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Post by Fam 1741 on Nov 1, 2010 1:50:29 GMT -5
I haven't even posted on NTWF for months... but I decided to come back for my first attempt at NaNoWriMo!  Not too sure if anyone even remembers me anymore...  About my novel: Working title: The Color of Murderous Intent Genre: Magical Realism Plot: Pretty shallow, but hey, it's my first try. A high school freshman falls in love with the school ghost. I'm not too sure how much spoiler people usually give on these boards though - anyone wanna help me out here? Characters: William: novel's protagonist, a nervous, insecure high school freshman who is reserved, but eager to explore the new world he's been thrust into. Madison: William's little sister, she has a knack for understanding people and knows William the best out of anyone. Chance: William's best friend Medea: the school's ghost, who, for some reason, is staying in the living world. The novel is going to be told in a different perspective each chapter; each main character is going to have at least one chapter to himself, though William is going to have the most. I have a skeleton for the plot, though I'm not too sure how many words it will turn out to be. I'm aiming for at least 30000 words, and if I get 50000, it'll be extremely exciting for me!! |
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Post by Rikku on Nov 1, 2010 2:04:00 GMT -5
^_^! I love this title. This is an intriguing title.
And ... magical realism? =D I love all these little subgenres we have now! What's the definition for that? How's it different from, say, urban fantasy? Fewer differences from our world?
Anyway, 's great that you're trying this. ^_^ Especially if it's your first time. And I hope things go well for you.
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Post by Fam 1741 on Nov 1, 2010 2:32:42 GMT -5
Actually, I think it is an urban fantasy -_-;; I'm not too sure of the difference myself... *gets started writing* It's midnight!  |
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Post by Zylaa on Nov 1, 2010 8:31:51 GMT -5
Magical Realism, I think, is more "real world with shades of magical happenings" as opposed to "Our world, but magic!" Magical realism can also happen anywhere, as opposed to Urban Fantasy. XD
Anyway, I also love the title. (And the <3.14159 in your name. Epic win. XD) People can spoil as much or as little as they want on these threads, it's whatever you want to share of your novel-writing.
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Post by Fam 1741 on Nov 1, 2010 22:02:05 GMT -5
Magical Realism, I think, is more "real world with shades of magical happenings" as opposed to "Our world, but magic!" Magical realism can also happen anywhere, as opposed to Urban Fantasy. XD Anyway, I also love the title. (And the <3.14159 in your name. Epic win. XD) People can spoil as much or as little as they want on these threads, it's whatever you want to share of your novel-writing. Oh, I see. The <3 was from way back when almost every name was flooded with <3s xD |
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Post by Fam 1741 on Nov 1, 2010 22:05:07 GMT -5
I've just been doing introduction of setting - a typical, suburban town in southern California, not that close to the desert but close enough to be burning. I've introduced the basic character relationship between William and Madison; he has somewhat of an inferiority complex when it comes to his little sister, undermining the big brother trope, it's something that I definitely want ot explore later on. I should start reading and commenting on other threads :3 Might keep me motivated |
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Post by Amneiger on Nov 1, 2010 23:00:21 GMT -5
If it helps, I recently read One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I've heard is a defining work of magical realism, and the author said that the style came from listening to his grandmother tell stories where she would just talk about normal things and then drop in something totally bizarre, but keep talking about it like it was a totally normal thing. So the novel has things like gypsies selling old European navigational equipment in a Mexican village (even though as far as I know there are no gypsies in Mexico), a character who started 32 wars and lost them all, and a girl who one day just floats off into the sky, and they're all just kind of treated as normal. xD
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Post by Fam 1741 on Nov 1, 2010 23:24:42 GMT -5
I'm really happy with the format that I chose - first person view whose perspective changes between chapters - because I can really portray different people from many different angles. It was really hard to get to know William while he was narrating, and the different aspects of portrayal really round out my characters.
Word count update: 1741
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Post by Fam 1741 on Nov 1, 2010 23:25:48 GMT -5
If it helps, I recently read One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I've heard is a defining work of magical realism, and the author said that the style came from listening to his grandmother tell stories where she would just talk about normal things and then drop in something totally bizarre, but keep talking about it like it was a totally normal thing. So the novel has things like gypsies selling old European navigational equipment in a Mexican village (even though as far as I know there are no gypsies in Mexico), a character who started 32 wars and lost them all, and a girl who one day just floats off into the sky, and they're all just kind of treated as normal. xD  Okay, I think mine's definitely urban fantasy then - it's a tale of a boy and his encounter with the school ghost Edit because I don't want to keep posting: Style: My style is extremely, extremely, blunt. Almost no ornate language or fancy figurative languages, which will definitely be a hinderance towards delivering meaning, but I feel that it sounds more real, since it's a high school freshman narrating. Tense: I'm flipping back and forth between tense. It's the only way that it makes sense to me. It's like a diary entry: "Today, I met this girl. She is so cute!" Even though the tenses flipped, it's how people naturally write, and it kinda makes sense I suppose. |
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Post by M is for Morphine on Nov 2, 2010 5:58:41 GMT -5
she would just talk about normal things and then drop in something totally bizarre, but keep talking about it like it was a totally normal thing. This is generally accepted as the definition of magical realism. XD I think your story could count. There's a book called 'The Vintner's Luck' where a guy falls in love with an angel, and a lot of people consider that magical realism. (I haven't read it, but I remember someone here on this board has and could probably tell you more) Other books like 'Everything is Illuminated' and 'The Satanic Verses' count, plus they are awesome, so when you're done and need something to do in December you can read them and decide if your book belongs on the same shelf as them. Or if it belongs on the same shelf as The Dresden Files. Either would be good company, so I don't think it's anything to worry about. |
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Okay, I think mine's definitely urban fantasy then - it's a tale of a boy and his encounter with the school ghost 
