.

The Loch Ness Monster is photographed.

Six Million Dollar Man premieres.  I remember watching this every week with my Dad and brother.  The Rockford Files also started this year, and it was one of the few shows I ever remember my Dad saying he liked.

1973 - Baseball and Music

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 10th installment. 

In 1973 the Dow closes at 850 
Inflation was at 6.16%
Average cost of a new house: $32,500
Average income: $12,900
Gasoline: $0.40 a gallon, back down fifteen cents
Movie ticket: $1.50

Hugo for best SF Novel goes to Isaac Asimov for The Gods Themselves.

Schoolhouse Rock appears, loved those little vignettes.

Watergate trial begins.

Offensive action against North Vietnam is suspended.

The first Designated Hitter is signed by the Red Sox.  Boo!

First Kiss concert.

1972 – PONG is Released, Sealing my Doom

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 9th installment. 

In 1972 the Dow closes at 1020, 1^st time over 1000  
Inflation was at 3.27%
Average cost of a new house: $27,550
Average income: $11,800
Gasoline: $0.55 a gallon, up fifteen cents, 3 times larger increase than last year
Movie ticket: $1.50

The Hugo for best SF Novel goes to Philip José Farmer for To Your Scattered Bodies Go. 

Nixon orders up the Space Shuttle Program.

Bloody Sunday happens in Northern Ireland. 14 unarmed protesters killed by the British Army.  The British Embassy in Dublin is burned to the ground in retaliation, along with several businesses.

1971 - The Beginning of the End

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 8th installment. 

In 1971 the Dow closes at 890

Inflation was at 4.3%

Average cost of a new house: $25,250, up $10k and now $18k in two years

Average income: $10,600

Gasoline: $0.40 a gallon, up a nickel, 5 times larger than any previous year

Movie ticket: $1.50, at least this hasn’t changed

The Hugo for best Novel goes to Larry Niven for Ringworld.

Swiss women get the vote.

1970 - Year of the Muscle Car and Bellbottom pants

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 7th installment. 

In 1970 the Dow continues to drop all the way down to 631 but climbs back up to close at 838 by year end.

Inflation was at 5.84%

Average cost of a new house: $23,450 up almost $8k from last year

Average income: $9400

Gasoline: $0.36 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.50

Voting age is lowered from 21 to 18.

The Isle of Wight Festival takes place with over 600,000 people attending and every big name in Rock plays.  Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix both die of drug overdoses shortly after that.  Bell bottom pants are becoming the rage.

Black Sabbath releases their debut album, right alongside of the Jackson 5.  Could two albums be any more different?

1969 – A Summer to Remember

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 6th installment.  

In 1969 the Dow closes at 800, way down.

Inflation was at 5.46%

Average cost of a new house: $15,550

Average income: $8550

Gasoline: $0.35 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.50

Federal Debt $365.8 Billion, it actually went down.

Vietnam is still going and the funny thing is we instituted a draft this year at the same time start drawing down troops.  Although, I‘m sure it’s not funny to the thousands of young men that were now about to be involuntarily selected to go fight a war they cared nothing about. 

1968 – Wars, Assassinations, an Election and a Bike

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 5th installment.  Today is my birthday, so be gentle.

In 1968 the Dow closes at 943

Inflation was at 4.27%

Average cost of a new house: $14,950

Average income: $7850

Gasoline: $0.34 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.50

Federal Debt $368.7 Billion

1968 is a very turbulent year.  Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy are assassinated, and the Tet Offensive begins in Vietnam, effectively turning the tide in favor of the North.

Hazy Memories of 1967

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 4th installment.  BTW, Falling For Fiction is critiquing my Pitch for Clear Ether over on their website today if you want to take a peak.

In 1967 the Dow closes at 905

Inflation was at 2.78%

Average cost of a new house: $14,250

Average income: $7300

Gasoline: $0.33 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.25

Rolling Stone magazine is first published.

Six Day War, Egypt attacks Israel.  Israel defeats Egypt and gains more territory.

Interracial Marriage declared constitutional.  Despite this, Love is a Many Splendored Thing debuts as a daytime Soap, the first to include interracial marriage, but CBS censors find it too controversial.

Blog Challenge - 1966

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  This is the 3^rd installment.

1966

In 1966 the Dow hit a high of 995 but closes at 785

Inflation was at 3.01%

Average cost of a new house: $14,200

Average income: $6900

Gasoline: $0.32 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.25

I’m two and I have a little brother now that is one.  This year is marked by increasing troop numbers in Vietnam and increasing protests across the country.

Rock’em Sock’em Robots are introduced.  I didn’t get one just yet, but I would eventually.  Great toy!

Soviets crash a rocket into Venus and have the first soft landing on the moon, unmanned.

1965 - I turn one

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life. This is year two.

In 1965 the Dow closed the year at 969

Inflation was at 1.59%

Average cost of a new house: $13,600

Average income: $6450

Gasoline: $0.31 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.25

The Voting Rights Act becomes law, guaranteeing African-Americans the right to vote.

World’s 1st Skateboard Championship was held in California.  They just became a fad in 1950s and actually 1965 marks a low point in skateboarding, but even so, the 1^st championships were held and even televised on ABC.  It wasn’t until the early 70s that I finally got one of these, costing several layers of skin.

1964 Birth of a Novelist

Jane Ann McLachlan had this great idea for a blog challenge for the month of October to do one day for each of the first 25 years of your life.  So here we go, this will be a tough challenge for me, I am normally lucky to do 25 blog entries in 6 months.  October is my birth month, so it seems fitting.  So here we go!

1964

In 1964 the Dow closed the year at 874

Inflation was at 1.28%

Average cost of a new house: $13,050

Average income: $6000

Gasoline: $0.30 a gallon

Movie ticket: $1.25

Some cool things were born that year along with me, like the Ford Mustang.  I’ve always loved the Mustang.  I almost bought one this year.  I was on a Ford lot just this week and they just got a new Shelby GT convertible in Gotta Have it Green, and I about died.   It’s out of my price range but one can dream.  Ford is actually running a cool program where you customize a mustang and possibly win it. Mustang Customizer