NaNoWriMo 2009 – Updates

Yes, I know it’s been all too quiet on the western front. I haven’t even been checking my word count all that religiously, mostly because, for whatever reason, this year it feels less like accomplishment and more like…pressure. So I’m just going to plod along, and maybe update the word count every few days, rather than feverishly hitting the “refresh” button as I have in years past.

Because “Locked & Cranked” is only semi-linear, and is in fact told from two points of view (in two different time periods, and by two different narration methods – could I have made this any more complicated for myself??), what you’ll be seeing as I post bits and pieces won’t always seem like…a normal continuation of anything you’d read up to that point. Does that make sense? The book itself is structured as such: One chapter is an excerpt from a diary, as read by the character named Ivy, to an audience comprised of…well, her fellow inpatients during group therapy sessions; the next is “in the now,” being told by your charmless and anything-but-humble narrator, via a series of observations during said group sessions. The chapters switch back and forth that way, one for one, and so, while each thread is being told chronologically, it won’t quite seem like you’re reading only one story until I’ve pieced it together to make the narration fit neatly between the diary entries.

Here’s hoping that made any sense at all.

So far I’ve written none of the diary material; that’s the easy stuff, and I’m saving it for those moments when I’m truly, hopelessly stuck. For that reason, what you’ll be seeing right now is mostly the narrative coming from Ms. Charmless; she’ll make lots of references to Ivy and the diaries, so I didn’t want anyone thinking, “Uh…what diaries are these, exactly…?” They’re coming. Fret not.

So while I’m quite behind in my word count (I can only assume), and am sick as a dog, I am still completely committed (eep – maybe not the best word to use!) to this project, and I’m not too concerned about having fallen back a bit. I can catch up.

A very big and very special thank you to all of you who’ve volunteered your names (I promise you’ll be amused), as well as those of you who’ve volunteered to read some of the material that won’t be posted publicly (for reasons that will become apparent later). I’ll be dividing the reading groups into two: Group A will be “blind” and will get no insights from me whatsoever, aside from what you see on the page, and will therefore be able to judge whether or not the story itself is even remotely interesting; Group B will be tipped off to certain plot points, which will enable you to catch me if I inadvertently “cheat” or give something away too early or…whatever other heinous mistakes I stand to make! If you have a preference as far as which group you’d want to be in, let me know. I do know that some of you LOVE spoilers when you’re watching movies or reading books, while others of you prefer to NOT shake the gifts before Christmas morning, so I’ll play to your strengths that way. (There is, of course, the fact that a few of you already know the entire plot, so your group placement is pretty much sealed up.)

On with it, then. Some of the Ms. Charmless bits are re-worked from previous drafts of “L&C” (and, I’m pleased to say, were Martin-Approved), while others are completely fresh and just written over the past few days. Everything I’m posting for public consumption now is a re-work, simply to give a little background; I don’t know if any of it will make the final cut, and it definitely won’t contribute to my final word count (that’s flat out cheating), but I’m told it’s good enough to be presented, anyway, even if just as a teaser of sorts. Either way, you’ll get a pretty good taste of what Ms. Charmless sounds like. It’ll be up to you to decide if she’s more or less likable than the bane of her existence, otherwise known as Ivy.

Without further ado: Excerpts from “Locked & Cranked” v2.0 (current working manuscript is v3.0, FYI).

P.S. Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who’ve been leaving comments here, and rating my other short pieces; it’s really nice to hear from some of you after so long, and it’s always nice to hear encouragement from all of my friends. I love you guys.

P.S. This update? Just shy of 800 words. That would be why I’m not too freaked about catching up quickly when I need to. I’m impossible to shut up!