/lit/ - Literature

You need to write a novel in two days? Jesus, I've heard of laziness and procrastination but that's a hell of a lot of it.

>>3203090
Point taken, it's not all down to laziness it's also down to stupidness. I handed it in and he was basically like this is going to fail. You treat your reader like they're retarded.

The plot:

A man finds out where Thomas Pynchon lives and leaks it out. Pynchon sends a squad out to kidnap the man and brings him to secret facility. Pynchon then tortures and ....

I'm also happy to get character name suggestions even though they may be bizarre. Recycle your ideas on me just don't troll me because I don't want to plagiarize.

Write about a dystopian society where aging is cured. Population control means we kill off stunted, uncreative, and members of society that don't contribute enough. There is a constant stress and fear associated with research, learning, and creativity. The horror comes in some form about fearing death, where death is no longer some inanimate, unforeseeable event but a real results of your own weaknesses and lack of confidence.

Think of something that would make the world horrifying.

Now think of an every-man and put him in the scary world.

Let's say that John Everyman notices he's growing new limbs. He tries to conceal it at first, but he begins growing increasingly grotesque. He goes to the doctors, but because of the fact that he's a complete medical mystery and a freak of nature, they keep him in isolation and vivisect him and perform painful experiments. He escapes the research hospital after 15 years, and has to come to terms with his new life, when he sees that his wife and children have already moved on.

>>3203118
That actually sounds ace but I'm not sure I'd be able to put this across as good as you're probably thinking.

I know this sounds cheeky as fuck but care to give me some more details... asif you were writing this yourself.

>>3203081
>I now have 2 days to write a horror novel and a commentary for it.
You're fucked. Sorry. There's no way you can write a novel in two days. Even Philip Dick, high as a kite on speed, took at least a week to write a novel. And he was an actual author (and also completely mental).

>>3203101
I love this idea.

>>3203130
Tell me about it haha.

>>3203081
>novel

You're fucked.

Guys I might go with the dystopian idea and yes I know I'm fucked. Help me think of a name? and would it be gay to have 'dystopia' in the title?

bamp

>>3203125
I've never written before. Since the plight of these citizens is similar to my own insecurities, I'd probably narrate through a child to keep my perspective open and vulnerable to change. Perhaps one of the child's parents is an enforcer of this death penalty or one of the bureaucrats that passes judgement.
Maybe the childhood is a flashback and the main character is later in his early 20s but hasn't matured into the same state as his fellow citizens, or maybe he has.
No clue, m8

>>3203145
>Help me think of a name?

Seriously?

>>3203145

The plight of the proletariat

>>3203155
Fuck me man, I'm too shit to do this prospective shit. I might aswell an hero. On another note though, should definitely be 3rd person? Also how to make it "scary"?

>>3203164

i hate you so much

>>3203145
1985

>>3203145

Write a Lovecraftian story a la Erch Zann about a piano player whose melodies bring about the end of the world. Call it Dystopianist.

>>3203167
I hate me

>>3203170
I lol'd

>>3203171

Just fucking start writing! This isn't complicated shit. You have a two days, meaning you just need to get something down on paper.

>>3203177
I don't have a fucking clue what and I think a plot set out because I know it will just turn out retarded. My last attempt was shit about blood soaked hammers and shit.

>>3203081
prepare to spend your life flipping burgers if you're that bad a student.

OK let's do this systematically. Someone name my character. Don't care how wacky it is it just has to be somewhat a legitimate name. (Can't be in another story.

How old is he or she and little bit about them.

Do one about a guy who is diagnosed with some disease, real or fictional.

The story begins with him recounting his life which was unremarkable but comfortable. Then outline some shit about his more recent life, which was also ordinary.

It catches up to the present just after he is diagnosed. The symptoms keep getting worse and worse and he's all fucked up, puking and spazzing out and shit and generally being incredibly miserable. You can be really detailed with the effects of the disease and shit. It keeps plodding along until things look grim as fuck and he kills himself, preferably with some touching callback to his life pre-illness.

How horrifying.
It's probably shit, I've never wrote a thing in my life outside schoolwork a few years ago.

>>3203193
Can his recent events be cooking blue meth?

