Cliche Manifest

Chapter 3: Preflight Checks

Because she wants to keep some anonymity online, Anna didn't use her real name as her display name for NaNo purposes. No more than she did for Wattpad last week. However, one of these write-ins is held in a Saturday afternoon prior to the start of NaNo proper, in one of those independent coffee shops of the Baltimore suburbs. After both Anna and Yulia finished voting, of course.

Oh boy: I must refrain from mentioning my profession since it would likely mean I would be asked a lot of questions about characterization, now and next month, especially in the areas of personality and mental health, should the attendees learn of me being a psychologist. I'm not sure about how would that help with my own writing, Anna starts thinking of what precautions she needs to take going into the preliminary write-in. One of the attendees immediately recognizes her as soon as she enters the coffee shop:

"Anna!" Sam yells in Anna's direction, with her mother around.

"Promise me that you won't be talking about therapy or testing to anyone here today, please..." Anna asks Samantha, fearing that Sam would ruin everything.

"Promise"

My parents let me go here because Anna made them believe some space to cultivate my gifts was needed, Sam starts thinking, realizing that she's the youngest attendee at the event, as the other attendees from a wide range of ages start mingling among each other.

"Who here is new to NaNo? Please raise your hand!" the host of the write-in asks, hoping that some people new to NaNo are attending.

And it turns out that it isn't just Anna or Samantha who take part in it for the first time. A male teenage first-timer raised his hand before the write-in host starts haranguing the first-timers:

"Before we walk through how to update word counts, get started on projects, here is some advice: if you already have a good idea of what your story is about, please don't hesitate to make your own cover page using your favorite AI artwork tool. Remember also that it can be subject to change, just like the title. At some point, you will run into a writer's block and you will often be told about adding a ninja attack scene. While it may be a quick way to add at least a few hundred words in the present, as are regular breaches of the fourth wall, you will have time to edit it later, in December"

No random ninja attacks, no random breaches of the fourth wall, Anna keeps adding to the Manifest of No's. And she easily imagines fellow NaNo participants writing excessively wordy descriptions to get to the 50,000 word count. Which were already in the Manifest.

Anna then starts using the online, free version of Canva for a cover page featuring two Chinese teenagers at the host family on exchange, and with her real name at the bottom. Without affixes. However, she starts thinking of a title when the host begins to talk about the key features of NaNo's system.

So major characters will start a PR company, manufacturing deepfakes, and the host family takes an active role on the business side of things. Meanwhile, both the exchange students and the host family's own kids need to balance schoolwork and extracurriculars. What about Falsebound Kingdom? Anna reflects on a possible title for her writing project.

"I believe the experience will be better if our newcomers could get mentors for the month" the host announces to the veterans of NaNo.

Samantha gets no shortage of would-be mentors since a lot of the attendees seem to like children and, more importantly, giving them the love of reading and writing. Which, for so many, is in short supply among today's youth. Especially when the host makes a quick review of core writing concepts, such as flaws, character development and plotting.

However, Anna, for some reason, while acknowledging that some more experienced buddies would help her finish the project, doesn't seem to attract the same level of interest among the NaNo vets present for a pre-NaNo meet and greet. Yet, what interest she garners seems a little... off.