Anne's GothNoYriYe 2011-2012

[annieofwessex]

Hello, everybody! Had to steal Daemora's idea because it was ingenious! Sorry for the uncreative name, I'm about two days behind in NaNo so I'm speed-procrastinating! XD
When (but more likely if) I get some free-time this month, I'll post some more about my stories. I promise my future posts will be more entertaining . When I do, I'd love some honest feedback.
*holds champagne glass in the air* To GothNoWriYe, my friends! *parents take champagne away*

[daemora]

*Gives a glass of sparkling grape juice* To GothNoWriYe!
Yeah, I'm behind, a little, too. I've been doing some good catching up today though! *air punch*

I can't wait to hear more about your stories, Anne!

[marielaurent2223]

Hi Anne I cannot wait to hear about your stories when you talk about them soon. I am looking forward to more updates from your progress thread and good luck on planning your novel and writing it when December comes. Yeah *cheers* for GothNoWriYe.

[annieofwessex]

@ daemora; thanks! I ♥ sparkling grape juice.
@marie; Thanks!

So far, I know what I'm writing for three of the 12 months of GothNoWriYe Plus I've got some plot bunnies hopping around...
One of the stories that I know I'm doing is called 'Death Sucks', it's my PoMoNoWriMo story. My main character, Flo, gets hit by a car and goes to the Underworld, but ends up in the Underworld designated for people who died between 1920-1925 in New York (she doesn't know this until later). That particular Underworld is plagued by a manager who forces the inhabitants of the Underworld into awful conditions (the Underworld has high walls all around it, and there are only two ways out, the front gate and Judgement Way. When you try to climb the walls, they just go on forever. The front gate lets in a trolley car that brings with it 'New Arrivals' and things that the dead don't need but want, such as clothes, food, and esp. alcohol. When the Manager came into power, he suddenly stopped letting the regular dead folk get their luxuries. He gives everybody the same amount of rationed food every day and shoves those who disagree with him down Judgement Way. Judgement Way is a one way trolley car that goes out of the city; once you take it, you can't come back. Nobody knows where it goes.) Flo ends up joining a bunch of undead, un-Italian Mafiosos to try to combat the Manager. Said Mafiosos include the 'Boss', Ira, his younger brother the Consigliere, Zeke, and a mutual friend who serves as the 'Underboss' named Blanche. (none of the characters reveal their full names or the way that they died except Blanche, though vaguely. Blanche tells Flo she fell off a stool and broke her neck, which sort of explains the red scar on her neck. When Flo talks to Zeke, Zeke tells her that only suicides remember the way that they died.) The story starts out rather light-hearted and comedic, but darkens considerably towards the end as some of the characters' backgrounds come out, and true intentions are revealed. Basically, the story is analysing the human heart and how one discerns right from wrong and true evil from a mistake. At the end of the story, Flo climbs the wall successfully and goes to the other side. She ends up falling onto the floor of a creepy, Escher-like office to see that the Underworld city she was in is just a diorama. The Manager tries to force her back into the diorama, but the diorama won't let her in, so he forces her soul back into her body and leaves her with a challenge: find out your friends' real names and their causes of death, and I'll give you 'something special'. The story ends with Flo waking up in the hospital fifteen minutes after the doctors pronounced her dead. Then comes the sequel.
So, how does it sound to all of you? Cliche? Boring? Too many puns? Feedback makes me happy, so please do so.

[daemora]

I think it sounds really cool! I've never read a story like that before, and I'm already interested! I can't wait to read it!

[marielaurent2223]

I agree with Daemora Anne, i think it does sound really cool, interesting, and it will be awesome to read. I cannot wait till you write it so i can be able to read it soon Anne.

[wolfyone]

Anne, I stand in amazement. What a great idea. I LOVE it! It sounds like it will be as much fun to write as it will be to read! And you came up with this great idea while working on NaNo! My hat is off to you!

[annieofwessex]

wolfyone I'm flattered, thank you! Writing by hand seems to be sparking some quite wonderful ideas, although I've had 'Death Sucks' since this summer (my older sister as talking about martinis while we were watching 'The Godfather', somehow I came up with the idea).
~
As for the idea that came to me yesterday: Romantic poet zombies. My zombies would, of course, be more like Undeads than zombies, but hey. What do you think?

[marielaurent2223]

I think that is a great idea Anne. Maybe you should try it and see how it works out for you.