In all seriousness though, It sounds cool but I don't know how it would be "horror".

>>3203118
This is a rather nice idea.
Could always throw in some corruption, a power group that kills off people to stay in power, and do some BNW shit with keeping stupid people as a working force.

>>3203206
Cool idea I'm liking it...

>>3203204
It's all about how you pull it off.

>>3203206
Ooo you just made me think of an anti-protagonist, who is trying to fix the corruption and restore the state to its correct working order (that the reader is not inclined to agree with, killing unproductive citizens)

>>3203212
Yeah but that doesn't really help because my problem is that I'd pull it off shit.

>>3203213
>>3203206

I'm really liking all this but how could I start it?

I'm starting to think OP is a troll.

>>3203227
I'm not I assure you.

>>3203219
>The
>An
>Our
>Betwixt
>He
>They
>Falling
>Collapsed
there are a few

>>3203204

Oh lol I guess that's a Breaking Bad reference. I don't watch that show so I wasn't thinking.

The idea would be that the disease is debilitating and I suppose a lot of the horror would come from the inevitability and the physical suffering, as well as the mental suffering of not being able to do shit.

Unfortunately I've never been hospitalized or had any real illness, so I don't know much, but I imagine even a few weeks in hospital could be made out as quite the scary, bleak experience. Isolation and all that.

I wrote a short story for a class about a guy in transit through space who awakes from "hypersleep" to find his ship not functioning and stranded in the middle of a giant void, or supervoid. You can imagine how the rest of the scenario played out.

I was never satisfied with what I came up with, but I always liked the idea. The isolation theme, but magnified like 1000 times. Intense, repressive, unfathomable isolation. Maybe you could do it some justice.

>>3203219
Take your current life as a ground. And put it in a sci-fi utopia/dystopia, with a character that need to finish his paper or might face death. He have been mediocre or below mediocre with his chosen path.

To be honest, most of the story might be that he is sitting in his room, trying desperately to finish. And follow his thoughts and nightmares?

Throw in some hallucinations and desperat phone calls ect. ect.

>>3203246
It probably would make a good book if done correctly, I just personally think it would fit into the horror genre .. well I wouldn't be able to make it, cheers anyway.

bump

I really can't think how to start it. Like an opening line, I need something to get the ball rolling.

Are you going to spend all night asking for advice?

You're fucked, dude.

>>3203269
Yeah I know pretty much, but at the same time of just needing to get something done, if the thing I get done is terrible then I'm fucked regardless.

>>3203268
>>3203233

Ok I've thought of an idea what is your honest opinions.

Basically a guy in a mental hospital. The horror can come from confrontations with the other fucked up patients infected by some sort of bull shit or just going crazy and basically everyone in there has eternal life and eventually just goes crazy because they wan't to die so badly but just can't. Basically the main character is in there also but he's not crazy or is he? etc etc...

What do you think?

Jesus, just redefine the genre.

bampppp

>>3203292
Perhaps just he is immortal (or is he just mad? dun dun dunnnn)

>>3203305
hahaha sounds so cliche how you put it but I never actually thought of that. The end of the story could be a doctor finding him hanging or some shit and it's like wait.. but he was immortal... or was he?

Judging by the way you write your posts, I think that even the best idea would turn to shit in your hands.

>>3203081
this is shit let it die you too opieeeeee

>>3203315
>Implying I put care and attention into my posting on 4chan and what's it to you?

>>3203320
You're shitting up our pristine userboard with your petty attempt at redeeming yourself long past the time for action.

Le fuck you.

>>3203333
Well.. Quads don't lie.

In all seriousness I stopped reading at

>pristine userboard

>>3203333
Well, you won't be getting any more help from us, OP

I'd say it's less the way you're posting, and more that you're asking for help with trivial shit like a title and character names, that indicates whatever you do will be a failure.

>>3203348
This is true. I'm just at a mental block though, I've been looking for that spur that will be put me on my way.

OK, two prong attack
1. Extend that deadline. You need at least a week more time. Beg, steal and deceive for an excuse. Read the rules to find out what conditions they are bound to give you an extension under, then manufacture them.
2. Write it. It's going to be bad, so don't worry about the quality. Just write something of sufficient length without grammatical errors or incoherence.

