Having sequestered myself for the last week, immersed in regex and InDesign, I have finished my novel for National Novel Generation Month. Code and further details available here.
The book was created algorithmically using custom software written in Python and Processing. J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1954 classic The Fellowship of the Ring was loaded word-by-word then organized into a two-dimensional grid. From a random start position in the grid, the “cursor” was moved up, down, left, or right and that word added to the new text.
The process was repeated until 50,000 words was reached, the length of an average novel.
Random commas, periods, paragraph breaks, and chapters were added along the way. Any sentence including a variation of the words “s/he said” was placed in quotes.
The first chapter:
The real ten the the real war. Whatsoever. It has indeed this remarkable things remarkable things. Remarkable things comely the upper vales their things comely things comely this. Remarkable, people. Remarkable things upper the comely things comely the upper the upper the upper vales of faces from the outset as between the between as between anduin sea outside to out sea the over, the over the sea outside mostly outside to as mostly and barns as mostly as to outside. To out of westernesse but battle last hanging said hanging last westernesse but westernesse eaves rule eaves westernesse. But they greenwood the greenwood the were fornost were they. Greenwood natured rather than the earlier beautiful and beautiful than rather possess situation if conclusion if conclusion already were, already chapter chapter chapter chapter some chapter of, mordor. With my where the feet home of heard never old shire the scent regarded the of mushrooms was rising clop and got the got I got, and well thoughtfully him a lantern clop clop a him at with. Out scent, of the of scent the the held waggon held, old the I though of the of though merry though. Of the I did I never heard like look my. Feet like feet home many any horse any the any. Of home many there feet the tower of tower the to the, by read by the tower the shadows. Of cirith ungol. Elrond since.
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Marish round marish round windows round district especially by the the the duty before though only by although families leading from preference a, inhabitants a inhabitants or inhabitants the walls or witch the fast and beautiful and fast and the misty bright. Eyed such for book different entirely, different. And for book different book for and different and for such for, and much further readers further the development back development back further much directed or many people matter people. Many people since elrond gondolin, elrond gondolin the 2 chapter ring one. Ring to ring chapter ring a was of many of many home of any horse of many. Any horse. Any. Horse of was a his swimming his swimming horse swimming the brandywine but things. But foreigners as what or bilbo’s or things or have horses were it were horses have what as what as it as it were it as what have, it have or shout one shadow. Chapter shadow one shout. One ring one. All one all a shout a all a things. Things but what as what a things but things and splash and a shout one shout one shadow of land elves land elves, land of all. One ring chapter shadow chapter ring. One ring.