NaNoWriMo

     This year I'm participating in the NaNoWriMo (Nation Novel Writing Month).  It's basically a marathon for writers.  It starts November 1st and goes until November 30th.  Writers from around the country (and world) with different backgrounds, writing skills, and genres all attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days!  That equates to about 1,667 words a day, or roughly 4 1/2 pages a day!  Now, to any of you writers out there, that might not seem like a lot, but you have to remember that that is every day for 30 days.  When you're in the zone, and have a great idea to write about, you can pump that out easily.  During NaNoWriMo, there is no room for writer's block, nor plot disharmony, nor any other delays.  Granted, a lot of writers plan their novels out for months in advance, but I didn't have that luxury.  I actually just learned about NaNoWriMo about halfway through October, so I haven't had a ton of prep time.  And I've decided to write something outside of my normal genre because it's an idea I've been playing around with, and I don't think that I'll ever write it if I don't do it fast and furious like in NaNoWriMo.

   

     The genre I decided to do was Historical Fiction.  It's not usually my style because I read and write to escape reality.  In this case, however, I think it's appropriate because it is a work of satire.  It's called Karl Adolf Schuhmacher.  It's about the son of Adolf Hitler and his secret american mistress.  Karl is spirited away from Germany as the allied troops roll in.  He grows up in South America, under the pretense of being an American citizen who's mother was trying to flee the German Internment camps of the U.S.

     When Karl returns to the U.S. he is mentored by Nazis who survived the war.  They fabricate a Jewish heritage for the boy, and groom him to become president of the United States.  He gets in to all of the right schools, even though he doesn't stand out academically.  Most of his college class mates don't recognize him when he runs for president.  There is a debate about whether or not he is a natural born citizen.  His constituents shame the American people for questioning his birth by calling them racist against the Jewish race, but Karl stays above it all and lets his constituents do the dirty work.  Being the first Jewish president causes a sensation around Karl, and earns him a lot of votes...

     If all of this doesn't sound familiar to you, you won't get the satire.  The bottom line is that I wanted to use modern political issues, and apply them to history to see the different outcome for today's world.

     When setting up my NaNoWriMo account, I had to write an excerpt, and I thought I'd share that with you.  This is just the opening scene of the story.

     Fredda trembled in the dark corner of the bomb shelter as the earth shook all around her.  She desperately tried to hush her crying baby.  Dirt and sand rained down from the ceiling each time a bomb made contact with the ground.  Berlin was falling to ruin. 

     Her precious baby wailed in terror. 

     “Shh, mine darling.  Shush, mine little Karl,” she begged. 

     The baby cried, just the same.  Fredda was certain the allied forces would hear her young son, and raid her bunker at any moment.  She couldn’t lose her son.  She couldn’t lose the Fuhrer’s son.  The Fuhrer’s family was known.  They must die in this battle, but his bloodline must live. 

     Karl must live.

     "Shush, mine precious child.  Shhh.”

     A deafening explosion tore through the shelter wall at the far side of the bunker.  The flash from the explosion blinded young Fredda.  Suddenly, the world was ringing.  Fredda couldn’t stand.  She couldn’t sit up.  She couldn’t stop the world from spinning.  She clutched her baby tightly as the world spun into blackness.

     You can track my progress on my NaNoWriMo page under the name Apocalyptist 

     I'd like to hear any feedback you have to offer.