NanoWriMo: The Miracle of Swindon Town #34

[FIVEPOUNDCOINS]

DEAR JOHN....read a book called the death of grass its super awesome about about corn and apocalypse and stuff

[FIVEPOUNDCOINS]

@FIVEPOUNDCOINS I'M SUPER AWESOME AT WRITING THINGS THAT MAKE SENSE

[jaymeeboh]

"They love to play with each other up front...if you catch my drift" oh god

[TheLaural0u]

You should write part of "the Price Of Dawn" for the next Nanowrimo. :)

[photofaery]

I really liked Zombicorns. I cried at the end. :)

[imadeautubeaccount]

I made it to 45k due to my untimely sickness near the end of the month. /:

[rethinkOURreality]

I would read it! I liked Zombicorns!

[maxdinan]

SEQUEL TO ZOMBICORNS!!!!!! YES!!!!!!!! DOITDOITDOITDOIT!!!!!!

[tHeb00kw0rm1]

3:39 is it just me or did the ball disappear into the ground?

[scotstylefilms]

John, have you ever considered buying in some better players? No wonder you're not top of the league when your team has stats like those.

[thepurpletangerines]

@scotstylefilms What matters most to the swoodilypoopers is loyalty. John can't do that!

[MattLostTheGame]

I love the way he always says "Today we are the Swindon town swoodly poopers" as if he often plays with other teams :)

[deltaevenstar]

Currently supposed to be writing my NaNoWriMo.. instead I'm watching this.

[jStrat7]

zombie apocalypse stories are a ton of fun to write. my friend and i spent last summer writing drabbles and the first few parts of this big zombie story we thought up. i think we're gonna try to finish it someday.

[hockeymurph34]

We need to CRUSH Wigan Athletic! Ahhhh! They're starting to piss me off.

[13cmwright99]

I freaking LOVE Zombicorns!

[angelfire162058]

theacquisitionofcoconuts(.)tum­blr.com is my tumblr now(:

[stargleekwhofighter]

How can we read Zombicorns? I would love to read it.

[SonOfaChipwich]

John, I love this series, and I think you are a fine manager, even considering your lack of skill, but please stop making homoerotic innuendoes about Bald John Green and Other John Green! As the Ceiling Cat said, kthnxbai.

[LoveiElla]

John, I am not, by any means, trying to degrade in ANY way your great wisdom in the field of literature - seriously though - but how can you get mad at readers when they say "i don't like that book because it doesn't have relatable characters; that book wasn't entertaining" but THEN say "The main purpose of literature, at its heart, is to be enjoyable and entertaining." ? DFTBA

[samthehamsandwich]

@LoveiElla I think he meant the people don't find it entertaining BECAUSE they don't relate with the characters. And by which he responds that they should enjoy the book for what it is and not for how relatable the characters are.

[hihikmn]

I really love Zombicorn! It is one of my favorite short stories! And the thought that, somewhere out there, there is a sequel just blew my mind.

[roxettepg]

I must be honest, Zombiecorn inspired me to write a zombie short story for my Swedish class. Long story short, my teacher loved it!

[vileplumeQUeen]

your struggle with writing reminds me of the movie kiki's delivery service, when kiki starts losing her witches' powers because she had lost all the fun and enjoyment in what she was doing.

[gryffindorxo]

theacquisitionofcoconuts would be a good tumblr url

[YoungMagestic]

I don't know why you dislike Zombicorns. It's so freaking good. It's one of my favorite things you've written. xD

[moomootheuglyshoe]

Stop making videos during NaNoWriMo, please. You're distracting me. Kthxbye.

[CodenameJD]

I like Zombicorns, and post-apocalypse isn't really my thing. It's about corn, what's not to like? :P

[ShenanigansinaCan]

You need to stop trying to get a goal with one player. You need to start passing more in the box

[keef2985]

WHAT DO WE WANT? Zombiecorns 2.0!

WHEN DO WE WANT IT? Sometime within the next month, possibly!

[nomielpenguino]

Zombicorns is amazing. Ridiculously eloquent, profound and haunting. You put my NaNo to shame!

