how to write a novel - 3. the wanderers

br> by bofa xesjum

part 3 0f ?

for previous episode, click here

to begin at the beginning, click here

he was a strange man, lost in an empty land. the land had once been the site of a great empire. but he could not remember anything else. harsh. he could remember the word harsh. the emperor was harsh - emperor harsh vii. and his own name was - his own name was - i can do this, he thought, i can remember my name - 2188 - twenty-one - eighty-eight! mightiest of warriors! but - did i destroy the empire., or did the empire destroy me? just then he saw a figure approaching on the horizon. so at least i am not alone. do you fear being alone, mighty warrior? i fear nothing. i am happy to hear that. and i am happy to hear your voice again, the figure became more distinct. a lone figure, walking on two feet. another warrior? * he was an ordinary man, lost in an ordinary world. suddenly the ordinary world vanished, and he was walking down a road in the middle of nowhere. his name was - or had been - siddhartha oarkhayyam. that did not sound quite right. besides, what did he need a name for, out in the middle of nowhere, with nobody to tell the name to? suddenly he saw a figure approaching in the distance. to be continued

how to write a novel, part 2

by bofa xesjum

part 2 0f ?

to read part 1, click here

bob is walking down the street and meets joe. bob is wearing a green hat. joe is wearing black shoes and carrying a brown briefcase. bob says to joe, it is a nice day today. joe replies, yes, it is. they go their separate ways, bob back to his house, and joe to the bus stop where he will get the number 33 bus which will take him to within a block of his office. * the next day. joe is walking down the street and meets bob. bob is a nice guy and is wearing a purple hat and a red tie and a green backpack. he wishes everybody in the world could just get along. his favorite movie is the terminator, starring arnold schwarzenegger. joe is wearing a tan suit and red shoes and is carrying the same brown briefcase he was carrying the day before. joe is a jerk, and hates most of the human race, especially women. his favorite movie is a made for tv remake of the magnificent seven. bob says to joe, it is a nice day again today, and i see you are carrying the same brown briefcase that you had yesterday, even though you are wearing different colored shoes. it is a nice day, joe agrees. and you are a very observant person. the world would be a better and more efficient place if everyone in it was as observant as you. is joe being sarcastic? it is hard to tell. they go their separate ways, bob to mcdonalds to get two egg mcmuffins and a cup of coffee, and joe to the bus stop where he will get the number 33 bus which will take him to within a block of his office. * do you find bob and joe at all interesting? no. are they sympathetic? do you like either or both of them? no. do you wish to know more about either of them? no. i am sorry. do you think i should start over? that is up to you. what might make joe and bob more interesting? here are some suggestions: make joe a) a mighty warrior b) a horticulturist c) a clown at children’s parties d) an architect of a new world order and bob a) a homicide detective b) a mighty barbarian c) a bellhop in a grand hotel d) a follower thank you. i might try that. part 3

how to write a novel, part 1

by bofa xesjum

part 1 of ?

1. pick a letter at random. 2. pick a word starting with that letter. you may use a dictionary 3. write a sentence of 2 to 14 words, including that word, but leaving any characters’ names blank. 4. insert the characters’ names, if any. 5. briefly elucidate the first sentence. 6. continue 7. explain the situation 8. describe the first character 9, describe the second character, if any 10. describe any other characters, or introduce a new one. 12. describe the first encounter, if any, between the second and third characters. 12-a. if there are only two characters, describe their second encounter. 13. is the first character a sympathetic person? explain 14. is there any reason for a reader to take an interest in any of the characters so far? explain. 15. if the answer to 14) is yes., continue to part 2. if the answer is no, start over. 16. for chapter 2, repeat step 1 17. repeat step 2 18, repeat step 3, but characters from chapter 1 may be inserted in any blanks. 19. insert new character’s names, if needed 20. repeat steps 6 through 10 21. describe an encounter between any two introduced characters 22. describe another encounter between any two or more characters 23. are any new characters sympathetic or unsympathetic? explain 24. repeat steps 14 and 15 25, for third and any succeeding chapters, repeat steps 17 through 23 26. keep going until you feel you have done enough part 2