If you like it then you shoulda put a squid in it! (writing challenge)

So I informally did this last year. Mostly I just beat people over the head with the idea at write ins. But I give extra brownie points to anyone that can find a way to fit a squid into their novel.

Someone last year had their character find canned calamari. Another looked out on a lake and thought about squid. There are many, many ways you can make this work. ;D Believe me, your novel will be better off because of it.

.... I will make cookies if you put a squid in your novel.
No joke.

Go forth, my squid minions! And conquer the literary world with your tentaclessss!

Hm. I'm not sure where I can fit a squid in this year, but I will find a way! Also, I miss you, my Squiddly One.

Where there is a will, there is a way!

Or if there's a squid, there's a better novel. ;D

I MISS YOU DEARLY AS WELLLLL.

I normally don't do these types of challenges, but one of my characters ate some squiddly dish (squiddish ;-)) last year and I definitely will meet this challenge. For cookies :-)

--Tim

Score! For a second time!

I will also take cookie requests. And bring them to the TGIO party. ;D With your name on it!

Squiddish wrote:

.... I will make cookies if you put a squid in your novel.
No joke.

I didn't get any special cookies last year, but I think I added the person looking at the lake and imagining a squid during revisions, not actually during NaNo.

What do I get if I put a squid in both novels? (I'm doing two this year. At least I hope I'm doing two. That's the plan.) I think squids will work in one pretty easily -- they're doing improv. The other one? What's the French word for squid?

This year, I decided to up the ante and throw cookies into the mix. Last year, I was not so good with my bribery? Haha... anddd... two novels gets you TWO cookies?!?!

... If I knew French, I could help you out. Alas, I do not.

Well, I live too far away for cookies, but this looks like it could be fun. I may try it. :)

I shall take up this gauntlet thrown down before me in the form of a...squid!

I love squid. Such tasty things. Besides, when you scare them you make them ink. As writers, who doesn't like ink, right?

Everyone will need to part their squid excerpts... Because I want to enjoy all of them!

Then I know who gets cookies, too.

This is what I have in my outline, 'She comes across squid, thinks about buying it and decides against it.'

Can you give me a good reason why my character should buy squid at the grocery store instead of deciding against it?
Or is that enough of a mention to get cookies?

I will accept that.

Though if she bought squid and then somehow that squid becomes a main character...
Won't hear me complain. Just a lot of cookie baking.

I did have one of my characters eat some calamari at a restaurant in last year's novel. Does that count or do I need to add it into this year's novel to get a cookie?

So if one of the nasty vicious beasties my characters have to fight turns out to be a magical squid... do I get a cookie? And do I get extra points if they fight the magical squid without killing it? Ooh! What if they CAN'T kill the magical squid because it's an endangered species? Or maybe not endangered, but at least protected. Either way, it'll have to try to kill them. But I can give it a good reason for trying to kill them, like... they accidentally trespassed by the magical squid's babies. And the Magical Council just doesn't find self defense to be an acceptable reason to harm an endangered squid, so my characters are screwed. WOOHOO! ...Crap, then I have to get them OUT of that mess... Is it November yet? Do I have time to research squids? Squids are totally an adequate substitute for plot, right?

Just for you Squiddy, I have figured out a way to mention a squid in this year's novel (I couldn't manage it last year). This year's features a few superheroes, so I think I'll mention that one of them once fought a giant squid. With this particular hero, it's probably just hearsay, but the story counts towards this challenge and the mythos of the character.

YOU. Are my new favourite person.

I enjoy this entire idea....

Have fun with your new novel idea that is focused SOLELY on squids. Or something like that. ;D I'll just bake you a whole cake now and be done with it. And it'll be in the shape of a squid.*

*Not really. But you can still get cookies.

Nooooope! Has to be this years novel for you to qualify for cookie consumption.

Approval!!

I love how people obviously have no problem with a completely random challenge like this and just take it in stride! Haha, it's fabulous! I love it.

Okay, but does it have to be a positive reference? How about someone who goes around squishing squids? Or someone who kills aquarium workers using squid as the means?

Haha, no, negative references are totally fine. Put your creative juices to good work.