[mazerunner13]

are you kidding me? i LOVED Zombicorns! it was my first glimpse at your writing John and you call it not very good?

[humpbackbear]

I just noticed that your name is FaultinYourStar

[kailinahistory8]

my mom comes up behind me and asks, "are you watching a video game? is this really what you do with your time?"

[givemethatchocolate]

I have started reading zombiecorns but I think I need to sit down and finish it. To much stress to remember I had that on my computer...

[semireversed]

Leeroy WIlliamson chant: "He's not… John Green… But he scores occasionally. Leeroy Williamson, Leroy Williamson!"

[mazzamoush]

Please write the sequel to Zombicorns! I want to know if she finds anybody up north and what happens to Mr President!

[evilanagram]

John, I love your videos, but you have forced me to invest myself emotionally in the Miracle of Swindon Town. Stop dribbling yourself into corners and pass the damn ball!

[thejerrymobile]

I'm currently anticipating the release of a novel that was originally a 2005 NaNoWriMo winner.

[TheLavLav]

I like how "he scores occasionally" is now basically Leeeeroy Williamson's epithet. O great Leeeeroy Willaimson, the one who scores occasionally...

[antkam]

But I honest to god liked Zombicorns ...

[Pestetsok]

And John! Please! It's a crossbar, not a post.

[Pestetsok]

Wigan-wigan-wigan-wigan-wigan-­wigan-yeeeeaah!

[alollapalooza]

I can know cite almost every single line John says every video.

"Bald John Green puts it in the back of net 10 times out of 10."

"Bald John Green, he's a FINISHER!"

"I need you, Fat Lucas!"

"Stonecoldstevewithac Austin!"

"Hey, hey, who has the ball? Onesize Fitz Hall."

"It was Lalalalalalaaanaa."

[RPHSNerdyfun311]

I'm totally writing NaNoWriMo while listing to your NaNoWriMo talk.

[JarCooler]

John, you can change the controls to a two button system, you might find playing a little easier like that?

[creekkid42]

wait am i the only one who pronounces NaNoRiMo NaNoREEmo?

[zellark]

@creekkid42 you're not alone! A whole bunch of my friends do that

[squaltch]

@creekkid42 That's how Kristina Horner pronounces it. But since it stands for National Novel WRIting month, (not National Novel REading Month or something) I generally avoid this. But you aren't alone

[TheLavLav]

@creekkid42 no, I do that, too! I thought that was how it was normally pronounced haha

[jamesgordonuk]

The Acquistion Of Coconuts would make a GREAT NaNo title

[KungfuCow5]

@jamesgordonuk That is a Great Perhaps.

[Zhiperser]

I enjoyed Zombiecorns.

[SammiJbird]

JOHN. You cannot just say "Oh I have this idea for a sequel!" and then NEVER WRITE IT. I will die of curiosity.

[p1e2t3e4r5j6o7n8e9s]

John, if you finish at least 6th you'll go into the playoff's with the teams who finished 3rd-6th. You have a better chance of getting to the BPL than you think

[Allyscribit]

How about next time, you tell us about the desert island story that never was?

[Okayiranga]

Show us the table, We want to see how far back we are.

[pete275]

I always found it weird that you are so harsh with Zombiecorns. I get that you're the author and all that, but objectively all the problems with it are "technical". Every reader who read it enjoyed it and thinks is awesome. All the criticism it got was from writers and editors. So if the readers like it and the problems are all technical, is the technique relevant? I'm not saying let's tear down the process and start from scratch, but you can't ignore those facts.

[BelieveSteed]

Why, why is The Fault In Our Stars not called The Acquisition of Coconuts?

[thecrimsonbubbles]

Something that would be beneficial to the Swoodilypooper's chances against bigger teams: GOING DOWN A SKILL LEVEL. Just for the teams that win simply through class.

[staytuned2L337]

zombicorn sequel? *tilts head hopefully* =D...? doooo itttt ! 

[feigesi]

I commented asking if you would talk about nanowrimo... and you talked about nanowrimo. I love nerfighteria. Thanks.

