Friday, September 27, 2013

Who Is The Whisper?
(or, My Batsh!t Crazy Stunt for NaNoWriMo)

The Cold War is in full swing, beatniks roam the jazz clubs, and "Tail Gunner Joe" McCarthy has barely faded from the public eye.

Allan “Smithee” Jones, formerly a writer for a celebrity gossip rag, wants to establish himself as a legitimate reporter, but his involvement with an invisible, seemingly omniscient informant almost gets him killed during a political assassination attempt.

Suddenly Jones is embroiled in a government investigation, a criminal conspiracy from the future, and events beyond what a sane man would consider possible. He finds himself asking exactly what kind of nightmare he's fallen into, and most of all... Who is The Whisper?

~ ~ ~

National Novel Writing Month is on the horizon, and once again I will be serving as Birmingham's municipal liaison in addition to writing 50,000 words in 30 days. I've "won" NaNoWriMo five times, crashed n' burned once, and feeling the need for a little writerly rejuvenation, so this year I'm working on a brand new project. The Whisper, a 1950's era pulp thriller, will be structured as a 10-chapter serial with car chases, gunfights, mysteries, twists, and cliffhangers oh-my. Furthermore, I've decided on the following crazy stunt:

I will post a chapter every three days from Nov. 3 to Nov. 30, right here on this blog.

Don't try this at home, kids. In the past I've always had a strict "no one sees my first draft" policy, but this will indeed by barely-edited first draft material - ugly, clunky, awkward, and full of energy just like the great pulps of old. Whether or not it will be readable or coherent, I have no idea. But whatever else it is, I guarantee that it's going to be a train-wreck of sheer fun!


Photo by Emilie Villemagne for openphoto.net