It was a beautiful monday morning in early december. The sun had just come up, and once again began to slowly disappear. The thirty minutes of sunshine made the snow glitter and Screw Face had to close his eyes to avoid being blinded. Fitting that it was at least nice the day Screw Face was going to die.

>>3203355
Good call, but I'm starting now even knowing I wont finish it.

It's a horror story about a young african american tryna get out the 'hood. The horror comes from the white devils.

>>3203359
Haha I lol'd

>>3203367
hahahahahah again Lol'd. My sense of humor must be terrible.

bump

There's a lot of good ideas in this thread why aren't you doing any of them shit Tyrone get it together

Also, what was the first thing you handed up about?

>>3203396
I'm starting to write I'm just keeping the thread alive because eventually I'll post some of what I wrote.

The first thing I wrote was like cannibals in the woods and a lost lumberjack (lol) who finds a shack because he got told to go to there over the walkie talkie but then realize he got lured there.

It's fucking terrible.

>>3203367
Write a story about a super-capitalistic society where people view eachother only for their value. Children growing up are essentially taking out loans from their parents and end up repaying these loans until their parents die. There are no social security programs and bureaucratic corruption is so common and accepted it is taken for granted.

Good opening line or no?

Death. Why does this word plague our minds with fear?

How the fuck are you going to write a novel in two days?

>>3203409
I think we've already established the fact I'm fucked.

>>3203411
You might want to drink a lot of coffee and write without stopping. If you're good at prose, you can label it an experimental novel and act like it's 2deep4u. The writing style of the stressed and overworked protagonist mimicked in the writing style.

"I taught I taw a puddy cat," roared the bird from the boob-box. I slid off my boxers and began to manipulate my genitals until I grew a generous erection. I slid the fleshlight over my cock, feeling the slimy lovejuice of passionate nights before envelop it in its cold custard.

What course has you write a novel?

Most people don't have the skills or concentration to write a novel, and they sure as hell won't magically receive those on an English course.

Are you sure you aren't talking about a novelette?

Write about how scary deadlines are.

Especially the biggest deadline of them all... THE END OF YOUR LIFE.

Make sure it's called Deadline too.

And it's directed by M Night Shyamalan.

>>3203425
The term novel was quite a general term, I think most people interpreted it has a fully fledged novel. Which ever definition you put it with, It's thousands of words but it that way and it's Sunday evening.

>>3203432
Novelettes are easy. If you can put your mind to it, you can prolly shit out 60 pages a day.

Themes:
>making peace with death
>living a stressful life or making peace with the rest of death
>enduring the shame of being a failure in the eyes of society
>consequences of a deathless society: IE stratification (the upper class occupy all the highest managerial positions and never retire)
>how "they" measure failure as opposed to what makes you happy

etc.

>>3203458
cheers, this is helpful.

Have any ideas of my guy in a mental asylum of people with eternal life and they want to die so badly it drives them crazy. Like youthful looking 600 year olds who have just lost their minds.

>>3203474
That's not really that original, I'm pretty sure the concept of immortality = eventual insanity is quite an old and tired one.

>>3203495
I think I'm too bothered about originality as long as I don't follow the exact same plot as someone else. I'm not actually trying to publish something.. although it needs to be of "publishable" standard.

bumpdings

>>3203474
In the deathless society, everyone is an adherent of the philosophy of "negentropy", where the highest ideal is to produce order and knowledge. Death causes the loss of knowledge, and it is seen as something absolutely abhorrent, so very strict guidelines are in place to ensure that nobody dies or is allowed to commit suicide ever.

>>3203532
(Sort of the opposite of the Deadline pitch)

>>3203081
I would fuck that chick.

>>3203532
I like this, this is really cool.

>>3203532
So in this scenario.. is suicide actually possible?

>>3203532
Also 3rd or 1st person?

>>3203551
>>3203553
>>3203560
fuck off already
go write
or go kill yourself
whichever
so long as we don't have to be met with your incessant whininess and faggotry on the front page of /lit/ anymore

>>3203579
cunt. I love how people act like it matters so much, you don't have to post.