What I'm writing certainly doesn't feel publishable, but that's not really the intent for me. It's been too long since I wrote and I needed a reason to. But I'm already off schedule by a couple thousand words.

[Skylookingdown]

I think the main thing that I am gaining from NanoWrimo is to use it as a learning exercise. I like the idea of getting as much writing done as quickly as I can. I like the idea of it doesn't matter what you put down but it will be put on paper.

[ShinyJaker]

I demand that you actually write: The Acquisition of Coconuts.

[LandmineCat]

Thank you for writing about NaNoWriMo, John, I don't know whether other people asked you on twitter but I sure did so very grateful!

[inkenyo]

Best piece of advice: When thinking of beating NaNoWriMo think of it as you need to be like Bald John Green, a FINISHER!

[pkConda]

@inkenyo haha yes :D

[ColorOfSakura]

As someone who's been involved in NaNo for seven years now, I agree with you on pretty much everything you said here with the exception of the NaNo really doesn't allow for writing a publishable novel. While the novel you write during NaNo certainly isn't something to take to a publisher, I think it is a good jumping off point in getting started on trying to get published. It gives you a zero draft (not even really a first draft) that you can mold into a better story with editing.

[EvilRaizen]

thumbs up if you'd love to read a sequel of zombiecorns !

[evanafter]

The Acquisition of Coconuts would be a good name for a band

[Stotheb2010]

JOHN. Y U BASH ZOMBIECORNS?! I loved it! You need to have more faith in your writing! :)

[xxbookworm]

In the next video, could you talk about "the Name of the Star"?

[reeft]

OMFG!!! A SEQUEL?! DOOOOO EEEEEEEEET!!!!!!

[BeingLolaStar]

Sometimes you start talking about football and I remember you're playing a video game. Mostly I just listen to these videos like a podcast. I've got zero interest in watch other people play games but your voice keeps drawing me back.

[dra900nka1n]

Question: In Premier League Promotion, does 3rd best get into a playoff with the bottom 3rd (18th place) Premier League team?

Sorry, my expertise is the (German) Bundesliga.

[The21CSocialist]

@dra900nka1n

Anwser: No, the bottom three teams in the Premier League get relegated, and replaced with three teams from the championship. The top two championship clubs qualify automatically, and places 3-6 go in to the playoffs. The playoffs can be imagined like a mini cup competition with four teams in it, with the winner getting promoted.

Long story short: the Swoodilypoopers have a chance of getting promoted if they finish in the top 6. :p

[dra900nka1n]

@The21CSocialist OK thanks.

In the Bundesliga, 16th of the 1. Bundesliga play 3rd of the 2. Bundesliga in a 2 leg playoff, so I wasn't sure if it was the same.

Mind you though, automatic promotion would be sweetest for the Swoodily Poopers.

In England, are the playoffs also 2-legged?

[gwaur]

TFIOS doesn't take place on a desert island? But it has some connections with Sweden, right?

Greets, a Finn ;)

[lolsherrycherry]

I thought you were going to say "...focused on corn and corn accessories." I was incredibly disappointed.

[SynesthesiaSoup]

Someone asked me what my favourite soccer team was the other day. I said the Swindon Town Swoodilypoopers :)

[spyteandmalice]

This year is my first time attempting NaNoWriMo. I haven't gotten very far at all, but I have to disagree with you on the point of trying to write a publishable book within a month. I see NaNoWriMo just as a way to get your first draft down on paper, with a goal and a deadline. I know that so many people have a hard time just starting a story, and NaNo gives us all some thing to aim for. I believe that writing a serious book takes much, much longer than a month.

[clausirlopu]

@spyteandmalice it's my first year too and I'm way behind... but I'm not in thinking about publishing, I'm there because I want to prove myself I can write a COMPLETE draft... publishing would be nice but not about the one I'm writing... I mean... it's not publishable at all... but maybe later.... I have been trying to write another thing for like 6 years but procrastination sucks... so NaNo WriMo is my chance to prove myself I can do it.

