Day -1

So close to the start now. Characters and ideas jostle in my head like restless horses waiting for the starter's pistol. So do terrible analogies, as that last sentence reveals...
The main characters have been sketched out in advance, along with the 4 islands that the story takes place in, and the mystery at the centre has enough detail to keep it coherent all the way through. Everything else lingers temptingly in the distance.
The cunning device to the left tracks my daily word count, so please monitor it and shout either encouragement or awed congratulations where appropriate,please. I'm aiming to get at least 2000 words a day, which is both easier and more difficult than it sounds, if that makes any sense. Which it doesn't.
Happy Halloween, by the way. I was planning to dress up as a haggard zombie, clinging on to life with yellowed uncut fingernails, but there's plenty of time for that in the last few days of November...

Nanowrimo 2006- Scramasax Island

National Novel Writing Month is an annual event that takes place every November. Nationally. For... a month. Participants write a 50,000 word novel (technically a novella, let's not split hairs) in a month, winning nothing but a warm glow and a crippling caffeine addiction. Website here.
In 2002 I took part in and completed the event with my half-baked sci-fi epic Knowhow.
In 2004 I competed again with my exciting Conspiracy thriller The Gingerbread Grail! I did not win. Largely because I didn't plan enough.
Now, in 2006, I'm preparing to take place once again and finally write my long-planned Pirate Detective story, Scramasax Island! It's been kicking around in my head for a while, and this is a chance to get it out in one concentrated blast of creativity.
You'll be able to see my daily word count here:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/simpleinfo.php?uid=132698, and for the duration of November I've pirated up my blog and am going to give regular writing updates as well as posts about creative exercises I'm using and pirate related subjects in general.
Get ready for the 1st of November, and if you want, why not write a novel as well?

The Dahlia Show

Black Dahlia review
I should probably add the disclaimer that I'm not personally in favour of violence towards women. And I think the film could have been favourably improved by a Holly Johnson musical cameo, ala Body Double.