I’m starting to work on a novel. I’ve tried to do it before and I wrote a lot of words. However, as I look back at those words, they aren’t very good. It was basically me rambling in first person. I’ve learned a lot since then.

The problem now is that when I try to start writing I get more ideas. I have an idea for three novels now. Crazy, I know.

I’d like to have a name for the book already to help inspire and give me some direction. It’s like when I start designing a website I begin with a logo and work out from there. I let the logo dictate the direction of the website. I’ve tried naming this book and have successfully named another novel that I might write next. Ugh.

I found a good blog post about Naming a Novel.

Ok, time for me to start writing today.

I used a random writing prompt I found on a website to inspire this scene. Enjoy.

“Sir? Sir, this man here is Victor Gleason, our Security Director, he’d like to ask you a few questions.”

“Good Afternoon Mister…Nicolas, William Nicolas,” Gleason was looking down at a scrap of paper handed to him moments earlier from the store clerk. The name William Nicolas was scrawled in blue ballpoint pen above a series of numbers. He turned his attention back to the young suspect standing in front of him who appeared to be no more than twenty-five years old; he was nearly six feet tall, clean-cut, physically fit, and at this moment distracted. “Mr. Nicolas you may be in some serious trouble here. I’m going to need you to follow me to the office so I can ask you some questions.”

Nicolas, who wasn’t Nicolas, sheepishly followed SD Gleason through the electronics store towards the stock room office. People, products and signs entered and exited his line of sight as he walked leaving only impressions of color behind. The only image that persisted was of twelve digits etched in plastic above the name William Nicolas. Who is William Nicolas and how did I get his credit card?

Gleason worked like a Good-Cop/Bad-Cop hybrid, a technique he proudly developed in 1997 interrogating a sixteen year old girl caught stealing underwear at the West Chester Mall Victoria’s Secret. His scripted performances played like a one-man show, all that changed was the location and audience. Gleason sat at the Store Manager’s desk and made small talk, which he followed up by standing over the perpetrator, his moist stale breath trapped in the space between their two faces, asking questions like, “Are you prepared to spend the next twenty years of your pathetic life in prison?”

“Can I please explain?” Nicolas’ sagging expression begged SD Gleason for an opportunity to tell his story. He didn’t want to be William Nicolas anymore. He just wanted to explain everything that happened that day and get out of there.

Security Director Gleason straightened up and took two steps backwards. He kept his eyes locked on Nicolas’, careful not to break the stare (a trick this time he learned at a security training seminar), and with a wave of his right hand motioned for the young man to continue.

The next words out of William Nicolas’ mouth were, “My name is Brandon Spencer.” To this Gleason did not betray his surprise, but this case had just taken a turn that he wasn’t expecting.

I am someone who is constantly looking for writing contests. I scour the web in search of short fiction contests where I can get my work read and judged in the hopes that it will end up being published somewhere.

Writing contests are a great way for writers to gain exposure. This is why I am personally excited about this new start-up website called Fiction or Non.

Here is a brief description from the site itself:

It’s a simple but powerful service where you can publish and promote your own writing contest, and participate in others. Stories, essays, interviews, speeches, or other kinds of written expression in 1,000 words or less.

Currently the site is in development and it isn’t much to look at (that’s the web designer in me talking) but the functionality is coming together.

They are offering a pilot writing contest for everyone who has signed up to the project launch newsletter. I am currently working on a short story of my own for this contest so that I can be part of the beginnings of this new site.

If Fiction or Non is able to put together an attractive, user-friendly experience for writing contests, then this just might be the service that writers have been long looking for.