[spyteandmalice]

@clausirlopu haha i'm sooooo far behind too. if i dont get a hurry on soon, i'll be toast. and i have SUCH a big problem with procrastination too. which is why i'm doing NaNoWriMo. i definitely want to publish, but i know it'll be a big, big process to have a work ready. but thats all i can really see myself doing, is being an author. so that's what i'm aiming for. this month is just going to help me spring away from procrastination.

[clausirlopu]

@spyteandmalice I know... I have all this ideas and then I just fluctuate to my e-mail, and fb, tumblr, twitter.... and then 2 hours have gone by and I wrote 50 words T_T today I have to write 6000 to catch up AND two articles for Wizarding Life..... I don't know how but I always manage to get into more than I can handle just to see if I can...

[spyteandmalice]

@clausirlopu oh my gosh i know! i get distracted so easily. and there's so much that i wanna do everyday, like writing for one thing, and having a decent, consistent blog, and also youtube, but oh i don't know. i get distracted, and then unfinished work piles up and i get stressed and blahhhhh. but i do it to myself every single time. i dunno, but maybe i subconsciously ENJOY it. well, life would be boring without all of that anyway.

[Jenamoongurl]

Anyone else ever try and pause the game just to hear John talk and then realize... you can't do that?

[breanne2994]

I'd love a t-shirt that says 'unnecessary slide tackle'. xD

[tacoshmaco13]

@T3CHN0B4BBL3 hahaha

I shall totally write whatever nonesense comes out XD

Thanks!

[heyitsrissa]

Water for Elephants is a NaNoWriMo story and that book is AMAZING.

[amockingbookshelf]

A lot of people are asking for challenges that have all ready been done :L

[dancingwithaghost]

I love how hankgames has slowly turned into johntellsstories.

[Gamerwamer]

You should play one (or maybe a few?) games where you increase the time of the game so we get a LONGER episode :D because it feels like every new episode it gets shorter and shorter :( :( :(

[JagannathMxO]

Zombicorns, thematically, you're right in the foreword when you say that it never really gets where it's going. There was quite a bit of buildup in the beginning for some kind of big parallelism and comment on society but by the end it becomes a much more personal story in regards to Mia and her sister.

The reason we still like it is that not everyone reads for the sake of thematic significance. At face value it's still a profoundly entertaining and emotionally engaging story.

[BoredDan7]

I was thinking the exact same thing when you said "maybe 11 times out of 10." Threw me off for a second hearing my own thought in your voice almost instantly.

[LadyJuse]

Now I am all caught up...FINALLY!

And I want more Henry Stories!

[mattcst]

I'm attempting NaNoWriMo. My goal is to win. It's not going to be the great novel I've always dreamed of, but if I win I will have written a novel regardless of how terrible it is, I will have done it. So far it's somewhat influenced by Paper Towns.

[Nokhoida]

My next indie-folk band will be called Acquisition of Coconuts.

[mestiarcanus]

I actually thought Zombicorns was entertaining. Obviously it wasn't the greatest book ever, but all things considered I think it turned out pretty well.

[cding12]

This video interrupts my historiographical reading of the French Revolution. Thank you. This absolutely makes my night better.

[trumpeteer9]

@cding12

Have you seen John's french revolution videos? Could be helpful

[gorgygirl]

I'm doing NaNoWriMo this year for the first time. Having a lot of fun doing it :)

[thehopperbox]

@gorgygirl Good luck! I chickened out. It just seems so daunting.

[RoyceTheMad]

Just FYI, I would TOTALLY buy a PFA zombie apocalypse novel. Throwin' that out there.

[Smileyface217217]

watching this video when i should be doing nanowrimo

[godaidgo]

I think John needs to understand he is a good author and even a book that he dislikes (Zombicorns) is a quality book compared to some of the drivel that is posted in today's market. Face it John if you wrote a book every year (or two) then it would sell and it would be better than half the books that are published daily

[skippyskiddoo]

NEVER apologize for foreplay, John!! Especially when you're just trying to score.

[awkwardfour]

John Green. Zombicorns was a quality piece. You saying it was a bad story is a skinny girl calling herself fat.

