Friday, June 15, 2007

Tagged, I'm It

Yesterday, Doris Rose, "tagged" me (to use what I assume is blog parlance – orangeblossom?) with a challenge to write seven pieces of my story that she, Wicked, and Dizzy do not already know about.

Background: every year for the past three years I have participated in an annual event of mass insanity called National Novel Writing Month in which eager would-be fiction writers from all over the planet (and maybe some from the moon, judging from posted writing samples) put fingers to keyboard, pen, and palm pilot to write a 50,000-word novel in only 30 days. During the month of November. With Thanksgiving looming large and everything. Two years ago, I dragged WT and DR into the mess with me. Each year we have managed to produce fully-realized mini-opuses and this year we plan to do it again.

I assume these are the "stories" to which DR is referring. Or, it could also be our own personal stories, in which case Doris Rose will, I assume, correct me and I'll comply at a later date. And, I'm also assuming we post these to our blog, as per proper blogging etiquette?

So, without further ado because clients are clamoring for my non-fiction words, I give you:

Seven Things About My First Novel – As Thirsty As You Are – a political satire in 51,234 words.

1. One of the book's main characters is modeled after my father-in-law, due to his having spent quite a few years in Louisiana politics, including being a major player in what is known as the "Last Hayride."

2. The book's title is taken from a line in the Soundgarden song, "Burden in My Hand." Here, I use it to symbolize ambition, as in, you may be able to exist without food for weeks, but you can't exist without water for more than a few days. Truly ambitious people don't hunger, they thirst.

3. Another main character is modeled after Ann Coulter, of whom I am no particular fan. However, in the book, she's one of my fave people. So I gave her many fabulous outfits to wear.

4. A pit bull named Bubba Jake figures prominently in the story.

5. An entire chapter is devoted to discussing the difference between dry and humid heat, played out as a conversation between two truckers in a Kansas City diner.

6. Another entire chapter is likewise devoted to a discussion of the Lake Ponchartrain Causeway.

7. There are a lot of cocktail party scenes because I like to dress my people
up and make them drink weird concoctions and do inappropriate things with other characters' spouses. It's the Jackie Collins in me. Just when I start hitting on something smart, someone takes their clothes off.

'kay, that's it!

Now, off to do some other work so I can watch the U.S. Open. I'm dying to see what everybody's wearing.

6 comments:

Wicked Thistle said...

Bravo! I feel more educated-like. You're also waaaaay more thoughty about your story than I have been about mine, which will hopefully inspire me to find the "on" button in my brain. Grasshopper learn from Moi...

Doris Rose said...

Wonderful! but, yes"tag" was related to your personal story.That can be another day... I vote "Opus". Now I Really can't wait for a group read!

moi said...

Gah, I never get assignments right.

Wicked Thistle said...

Dur, me either.

Doris Rose said...

clearly-MY directions were incomplete!!

zephyr said...

Great blog..can I get link exchange with you? www.19december.blogspot.com