New Book Trend - One Year of Anything

[RWood]

Sex, lack of sex, fast food, living in a bathroom stall, whatever for a year and it seems to qualify you to write a book. According to this article from the BBC News, a current trend in publishing for the past five years or so is all about people doing one unique thing for a year. They call it "annualism" and it makes me wonder what I could do for a year that other people would want to read about.

What would you do for a year and write a book about?

[krisk]

be a hermit

[GeoffC]

inhabit MobileRead .....

[vivaldirules]

I could eat doughnuts (or bacon! or both!!) at every meal for a year.

[GeoffC]

....what ! - go on a diet ?

[vivaldirules]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

....what ! - go on a diet ?

[zelda_pinwheel]

now that you mention it i've noticed quite a lot of those books as well. i don't think i can think of anything i could do for a year that would be worth documenting though. then again, given a few of those books, apparently that's no reason not to write a book.

[UncleDuke]

one guy used his cell phone camera and shot pics of everything he ate for a year, how many shots of fried eggs or hot and sour soup can one person stand

a few topics i would never do

- a year without sex
- a year without doughnuts
- a year without tv
- a year without reading
- a year without bacon
- a year without smoking
- a year without single malt
- a year without my electronic readers
- a year without email
- a year without cell phones

things i would do

+ a year of dating only girls who wear glasses
+ a year without blondes
+ a year without driving, if i move back to nyc
+ a year without airplane rides
+ a year with my head shaved
+ a year with a beard
+ a year of watching the dogers play
+ a year of attending disneyland everyday, i'll need an expense advance
+ a year without blended whiskey
+ a year without a newspaper, lots of people seem to be doing this
+ a year without pbooks
+ a year without a telephone land line, oops, already doing that
+ a year without lima beans

[krisk]

a few topics i would never do

- a year without sex
***came close once, but trying not to repeat that

- a year without doughnuts
***done regularly

- a year without tv
***3 years in fact!

- a year without reading
***when I'm DEAD!

- a year without bacon
***that WOULD be very painful (and turkey bacon doesn't count!)

- a year without smoking
***it's been three and a half!

- a year without single malt
***simply non-negotiable

- a year without my electronic readers
***just coming up on my year anniversary in October. I can't imagine doing it willingly

- a year without email
***simply impossible even professionally

- a year without cell phones
***see above


things i would do

+ a year of dating only guys who wear glasses
***sure why not!

+ a year without blondes
***very doable

+ a year without driving, if i move back to nyc
***I can't even imagine a year IN NYC

+ a year without airplane rides
***it's been so long since that has happened...

+ a year with my head shaved
***uh... no, pretty much non-negotiable

+ a year with a beard
***not equipped

+ a year of watching the dogers play
***whassthat???? doggies playin?

+ a year of attending disneyland everyday, i'll need an expense advance
***do I get a paycheck?

+ a year without blended whiskey
***sstrictly a single malt girl

+ a year without a newspaper, lots of people seem to be doing this
***haven't gotten a paper for about 7 years now, been relying on the interwebzzzzzz

+ a year without pbooks
***ohhhhh.... I dunno about that one!

+ a year without a telephone land line, oops, already doing that
***been doing that at home.... at work.... my life's all about the copper

+ a year without lima beans
***why you be hatin on the poor limas?

[lilac_jive]

I've only read two books like this, and they were both by the same guy. AJ Jacobs (The Year of Living Biblically and The Know It All - both fantastic!).

I have no idea what I would/wouldn't do for a year that would be worth writing about though

[toomanybooks]

Originally Posted by UncleDuke

one guy used his cell phone camera and shot pics of everything he ate for a year, how many shots of fried eggs or hot and sour soup can one person stand

My husband went to high school with that guy. WE have that book. It actually has a bizzare charm.

[nomesque]

In this day and age, committing to something FOR A WHOLE YEAR is a big deal! Like, HUGE! And all you need to do is document how you came to such a bizarre decision, and how traumatic it all was, and how happy you were to be free when it was finished. Simple. And people will read it for the vicarious thrill of long-term commitment and wackiness without the pain

[nomesque]

You know a book I'd buy?

One Year of Living as a Crazy Cat Lady

[UncleDuke]

and though i'll never love you,
i'll stay with you one year

...

very bold for 64

[nomesque]

*chuckle* My point exactly! Well, almost. Kinda. You know