Though it is done and over I wanted to share I post I wrote about the 3 Day Novel contest before I participated in it for the first time four years ago. I hope you will enjoy it. Rereading it makes me want to attempt it next year. Perhaps I will.
Sweaty palms, thoughts racing, constantly distracted, and trying to clear my mind. Sounds like a first date, but it’s actually a mental swirl occurring eight days before The 3 Day Novel Contest begins. Last night The Weaklings took a step forward into the public spotlight and my mind kicked into the “I’m late for work during rush hour” mentality. Photos were taken, interviews conducted, and soon we will be in the local newspaper. Exciting? Certainly. Terrified? Unequivocally. The panic can begin.
The 3 Day Novel Contest is a fantastic opportunity. I have never attempted anything of this sort. My first novel, which I am currently writing, will take me at least two years to complete. Obviously, this test will be a stripped down attempt, but nonetheless daunting. My original idea was to write a thriller set in a fictional communist country. I have since scrapped it (with much encouragement from my brother weaklings) to stay close to that with which I am familiar.
I have decided upon a prequel describing the events that catapulted my existing novel into motion. It has no overlay and is devoid of any characters pertained therein. This gives me the chance to understand the history of my novel better and practice my abilities as a writer. An outline will be posted shortly.
Through this experience I hope other people around me (namely you who are reading this) are encouraged to write and will discover the adrenaline rush that is overtaking me. Three years ago the thought of writing a novel, much less one in three days, had not even begun to formulate in the dusty corners of my mind. Now, with discipline and constant badgering from the weaklings, I will be well on my way to completing the first two books in a series! It is not too late to register. Visit The 3 Day Novel Contest for details and start stockpiling food.
I shall now return to pacing in front of my computer. Waiting. Thinking. Hoping, that the splendid dialogue and clever plotline that circulates in my mind will make it to the page intact.
Until next year.
Cheers,
Bob
PART-TIME NOVEL 
Bob, this is what sparked my interest in checking out your blog originally – and I’m so glad that I did. I seriously think you have to have some insanity to willingly put yourself through the 3-Day Novel thing … lol … but you made it sound really exciting! I was exhausted just reading about it the first time, hahaha. Happy writing, and enjoy the journey! ~ Julie 🙂
Julie I’ve been driven mad by that contest too many times. I guess you can say it has made me the person I am today! I hope to be a little more organized the next time I try and see where that goes. I have a whole year to think about it and am already getting excited!
I am beside myself. 3-day novel contest? How is that possible? I don’t think I dare click on the link. These kinds of things suck me in…
Haha. I guess they are more like novelettes – 100ish page novels. I think for both I averaged between 48 and 52 hours of writing in three days. It was amazing. My brain was so short circuited the next day that I could barely string two words together. But the winner gets their novel published, so the prize is worth the struggle.