[wolfyone]

I love your poetic zombie idea Anne. How sad is that, some creepy looking character who can't find a date because his flesh is falling off, but has a poet's soul. Fabulous! Can't wait to hear more about it!

[annieofwessex]

@ Marie + wolfyone: Thanks! The idea just won't leave me alone; I think it may have to be my first GothNo novel (12 days until we write!). I've decided I want it to be a mix between Cyrano de Bergerac and Cinderella Skeleton (a favourite childhood spin on Cinderella, except everyone's a skeleton). Basically, an undead boy with a nubile penchant for poetry falls in love w/ a 'Breather'. Against the wishes of his other undead guardians, like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, he tries to learn more about her by sneaking out of the cemetery. He also sends her anonymous love poems, which she assumes are from another 'Breather' boy. The {dead} boy eventually asks a dead witch to help him take on a living appearance so he can meet her without disgusting her. The witch agrees, but warns him of using the spell too frequently and for too long: the more he uses it, the faster his body decomposes until he turns into nothingness. I know I want a Masquerade Ball in it, but I don't think my dead poet and the 'Breather' will end up together. I think I want this story to be less about romance and more about self-respect and self-worth. Oh, and poetry. Hopefully I can keep myself on my best behaviour and not bash e.e cummings or exalt Wordsworth, Longfellow, Keats, and Gerard Manley Hopkins too much. I have a tendency to hate on e.e cummings whenever possible (it's a long story).
Anyway, that's my idea. Obviously it's still in it's infancy (considering I came up with all of this in the past two hours). Are there any parts that seem 'too' cliché or overdone? Also (this question is REALLY important) do you think the idea is a little too creepy for kids? For some reason I see the story as being a children's storybook, but I'm worried if the rotting flesh aspect might be too upsetting. Thoughts? My brain is hungry.

[wolfyone]

Kids are pretty tough these days, so I don't know that they would be grossed out by the rotting flesh thing. If it was for really young kids, a picture book, then the creepiness could be controlled by how graphic the drawings were. For older kids I don't see that being an issue at all. They see all sorts of awful stuff on the news and TV. I also, on principal do not believe in censoring creativity. You tell your story. If you are comfortable with it then it's all good. This is your vision. You can't worry about the audience. I like the idea of it being about self respect and self worth. That rings true because I think it would be hard to write it with a happy ending as a romance and if you're feeling it as something aimed at kids there should be something that redeems it at the end, some win at the end that doesn't revolve around getting the girl.

[annieofwessex]

wolfyone Thanks for the feedback! I agree; kids do see worse on TV (Yo Gabba Gabba is traumatizing and it's directed at toddlers!) It would be rather difficult to write a happy ending if it was more about romance; besides, there aren't enough stories where the main characters gets what they deserve. I grew up with some 'old fashioned' stories, where the the main character strived for a goal. If they were good, they achieved it. If they were bad, they didn't. Nowadays (God, do I feel old typing that) the main character may or may not get what they deserve. Good characters can get punished or get a crappy happy ending, & morally ambiguous characters can get rewarded for nothing. While it is more realistic, I believe it sends the wrong message and makes for an emotionally flat story.
I'm going to brainstorm today like there's no tomorrow; hopefully I'll have some notes to post this evening.

[wolfyone]

Good luck with the plotting and planning. I have been getting nothing done, worked a lot of overtime and trying to catch up on sleep. So to bed soon and hopefully get some writing done tomorrow. I want to finish An Unholy Alliance so I can start a new novel in December.

[annieofwessex]

@ wolfyone; Good luck with finishing 'An Unholy Alliance'! Even if you don't finish though, you have a lot to be proud of: you finished NaNoWriMo in a week and worked overtime! We're all rooting for you!
~~~

Well, this might be a rather long post, but I'm excited. Though it has nothing to do with GothNo, I wrote over 4,000 words yesterday AND cooked Thanksgiving dinner almost all by myself (my Dad peeled and mashed the potatoes). I even made my first apple pie all from scratch. Of course, I also ate way more dressing than I should have (curse you, seasoned breadcrumbs! curse you~). I'm still all giddy from yesterday, so I'm hoping to write the last 4,000 and get completely caught up today in time to string the cranberries for the Christmas tree. Needless to say, I'm pumped up!!!
I think I've also decided to write a different story for December. Rather than my poetic zombie idea (which I will write in January or February), I wanted to write a dark fairy tale based upon Jack Frost. It's going to have a great deal with one of my favourite countries of all time: Russia.
I'll post some notes later. Good luck to everyone!