Music Before the Money

The 3 Day Novel Contest is a wonderful way to spend a Labor Day weekend.

Here is the pitch:

Can you produce an entire novel in a mere 72 hours? Join hundreds of writers all over the world every Labor Day Weekend and find out for yourself!

Grand Prize: Publication
2nd Prize: $500 cash
3rd Prize: A great literary prize pack
And lots of prizes and fun stuff for everyone who makes the shortlist.

How It Works

Most entrants strive for the first prize of publication, but the contest’s true rewards go to everyone who gives it their all: the 72-hour exile of writers block, bragging rights afterward and, most of all, an amazing creative kick-start. You never know where this contest is going to take you.

How does it work? Here’s the short story: read the rules, register for the contest by the Friday before, make a few outline notes (if you wish) and then write an entire novel over the three days of the Labor Day long weekend. Keep energized, stay hydrated, keep your goal in sight and let the momentum of the contest charge your creativity and break through your blocks. Print up your masterwork, stick it in an envelope and mail to us for judging. We’ll announce the best novels in January, hand out some prizes, and send a fancy certificate to everyone who delivered a novel. Then we publish the winner!

It’s as simple as that. How do I know? Because the first draft of Brian Jones’ Diary was finished in 72 hours.

The first sytem through which I delivered a song was not a system but a Phillips tape recorder with the 1/4″ phone jack to take my Armaco crystal microphone (the one on the broomstick!). Later it was put through an Eaton Viking amplifier with my guitar.

Our first real PA was a Bogen tube head with six ” speakers on each side. The Bogen would only work when it wanted to and we basically had to scrap it.

Then came a wonder of technology: the Traynor YC3, 4 channel with reverb! Man, we could sound just like the guys on the radio with this outfit and it became a real joy to sing; so much so we put in singing more often with our instrumentals. This baby was tough as nails and the legend was that they tested the models by dropping them off buildings.

In the summer of ‘72 I had strap-on pickup for my Gibson L-5 and this was plugged into the Traynor. There were three of us and we did Crosby, Stills \, Nash and Young, James Taylor, Jim Croce, America and a lot of acoustic stuff that were lounge favorites.

I had a lot of fun doing this but opted for a rock band. The Traynor was traded for the Kustom PA and we were in debt again.