Nada, sorta

Yeah, I've done nothing productive this week. Today I officially freaked out about my applied project (i.e. thesis). I guess it's really crunch time. Maybe that means I can actually accomplish things now.

Oh, wait! I did attend the "informal" Fayetteville NaNo group (our ML is still M.I.A.) and I went down to Ft. Smith's again. That was enjoyable.

Progress Tracker

One of the other NaNoers created a topic in the forum showing a sheet they had created for tracking their progress during November.

Taking a leaf from their page, I modified their design and created my own. I have a column that checks my progress and tells me if I'm "behind" or "on target." Of course right now it says I'm behind.

Click for the spreadsheet using Microsoft Excel or Open Office.

Addendum to brilliance

I forgot. My MC decided she'd wouldn't mind being in the story again if I changed some things (i.e. bumped the time up a little, funded construction projects in her home town, etc.)

I'm stoked about that too.

When you have an addendum to a post about your brilliance, does that make you less brilliant? Let's pretend it doesn't.

I'm brilliant!

Had a wicked breakthrough last night in my outlining/plotting process in one of those moments in which everything just started clicking. I was so excited I didn't want to stop.

In times like those, don't you just want to shout to the world how brilliant you are?

Pre-Write-In

So, the pre-write-in was a lot of fun. We met up in a coffee shop in a back "study" room. I was glad I had a jacket - it was a little chilly.

Shay made up a box full of prompts (color-coded even) for us to write a short story. (See her Live Journal explanation entry.) Then there was the usual stuff - talking about what our genre is, how far in the outlining process we are, what our "day jobs" are, etc.

I enjoyed meeting the people and it was totally worth the drive.

Enter Sandman

Still don't have a new MC since my old one decided she wanted to live in the future (perhaps a sequel), but that's getting way ahead of where the story is right now. Since I'm sort of character-less at the moment I'm not trying to decide if more than one point of view is the best way to tell the story.

I have decided more features of the world and the inhabitants. I'm going to a pre-write-in for NaNo tonight. It's to help us plot and brainstorm before November starts. I'm looking forward to it. I've going to the one in the next big town over. I can't wait until my town's ML announces the write-in for this area. It'll be a big gas/money/time/hassle saver. Still, the girls I've been in contact with down there seem very gung-ho about it all.

Oh, I've also started working on the "soundtrack" for the book. Right now I'm browsing Metallica songs. Nothing's definite yet.

Unruly characters

Well, I was working on my story and it took an unexpected turn. The character I was going to have be the MC wanted to live further in the future than when this book is set. So, I need a new MC. grrr.

Researching

I've been trying to brainstorm on my plot. It's slow going. I'm not really sure what I want to even happen. I have the MC (who I think will tell the story) and I know generally what's going to happen, but I don't have the world nailed down yet.

Question: Are there any books in which the MC isn't the person telling the story? (Clarification: A secondary character tells another person's story from their point of view - would that make the secondary character the MC?)

Marching onward - I've got more reading/researching to do.

When in Rome

Well, having been to Rome, I must say I preferred the smaller Italian cities like Sorrento.

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Outlining

My initial idea for NaNo had a lot of potential. I even wrote it down. But I can't put my hands on it now that I need it. I've looked through all the places I think I'd have written it down.
So I thought I'd flesh out my WiP and just add to that. Wesley talked me out of that. He thinks I've got too much invested in that novel to risk it to a month of potentially disastrous writing. That had merit, so I pulled out those notebooks I couldn't find my original idea in and found another idea that I could flesh out.
I'm still working on it. My problem? I really want to work on my WiP, but I don't think I'll have time/energy to put into both for the next two months. Hopefully the ideas will keep flowing for this new novel.