The NaNoLand Chronicles

The NaNoLand Chronicles is a series of fables penned by Chris Baty whose lessons are similar to those learned while participating in NaNoWriMo. The original four chronicles were published each week during NaNoWriMo 2004 and told of feudal lord Iddeus Orridge's and servant Kevin's travels through NaNoLand, a bizarre world where muskrats hold much significance.

In 2007 Baty rewrote the tales and wrote two more tales of Iddeus's and Kevin's travels in NaNoLand, each featuring a new lesson. The result was a booklet containing these tales that is now available in the NaNoWriMo Store, illustrated by Lindy Groening.

The Stories

1. "The Young Criminals of Wheatboggin", originally published November 2004

   Iddeus and his assistant Kevin come across a town where children who engage in unauthorized creation of art are imprisoned. The town's rules are that only professional artists can create art as amateurs create art of a substandard quality. Creation for the sake of creation is strictly forbidden. Iddeus notes that the townspeople have a glum demeanor, whereas the imprisoned children, heedless of their supposed plight, sing and throw mudpies at each other.

2. "The Incredibly Strong Tea of Kentfield", originally published November 2004

   Iddeus and Kevin travel to Kentfield to sample the famous incredibly strong tea, only to discover that the tea, which has been brewing for fifteen years, isn't ready yet. The owner is determined to wait until he is sure his tea is perfect instead of experimenting with different types and brewing conditions to find perfection.

3. "The Blind Advertisers of Lumalia", originally published November 2004

   The pair travel through a portal in a tree and visit an advertising agency which has separated its advertising staff into the nearly-blind creators and the sharp-eyed refiners. The creators, being mostly blind, are able to present ideas that may have significant flaws without fear.

4. "The Impossible Invention", originally published November 2004

   An inventor teaches Iddeus and Kevin how to ride bicycles: the secret is that you have to go fast in order to avoid falling off.

5. "The Ocean-Swimming Instructors", written for The NaNoLand Chronicles

   Iddeus and Kevin meet a pair of swimming instructors who are so cautious about all the dangers of the ocean that actually swimming isn't in their syllabus.

6. "The Hut-Building Contest of Monocle", written for The NaNoLand Chronicles

   The pair come to a town with an impossible challenge: build a hut in 24 months. Because of the long length of time, despite the short amount of time it takes to build a hut, the task loses its urgency, which is why no one has won the contest in 200 years.

See Also

The NaNoLand Chronicles: Bedtime Stories for Wrimos in the NaNoWriMo Store