I have no idea why the phrase I’m using as a post title, “Tentacular and the Octophants”, jumped into my head this morning, but it did.

Likely culprit: a cool print of an Octophant that’s now become a t-shirt. This might make a good birthday purchase. I’m just sayin’.

I also think the title would be a great band name. Very 70’s prog rock or terrible high school/college rock noise experiment. It’s a definite contender for inclusion in my upcoming novel for NaNoWriMo.

You remember NaNoWriMo, right? The annual novel-writing competition that takes place each November. I’ve participated three times now with almost an entire 50,000 word novel as the result, spread across 3 years and 3 topics.

It’s been more of a lark in the past, but it’s put up or shut up time in 2008.

So I’ve got this little nugget – a band name – Tentacular and the Octophants. And I’ve got a phrase I’d like to use, maybe as the novel’s title: “Land O Goshen”, which my paternal grandmother still says.

My cousins grew up in Goshen, Indiana and I think some kind of coming of age/finding yourself/switching identities story would work well there. Or maybe referencing that mundane locale with the biblical Goshen.

Anyhow, I’ve still got another 3 weeks to plan the structure, jot down some more snippets of dialogue and clever phrases and study up on Egypt, Indiana and the concept of identity (both personally and online).

Wish me luck!