A Novel in Three Days?

Can it be done?

I wrote my memoir in nine months and really, all that's in place is the scaffolding. Most writers take at least a year, if not much longer, to produce a work worthy of publication. But 3 days? What do you think? Could you write a novel in three days? Would you even bother trying?

These are the questions I have asked myself lately, because registration for the 32nd annual 3-Day Novel competition are about to close. And I am seriously thinking of entering. Just for the sheer hell of it. I mean, could I really complete a work of fiction in three days? Could I write my brains out for 72 hours straight? Am I just mad enough to find out? I think the answer might be yes.

Here's what it's about.

(The info below is taken straight from the 3-Day Novel website)

Can you produce a masterwork of fiction in three short days? The 3-Day Novel Contest is your chance to find out. For more than 30 years, hundreds of writers have stepped up to the challenge every Labour Day weekend, fuelled by nothing but adrenaline and the desire for spontaneous literary nirvana. It’s a thrill, a grind, a 72-hour kick in the pants and an awesome creative experience. How many crazed plotlines, coffee-stained pages, pangs of doubt and moments of genius will next year’s contest bring forth? And what will you think up under pressure?

How It Works: The contest takes place every Labour Day weekend (usually the first weekend in September), as it has since 1977. You can read the rules for complete details, but here’s the basics:

Entrants pre-register by mail by the Friday before the contest. You are allowed to prepare a brief outline ahead of time. (There are no set rules on this, but the briefer your outline, the better the creative experience.) The contest runs on the honour system—this has always worked well because the contest is first and foremost a writing experiment and so, as the saying goes, cheating only harms the cheater. (Plus we can tell if you cheat.)

Entrants write in whatever setting they wish, in whatever genre they wish, anywhere in the world. You may start writing as of midnight on Friday night, and must stop by midnight on Monday night. Then you print up your entry and mail it in to the contest for judging. (Submitting your manuscript is not required, and many entrants do not, preferring to use the contest as a personal creative tool. We recommend you do, though. We like to see what everyone came up with, and it makes it a more complete experience for you. Plus you never know… even if you don’t like what you produced, the judges might.)

You Get Published: Our panel of judges from the writing and publishing community reads and rereads the submissions and picks the winners. We announce the judging results the following January, hand out some prizes, and send a fancy certificate to everyone who delivered a novel. Then we publish the winner!

True Rewards: The prizes are a good incentive, but the contest’s true rewards go to everyone who gives it their all: the 72-hour exile of writers block, bragging rights afterward, an amazing mental kick-start, and a shiny new first draft your novel.

The next contest will take place September 5-7, 2009. If you have questions or want to join our mailing list, send an email to info@3daynovel.com. Check it out over at www.3daynovel.com/guide/ for more info.

So what do you think? Am I completely mad, or does this sound like a great excuse to lock myself away for the entire long weekend and write, write and write some more?

What about you? What's the craziest writing competition you have ever entered? Or if you don't write, what's the craziest 'whatever-it-was' competition you have entered? Come on, I can't be the only Wild Thing out there! My husband is the local ice-cream eating champion! He's still (sadly) proud of that fact ;)