Lettow writes a novel!

[Admiral Yi]

Is it one you'd recommend in general or just to lettow?

In general.  Book is not a life-changer, but interesting and amusing and thought-provoking.  And the best back story of any book ever written.  Some dude came out of nowhere and wrote this book in his 40s, then never wrote again (died? killed himself?).

[Razgovory]

Psychology students are sometimes assigned that book and asked to give a diagnosis of the main character.  Which is how I found the book, I was looking for information on my particular illness which is what fits the character best.

[Capetan Mihali]

Psychology students are sometimes assigned that book and asked to give a diagnosis of the main character.

That's dismal.

[Capetan Mihali]

Is it one you'd recommend in general or just to lettow?

In general.  Book is not a life-changer, but interesting and amusing and thought-provoking.  And the best back story of any book ever written.  Some dude came out of nowhere and wrote this book in his 40s, then never wrote again (died? killed himself?).

He killed himself when he was in his early 30s.  Then his mother shopped the manuscript around for a decade or so.

[Razgovory]

Psychology students are sometimes assigned that book and asked to give a diagnosis of the main character.

That's dismal.

I dunno, I didn't take the class.  I just found some stuff about it online when I was looking up what I got on the Psych tests.

[Lettow77]

 Coincidentally, early death is the easymodo route to renown with your literature. Having killed yourself makes this true, but more so.

Doubtlessly it is why A Confederacy of Dunces is such a fine work.

edit: I'll try to have samples of writing from both the story I want to write and the horrible South-thing you desire sometime tonight.

[Viking]

I found it in on Amazon

Narrative of the War Between the States - General Jubal A. Early

[Lettow77]

 Learned some things about my characters. The protagonist's last name is Nakamura, and he is from Tottori. He turned 18 in 1941. His first name I have not yet decided between- Santaro or Osamu. 

  More to the point though, thinking I could get anything done was over-optimistic, just as I am feeling overly negative now. When I feel, as I felt yesterday, in my highest spirits, I delude myself into imagining grand vistas of possibility. I want to leave a great work behind to mark my existence, but the sonnet project (also largely stalled) is the better bet. Better still than either may be the realization that I will not achieve anything of note.

I wrote a small snippet without any real direction. I attempted, entirely for Languish's sake, to write something about the South, and as predicted it caused me the worst sort of pain. I simply cannot, at least not now.

The novel I will never create would be an I-novel, both in line with what is common for visual novels and as a tribute to Dazai. Here is a paragraph.

"With the bayonet affixed, the type 99 does fine service as a spear. Solitary practice with the bayonet was one of the only indulgences looked upon favourably and tolerated by the lieutenant, so I seized upon it fairly frequently as an opportunity to be alone. I have always held the spear to be the true weapon of Japan; the gunto wielded by Samurai was more properly the weapon of the Zaibatsu and the navy, with its dramatic flair and adventuresome ways. The Army represents, I am sure, something more dependable than that. The Samurai have no place in the people's army; the lowly spear, entrusted with protection of the fields and defense of the woman's virtue, is the proper symbol for what the Emperor's army brings to Asia. I keep these thoughts to myself, but they are a comfort as I go through the motions. "


Writing what you know, or the perils of not being able to do so, were apparent: Not about Japan, but humans speaking to each other, and the social hierarchy of military. Both seem distant and foreign to me, and I cannot understand it well. I should perhaps observe humanity more and socialize so that I can write dialogue. Failing that, the character would have to be trapped inside his mind too often, and it seems unfair to sentence him to that, even if he is lowborn.

[Drakken]

Will the main character get to torture Vietnamese prisoners as being sub-humans and use Korean comfort women on permission? 

[Lettow77]

 The main character would have a complex relationship with the Vietnamese, but certainly would not torture them. Thinking little of their level of civilization and society would be part of his world view. He'd tend to place them below the french and japanese hierarchically, but believe they are within the Japanese sphere, while the French are an oppressive intrusion.

For the Koreans he'd have a more visceral contempt. I didn't imagine including any Koreans. Or torture, for that matter.

Edit: Mood stabilized, after plunging a bit deeper. It's odd how I know tea will always make me feel better, but I will be unable to work up the motivation for it. The immense lack of motivation to do even things I know I will enjoy grips me so powerfully it's a cause for despair. I know what I want to do in life and can achieve some of it, including the most important part. Also, this anime is pleasing.

[Eddie Teach]

So, how many people here have aspirations to write a novel?

Me. It's not going to be autobiographical though. Nobody wants to read that boring shit.

[Siege]

I shall write a novel too.

Black people conquered Egypt, and from there expanded, first to the middle east all the way to india, and then invaded Europe. Their carthaginian allies conquered Rome, and blacks from Asia Minor conquered Greece. The great Nubian Empire collapsed into smaller competing states, but continued to expand after adopting Islam.
Southern Europe are a collection of poor border marches, with the exception of the Great Emirate of Cordoba, part of the Great Khalifate (like the Holy Roman Empire), and central and northern europe are a source of slaves for the great black muslim States. The competition between them let to a fast development of technology, and by 1492 the sailors of Cordoba have discovered America, and the route to China. By the middle 1800s, the Emirates of America are getting ready to declare independance from the Khalifate. But they also have to deal with their masses of white slaves.

Black people rule the world, the standard of beauty is black, the darkest skin with the widest nose and thickest lips. They have rewritten history, and Mohamed was black, so was Hannibal, and every other major world figure and important ancient civilization. Even budda was black, instead of looking like Keanu Reeves.

[Syt]

I was going to suggest you switch black with jews, but then I realized you were going for alternate history. 

[The Brain]

I shall write a novel too.

Black people conquered Egypt, and from there expanded, first to the middle east all the way to india, and then invaded Europe. Their carthaginian allies conquered Rome, and blacks from Asia Minor conquered Greece. The great Nubian Empire collapsed into smaller competing states, but continued to expand after adopting Islam.
Southern Europe are a collection of poor border marches, with the exception of the Great Emirate of Cordoba, part of the Great Khalifate (like the Holy Roman Empire), and central and northern europe are a source of slaves for the great black muslim States. The competition between them let to a fast development of technology, and by 1492 the sailors of Cordoba have discovered America, and the route to China. By the middle 1800s, the Emirates of America are getting ready to declare independance from the Khalifate. But they also have to deal with their masses of white slaves.

Black people rule the world, the standard of beauty is black, the darkest skin with the widest nose and thickest lips. They have rewritten history, and Mohamed was black, so was Hannibal, and every other major world figure and important ancient civilization. Even budda was black, instead of looking like Keanu Reeves.