Metamorphosism

The Metamorphosism Challenge

Take the metamorphosism.com challenge.

Nanowrimo is for sissies. Any hack can finish a novel in a month. I once wrote a novel in three days, on a typewriter, while drinking only coffee and gin, seated at a small table next to the kitchen. In a revolving restaurant.

This year, next month, that is, November 2003, take the Metamorphosism challenge and write two novels. In a single month. A minimum of 93,000 words. Under hardship conditions, naturally.

These people actually fell signed up for the Challenge.

The Rules:

1. Although the Metamorphosism Challenge is in no way affiliated with Nanowrimo, participants are encouraged to register as participants there.
   
2. But you have to write two novels in November, not just one. In 30 days. 93,000words total, minimum.
   
3. The novels must be written under special hardship conditions, of course. Sitting undisturbed at an ergonomically-correct desk in a climate-controlled office environment does not count. Metamorphosism challenge literature is written by winos on the brown paper bags their MD2020 comes in, in dark theaters in pencil on tickets by men in overcoats, on napkins by busy waitresses during their shift.
   
4. You must register with me by email. To do this, send a mail to me, mig, at metamorphosism.com. That's mig [at] metamorphosism.com. In the mail, include your preferred name, any URL you want posted (your weblog, website, a URL to your novels if you're going to be posting them), the titles of your two or more novels, what they are about (if you know), and a brief description of the special hardship conditions under which you will be writing this year. If you can't think up special hardship conditions, you shouldn't be writing in the first place. I will post a list of participants, displaying this information, and will include all entrants UNLESS you tell me in the entry e-mail that you don't want your name and/or information listed.
   
5. You must also link to this post, if possible using one of the fine icons provided below. The best URL to use would be this one: http://metamorphosism.com/archives/000382.html#more Please do not hotlink these icons, save them and store them on your own webspace.

Icons:
Icon #1

Icon #2

Icon #3: You can proudly display this icon after you have completed the challenge successfully:

[Icon credits: all icons and graphics for the Metamorphosism Challenge were kindly designed and produced by Bauke, who is otherwise innocent of any involvement in this silly undertaking.]

Fee:
There is no fee. Participation is free.

Prize:
There is also no prize, besides having two novels when you finish, and the right to give other people a bad time because they can write only one novel in a month.

Is Mig actually taking on his own challenge?
Yes. He has already registered with Nanowrimo, and will be writing in pen on paper notebooks or on a cheap, buggy laptop if he can talk his wife into letting him get one, in crowded limousines shuttling between boring UN conferences, also while taking notes in those conferences, as well as at work while the boss is not looking, and on a buggy home PC when the family is asleep, sometime between the hours of midnight and four AM with a cat doing the claw thing on his lap trying to get comfortable, drinking only coffee and single malt whiskey.

Limousines? That doesn't sound like much of a hardship.
It really is. He'll also be writing at traffic lights. He's very, very busy as it is. Luckily he has insomnia right now, but he's very very tired. It's hard to write in a car, it really is, and those meetings really put you to sleep.

Disclaimer:
The Metamorphosism Challenge is in no way, shape or form affiliated with Nanowrimo. Nanowrimo is great, we did it last year (and are still rewriting that novel, having a little problem with the focus right now...), run by fine people, we're doing it again this year, donating the money, all that. But they are completely innocent of any connection with the Metamorphosism Challenge, which is also not intended to disparage that fine contest in any way.