The Biplane

Dr. Stephen Shapiro: When you're writing, it helps to know what or who you're writing against; what is it that you're trying to displace in literature, what you are opposing.

China Mieville: Yes, that's a good question. So, in The Biplane, what are you writing against?

Me: I'm writing against China Mieville. And all apocalyptic literature.
- China Mieville's Weird Fiction seminar, 2008

Now, The Biplane was always a good enough idea. I mean, as it stands at the moment, it's a bit too weird and pseudo-existential and, I'm constantly being told, has plotlines which resemble that of the TV series Lost (which I haven't seen, so can't judge). But it's got a good title, which is something, and China Mieville - who wrote The City and the City, which is undoubtedly one of the most exciting novels of the past few years - was very positive about it.

So, as a way to force myself to write it, I'm doing it as a NaNoWriMo. That means I'm writing a novel the length of November. No, it means I'm writing an entire novel in the month of November. Quentin S. Crisp is doing it, so it must be a good idea.

We'll see.