I’ve mentioned that I did National Novel Writing Month back in 2005, and every year about this time I think hard about doing it again. Well, this year I am committing to it, and even though I haven’t really got a plot (ACH!), I’m diving into NaNo to attempt another 50,000 words in November.

Yes, you read that right. I’m going to try writing a 50,000+ word novel in 30 days even though I don’t have a plot.

But see, that’s part of the fun of NaNo. It will force me to just write without over analyzing everything. One of my issues is that I’ll start researching and find out my story idea doesn’t fit in the way the world works, so I’ll toss it. Other times I have started thinking about writing, but my inner editor will say “That idea has been done, and done better.” Or, that’s just “famous-movie-plot”. The thing I have to remember is something I read in a Wil Wheaton interview from last year:

I was working really hard on this one idea. I had this idea that I thought was really cool and I spent several days breaking the story before I realized I was writing Quantum Leap. This was really disappointing to me — not because I don’t like Quantum Leap, because I do, but because I didn’t realize that I had put those things together.

So I started a new story and then realized I was writing Enemy Mine. I said to my friends, “I’m writing Enemy Mine, what do I do?” And they said, “Enemy Mine is just…” Well, I forget the piece of literature, but it’s just two men on an island.

And one of these guys said to me, “Just write your two men on an island story.” And I said, “But it’s Enemy Mine.” He said, “Really, is it these two exact guys doing exactly these things?” I told him no, it wasn’t, and he said, “Then it’s not Enemy Mine. It’s two men stuck on an island together.”

Actually, you know what? I don’t think it’s name-dropping; Ed Brubaker told me that. He tells people this all the time because he was given this advice when he was a neophyte writer. He was stressing out about there not being a lot of new stories to tell and someone else said to him there are only five story ideas.

The problem for us is that Alan Moore has done all five of them — and he’s done them better than anyone ever will. But Ed said, “Men on an island. Just write it. It’s okay.”

I really try to remember this. It’s really good advice when you think about it. How many different zombie movies do I really like or love, but are basically the same plot? Lots, really. So it’s very possible to have the same basic plot, but make a good, enjoyable, yet unique to the genre, story.

I’m not positive I’ll end up with a zombie story, but I did pick up a sourcebook for All Flesh Must Be Eaten called All Tomorrow’s Zombies. When I saw the cybernetic zombies IN SPACE, I couldn’t pass it up. I’m shooting for a sci-fi story this year, yet I can’t help including some kind of horror element. It’s what I know best.

And besides, futuristic zombies IN SPACE? Who could pass that up? If you’re planning on NaNo, add me as a writing buddy!