"...That's what NaNo is? You've got to be kidding me!" I nearly shrieked. Fake black strands of hair fell in my face, as my mouth fell open in shock. My cat ears fell off my head, but I didn't even notice until they hit the floor. I knew that this crazy once a year thing was something I was destined to do, from the minute I found out what it was. 1
"Are you ok?" Simon, the guy I was talking to at the otherwise rather dull Halloween party, asked. He was dressed as a super-intelligent shade of the colour blue. He had blue jeans, a blue sweater, and blue hair spray. I thought it was rather clever. Lazy, but clever. I, in tradition, have been going as a black cat probably since I was 6 or 7 years old. This year a close friend of mine decided to host a Halloween party and, being a good friend, I agreed to go. Needless to say, I think there were about 6 of us left. My friend, the two of us, and a few other people passed out in random locations. Simon and I had found each other in opposite corners, each mourning the time we wasted here. 2
He had complained that he could be using the time to prepare for NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. I had heard of it before, but had no idea what it was about. According to Simon, it's craziest month of the year. Writers from everywhere attempt a novel in 30 days. Sounds impossible. 3
Simon picked up the cat ears and carefully put them back on my head. I then phased back into the present time. "Yes, I'm fine. Just freaking out I guess. What time is it?"4
Simon looked down at his watch. "Four minutes til midnight." 5
"...You're kidding! Sorry, I've gotta go!" I rushed away, mumbling something about developing a plot in 2 seconds. I yelled a bye to my friend, but she seemed too depressed and/or drunk to notice. I ran to my car. Only ten minutes until I was home... 6
When I did get home, I flipped on all the lights and grabbed Segen, my faithful laptop. The screen flickered to life and I instantly opened my favourite writing program, Q10. And sat there staring at the blank, black screen. Nothing was coming to me. I sighed, brushing away yet another stray hair. The black spray stuff was really weighing down my normally light and bouncy hair, making it fall into my face. I guess a shower wouldn't hurt. I mean, it was already 20 minutes into November 1st. What have I got to lose by taking another 20 minutes?7
I made my way to the bathroom, stripping along the way. About 10 minutes into the shower, as I was rinsing out shampoo, an idea hit me. I jumped out of the shower, grabbed a towel, and ran to Segen. I quickly typed out the idea, then went back to finish my shower. 15 minutes later found me dressed in pajamas with a mug of coffee, sitting in front of Segen. I just started typing. At the moment, the details didn't matter. Just the words. 8
Sometime later that day my cell phones insistent vibrating woke me up. I reached for it in the semi-darkness. 9
"'ello?" I mumbled. 10
"Hey! Abby?" 11
"Yesh? Who's this?" I asked, still confused. 12
"Simon, from yesterday."13
"Oh. Oh! Good morning! How'd you get my number?" I couldn't help but smile. This was definitely going to be a good day.14
"Actually, it's 2 PM. I asked your friend for your number, since I didn't have time to ask you! Where did you run off to?"15
"I went home. Nano called! I got about five thousand words out."16
"Hey, that's fantastic. Do you want to go to a write in with me? I'll treat you to coffee." 17
I smiled. "That'd be wonderful. You can help me think of details for my barely alive plot."18
"No problem. It's at the city library. I'll see you there in an hour?"19
"Sounds great." And so began my nano novel.
Author notes
Well, this sounds a lot like me two years ago! I get a lot major story ideas while in the shower. (Don't ask, its really relaxing.) Plus, I didn't even know about NaNo til like... what, 2 days into november? Well, I had fun with this.
In a list
A contest entry
- Four Minute Warning! by Springs.
410 points, ended November 21, 2008, 9 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next story in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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Hehe... I think we've all had those moments when the sudden urge strikes to write! And I don't know about anyone else, but I too think up a bunch of ideas in the shower, probably the only quiet time I have. Good work!
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Ahaha, good job. It's definitely a good idea, and even more believable. You show how dedicated you are by ditching your shower for an idea. Myself, I would develop my ideas a little bit in the shower before writing it down, but whatever works for you
Good job. Good luck in the contest. -
This is like... uber amazing sis.
I'm off to read Chapter 1.
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That's awesome! I am a huge fan. this would be a really ironic nano novel =P
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I always thought NaNo was what Mork used to say to Mindy, until me writing group forced everyone to write a book in a month. I had just finished a novel the week before that took me six months. Having no morals, I pretended I wrote it in November.
Don't tell.
Lovely story- good luck
JJ
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You've got to be kidding me??? NaNoWriMo is attempting to write a novel in thirty days???? I guess we really do learn something new everyday. Had I not clicked this I would have always been wondering why almost all of SW are into NaNoWriMo(Thought it was new anime or something, seriously). Well I must now grow out of my tiny shell and attempt this task...First time for everything. Thanks for the fill in, I feel like the girl in the story only difference is, I've a couple of days lol
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Hey... I used to think that NaNoWriMo was an anime as well. >.> Then I finally asked what it was and the light dawned. xD
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At least I wasn't alone in thinking so.
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Hehehe.
Cute. Sounds like me on the first NaNo I did. I didn't start till second day, only just found out about it, and a plot ending screamed to be written. And wham, I was a writer. xD
Anyway, onto the story.
The only thing that really stood out at me was she went from no thought/mention of doing it to starting. I know she did do that, but it seemed a bit random. I think a line the paragraph (or sometime) before about her thinking, 'Hmm, maybe I'll do NaNo...' sort of thing.
I can't say I picked up on anything else, not that that means much with me.
Good work.
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