[DobbyIsFreeeee]

@awkwardfour And how does that make all the overweight girls/amateur writers feel?

[awkwardfour]

@DobbyIsFreeeee That doesn't have anything to do with my point.

[DobbyIsFreeeee]

@awkwardfour I was elaborating on your point to make the point that it isn't particularly inspiring to hear John talk about how terrible Zombicorns is while I and other amateur writers struggle to form coherent ideas.

[awkwardfour]

@DobbyIsFreeeee Oh, sorry. I always forget that Nerdfighters actually AREN'T giant squids of anger so they don't leave mean YouTube comments. I just assume that anything people say is meant to be taken badly XP

[pete275]

@DobbyIsFreeeee it makes them feel bad, that's his point (and also doesn't make sense.. that's probably his main point, the other one is secondary)

[AkemixMiyano]

i'm trying nanowrimo but i'm 3 days behind because i'm at a loss for a name for my main character

[ap0calypse5]

@AkemixMiyano Hit up name generators. Even if you don't get a name you like, it can give you ideas.

[RandomNPC15]

@AkemixMiyano Just use a filler and go ahead with it. Can't let details like that hold you up. I use Ted Danson as a filler name, but I'd only suggest that if you can still think of your character as your character instead of Ted Danson.

[KatieLA551996]

you keep forgetting extra tome and penalty shots its not over till its over 

[CorgisAreForever]

I LOVED ZOMBIECORNS! Its high up on my list of John Green books

[hellohowareyou90]

Dear John,

I am a first year NanoWriMo, I have had a horrible time trying to write it. This video made me realize this isn't suppose to be some brilliant novel. I'm not you and i'm attempting to write something in a month not years. Thanks for helping me realize that this isn't about that but about having fun and instead of this being another stresser it has now become a stress reliever. Thanks John for helping me to remember to be awesome.

DFTBA

Sandy

[BuriedErect]

WOAH.

That intro was SO SAD sounding.

[tunagirl12]

"The acquisition of coconuts." going to use that line somewhere.

[Mrmoody]

I always want to NaNoWriMo it up but I'm always in school and something tells me that I don't have time to write a novel while doing all the work that entitles...

*sigh*

On a different note (literally because when I sing I'm always off key)

They're here,

They're there,

But John just doesn't care,

Swindon defence, swindon Defence!

[TheFleurDeMer]

is that... the... sun?!?! 

[Foreverlove2212]

I actually read Zombicornes today...weird.

[ScaraFiggy]

My God, I get so into these FIFA let's plays. I'm not a sports fan in particular, but every time a Swoodilypooper doesn't score, I hear John's voice going '[insert Swoodilypooper here], you're better than that!' and every time Bald John Green scores I end up shouting 'He's a finisher!' at my screen. I'm able to carry conversations about soccer with my friends simply from watching these videos. That in itself is a miracle.

[BreezeNightingale]

Could you give us another interesting history lesson? Your French Revolution videos helped me out a lot at school, and I'm actually struggling with the American Revolution right now... Despite having studied it every year since I was eight.

[tacoshmaco13]

I'm at a mere 2,000 words, (i'm not going to make excuses why I couldn't meet the quota) and I could really use some tips and encouragement from my fellow nerdfighters =.=

Thanks

[MidnightThief15]

...I really want to read a desert island book from John now. I think that would be awesome.

[EnvisionAmbition]

I was highly entertained by Zombiecorns, John. A sequel would be awesome. If not a sequel, I think any short story would be a great idea as a P4A raffle item.

[Ramones1234100]

Will you and/or Hank be at Playlist Live in March?

[Ramones1234100]

Hey John, while I don't believe that I can write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days, I have been writing poetry everyday in honor of NaNoWriMo. But I think my poems are lacking something. Could you talk about good poetry, and how to write it, please? Also, if you have any recommendations for essential reading in poetry, that would be very much appreciated. Thanks and I hope you see this!

[InevitableSecrets]

How did Mr and Mr Green meet?