>>3203560
I dunno. Let's say that there's a thought police crew "suicide watch" or whatever, who monitor people for suicidal tendencies. When they notice a drop in productivity, co-worker tips or anything related to depression, they'll swoop in, cut out their brain and spinal column, and connect them to a giant super-computer (the "insane asylum"), where they are kept conscious in order for their brainpower and experience to be used for the good of society whenever necessary.

>>3203631
I hope you fail, are kicked out of your course, and have to flip burgers for the rest of your life.

>>3203642
I heard you get a free meal every day if you flip burgers at McDonalds. Ah optimism.

>>3203560
Also, first person, as the audience will need to be inside the protagonist's head. Since we'll want to be voicing his mental struggles and his disapproval of society. You're dealing with a character-based novel. If you're writing a more plot-based novel, third person would be better. But plot-based novels would take more time and be harder to fit into a novella because you'd need to make them somewhat complex to be interesting at a university level.

>>3203657
Mhh, cheers man. Although I don't like the idea of the people being wired up because I need to incorporate horror so I want the "monsters" in the story to be the mental people or something like that.

It's been a little over two hours since you started this thread, have you written anything? Will you post it?

>>3203669
It's just a troll, samefagging and wasting /lit/'s front page space. He won't be posting anything, and he's going to procrastinate even more, and he'll up writing a piece of shit that will get him kicked out. How much shadow joy this will bring me.

>>3203671
>>3203669

I'm not a troll or trolling and why do you want to see results or something? I didn't think anyone would care.

You really do deserve to fail for being this much of a faggot OP.

>>3203671
Also I haven't samefaged once, What would I possibly gain from that? You contradict yourself saying I'm going to get kicked out of my course but at the same time I'm just trolling and trying to waste everyone's time. I'm confused.

>>3203676
cool

>>3203675
Well you've been shitting up the front page for so long I'm sure most of us would like to see something come of it

There's nothing wrong with a brainstorming thread. There's no harm in sharing some of our creativity in the hopes that someone will make use of the ideas you know you'll never use.

Literature isn't just James Joyce, you know.

>>3203694
True say.

It's pretty good that you only have two days left because it means you'll probably have to stay up both nights and your brain will give you lots of creepy shit to write about once you lack enough sleep. In fact, I'd write the comment beforehand by trying to find out what your purpose to write your story is and then just sit down and type the whole fucking story in one go.
Also, browse /x/

>>3203740
stop bumping your shitty thread

>>3203750
It's not my shitty thread.
Fuck yourself, I was just trying to be helpful.
Also, that's something I've always wanted to try myself and had faintly hoped that there could be a discussion on the idea of writing a novel within only a few days.

>>3203750
Why are you so adamant that I'm samefagging lol? I don't understand, also cheers for the input >>3203740

>>3203785
Because I am incredulous before the prospect that people would actually engage with such an insipid thread.

>>3203191
Latufus Rufus a la Pufus

>>3203789
You're projecting.

>>3203789
Someone is mad at the world.

>>3203642
Dude, seriously?
>problems at home

>>3203789
Somebody's got a bad case of the flusterbutts

>>3203799
>>3203805
>>3203813

All these posts were obviously me however because they appose you.

>>3203826
>appose

>>3203860
You're still gay.

>>3203878
>Accuses me of trolling and samefagging
>acts childish and tries to troll
>keeps my post bumped up

>>3203878
Hahah. What the fuck? Why is there a black guy?

>>3203893
>doesn't realize it's not the same person
You're so dumb.
You're so dumb you're failing an English course.
You're hilarious.
Also, I have the OP image and now I have to track it down and delete it so I'm not associated with you in any way.
P.S. Fuck you.

>>3203913
haha

>OP has been sitting here for 3 and a half hours responding to his thread rather than working on writing it
>OP apparently has to write a 'novel' for an English course
>OP's professor has enough time to read an entire classroom full of students' 'novels'

>mon doubtful visage quand

>>3203963
Ok, Novelette/Short Novel. Yes I've been procrastinating big time as always.

"Screw Face",

Are you referring to the Amen Andrews song or the Seagal movie?

>>3203993
No. It's a rap battle term when someone says I really good line. Well.. So I think, I heard it in a video once and liked it as a name.

Look up Freud's theory of the Uncanny.