[rfreyna1212]

Leroy Williamson is my favorite😄

[bass777chick]

@rfreyna1212 He scores occasionally. :)

[Kateydid3]

Actually, John, for a lot of people, NaNoWriMo isn't about writing that book you've always dreamed about writing in a month. It's about writing SOMETHING rather than allow yourself to keep putting it off. It's about getting those ideas down on paper - about writing that terrible first draft. I think that's what I love about it and why I keep going back. It gets me writing.

[buhariwalla1]

at school today Bruce Grobbelaar (a proper Liverpool f.c. goalie who played in the actual premiere league) came in and talked to all the soccer team's in my high school and the entire time he was there i wanted to ask him if he'd ever herd about Swindon Town, i am such a nerd :)

[likeitsays]

John Green, if it weren't for your zombie apocalypse novella, there's a very good chance that I wouldn't have a job right now and that the most important aspects of my life would be completely different. This is no joke! I'm forever indebted to Zombicorns as the linchpin of my current (and well-loved) reality. Please write the sequel, for me and for all of the unsung hands of fate you never see.

[ItsJMSwan]

In the next video will you talk about the "senior prank we might have heard about involving a stripper"???

[LMNOP1214]

@ItsJMSwan holy crud! There's another video, that's not a vlogbrothers video, but it's John talkin about that prank! Just search likeJohn Green's high school prank... I'll send it to you if I can find it! :D

[RockinViolinist]

@ItsJMSwan Search "john green legendary high school prank" on youtube, and John From The Past will enlighten you.

[gleekyleek]

@ItsJMSwan If you go to ransriggs channel you will find a video of John, when he was in his early twenties, discussing said prank. Also, if you go a post on September 1, 2011 on John's tumblr, fishingboatproceeds, he talks about the video. I would send you the link to save you the trouble, but YouTube was being a difficult :) DFTBA

[eladps]

@ItsJMSwan There's already a video up of him talking about it. I would love to hear it again though :)

[johnniewalker2222]

@ItsJMSwan Read Looking 4 Alaska.

[zeppelin695]

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green: Not about the acquisition of coconuts...

[AuntieOphiucha]

I've been writing the same book for three years and after all the work, I'm happy with it and am thinking of publishing it, but I just needed... something new, a palate cleanser of sorts. Something to clear my mind and just write. My NaNo (so far, it is only day 3) not a great story, it's not something I think I'll look at after December or consider publishing, but I... I need to write something *else*, something that gets me in the mood for my next project and gets me in the mood to *write*.

[aciijess]

are you kidding? You should totally write the sequel!!

[jj2117]

I'm watching this while writing my Nano story! DFTBA!

[livewire136]

good job on the signing thing btw!

[PurpleWillowsTrees]

Also Damn I have written like Zero words For NaNoWriMo XD

[BeccyMalfoy]

@PurpleWillowsTrees I haven't written anything either, but I've done a lot of pre-writing.

[PurpleWillowsTrees]

Please John. Please.

[PurpleWillowsTrees]

Please write a sequel to Zombicorns!

[Limsoria]

you just need 6th place to get to the playoff!!!

[huckfinn12453]

Write the sequel!! I loved Zombicorns.

[DinoTubz9638]

I'm doing NaNo because I thought I was crazy. Guess what. I'm crazy.

[KaleyBEAN]

Why NaNoWriMo novel is a Zombicorns fanfic.

[iMrJ0nes]

No PKs?

[Silverballoons]

Writing NaNoWriMo while listening to John. It's excellent.

[RubikCuber1]

Thanks for reminding me to write today with this video. :D I almost got REALLY behind in my word count ^_^

[maxhully]

I actually watch John play. Attentively. In fullscreen mode.

[versteeg32]

john, you should try a new formation.A 4-1-2-1-2 formation would suit swindon and allow you to slot the greens up front with pericard as a playmaker behind them.

[inforthelose]

I just looked at the Swindon Town Wikipedia page, and there is no mention of the Swoodilypoopers or John Green. THIS UPSETS ME.

[Pink6Cigarettes]

You finally did a cross at the end!!!!! Don't let the lack of a goal on that play discourage you from doing it again in the future.