Passages of Light and Darkness

 

Nanowrimo Day 4:

 

 

The chapter I wrote today was in twelve year old Gary’s POV. I tried to keep it as if he were doing the thinking, but I’m sure this chapter will need work later.

 

I contacted a woman from the UF critique group I belong to and she’s doing Nanowrimo too. So far, she’s ahead of me. I passed the 8,000 mark today, but she’s already over 10,000. I’m impressed and hopefully this will spur me on to write more.

 

I read through the outline and discovered a very important loose end that was never explained. The Disruptors (bad guys) simply slip out of the picture at the end without even a good-bye. This has to be rectified but I’m not sure how yet. I’ll mull it around for a while, but there’s got to be a good battle scene there.

 

I’m considering having the Disruptors bring in pieces of randomness and chaos and things start to go haywire on earth. But how then will the good guys get rid of them? I’ll think of something, but right now the only way I can think of to get rid of them is to impose order and uniformity over them. And I have no idea of how to do this, yet anyway.

 

I’m also putting notes at the beginning of each chapter on things to check for the second draft.

 

My son is stopping by Sunday for an early birthday celebration. So, I’ll have to write more before then, ‘cause Sunday will probably be a wash. If anyone is interested the Nanowrimo site is: nanowrimo.org/ — but don’t stop by for about a week as traffic at the site now is horrendous. But check it out later in the month. When nanowrimo started they only had the November Nanowrimo. Now they have other activities throughout the year. If you’re interested in writing, check it out.      

 

 

 

 

After writing the names of my characters Gary and Jerry, over and over, I decided they sound too much alike. So Jerry is now Sam. I remember reading the names of your characters shouldn’t sound similar or look the same.

 

Having just changed over to Windows 7, it took me several tries to find out how to find and replace all the Jerry’s with Sam’s. I’m not sure how long it takes you “nons” (by this I mean non-handicapped people) to learn how to use a new system, but this one seems to be taking forever. All the key commands to do certain functions have changed. The other day I shut down Word before I’d finished by using the wrong key combo. And this is not the time to be learning a new way to do things, but no one asked my opinion.

 

(For those of you who don’t know, I use a screen reader, so I can’t use the mouse, nor can I “see” the screen. So, all the things you just click on I have to do using the keyboard. Some of the commands are triple key (pressing three keys at the same time), but most of them are only two.)

 

Anyway I wrote two chapters today. The third chapter was a short one, and introduced the antagonist, a being called a Disruptor. That chapter still needs work, and it left me unsatisfied.

 

The fourth chapter is told in the male protagonist’s POV (point of view) and in third person. It gave me a chance to describe the female heroine, whose POV was used for the first two chapters. My total is over 7000 words. Still ahead of schedule.    

 

 

 

 

Already on the second day of writing, I made a significant change. I added a new character; a Jamaican woman to care for the adolescent while he’s staying at his aunt’s to keep him safe. Originally I had him going with his aunt and her partner, but thinking about, it didn’t seem feasible. So, the new character.

 

This brings up a question: is writing from an outline or by the seat of your pants better? From my perspective, I think aspects of both should be used. At least that’s the way I do it.

 

Last year I tried Nanowrimo without an outline, and though I got some good scenes, it didn’t work for me. So this year, I’m back to using an outline. But I’m going to let the characters take charge. Like when Mama Cedra (the Jamaican woman) decided to join the story. This is how I used to do it, years ago when I started writing fiction to vent.

 

Later when I began to write short stories for publication, I tried to stick to only outlining. But a novel is a different animal from a short, and should be treated as such. So, instead of choosing to be a “plotter” or a “pantser” find what’s comfortable for you and go with it.

 

I did another chapter today, bringing my total up to a bit over 4,400 words. Still a bit ahead of schedule.  

 

 

 

November is National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo). Published novelists and those of us either taking tentative steps into the world of real books or those who just want to test the waters will be busy this month. The goalpost is 50,000 words written in the month of November. You can of course, go over, but you must make this limit to qualify. The prize at the end you might ask. A certificate and the sense of a job well done. Don’t laugh, kingdoms have been traded for less.

 

So, I have my outline, character analysis and the drive to do it again.

 

My novel, working title: Under the Bridge, is a UF (Urban Fantasy) novel. It has a bit over 30 chapters and will run over 70,000 words (by my estimation at this point).

 

I estimate to write about a chapter a day. This will bring me over the word limit and get me just about through the book. But that’s the plan now at the beginning of the month. It may, and probably will, change as the month progresses. On November 1, I wrote the first chapter and put down over 2,300 words. So, the race has begun.

 

There is a literary device used by authors called Internal Dialogue. It’s used to let the reader know the internal thoughts and feelings of the POV (point of view, or the person currently telling the story) character.

 

What I don’t understand is why it’s called Internal Dialogue. It usually takes place inside someone’s head — shouldn’t it be called Internal Monologue? While some do call it Internal Monologue it’s still better known by the Internal Dialogue label.

 

If it is a dialogue, then it must be between the — me, myself and I of the POV character.

 

(Warning: Headhopping is entirely possible in the following example. If you don’t know what headhopping is, don’t worry, just enjoy the example.)

 

Setting: Gathered in a clearing in the woods are — a capital I, and the words myself and me. They’re here to determine who’s in charge of Internal Dialogue.

 

I said, “Being the only capitalized one here, I declare I the ruler in every situation.”

 

“You can’t do that. There are three of us, we should vote,” myself said. She caught me’s eye and raised her eyebrows.

 

“Me agree.” I must be brought down a couple of pegs.

 

 

I sniffed. “Myself, you should address me as I, not you. Remember capitals rule over lower case.”

 

“At the beginning of sentences, me and myself are capitalized too,” me said.

 

“That’s only at the beginning of sentences, I am capitalized every time.” I smirked. These fools don’t have a chance against I.

 

“The fact I is capital and taller, doesn’t make I better,” me said.

 

I grinned, pleased at me’s correct usage of I. “True, but I is the easiest to say and spell.”

 

“Me is also easy to spell, and me could represent the underdog being small. So me should rule for equality’s sake,” me said. Ha, used part of your own argument against I. 

 

 

I and myself ignored me.

 

“I am also the tallest, able to see over smaller naming words such as me and myself,” I said.

 

“Being bigger doesn’t make I better,” myself said. “It only makes I meaner.” What an ego I has.

 

“Even mean might makes right,” I said. These inferior words don’t have a chance.

 

Me walked behind myself and grabbed her by the back of her neck. “Come here.”

 

“What’s wrong, me?” Myself struggled and finally shook free.

 

Me whispered in myself’s ear, “Together me and myself may be able to overcome I. Listen to a plan…”

 

As me spoke, a grin spread across myself’s face. “It might work.”

 

Myself went over to talk to I. “Would I consider sharing control? I, me and myself could split the rule three ways. It could be divided up as a day a piece on a rotating schedule.”

 

I gasped. “Share control? Are me and myself daft?” Sharing with inferiors was out of the question. 

 

Me sneaked up behind I and threw a loop of rope around I’s top crosspiece. Tightening the rope, me ran backwards.

 

Myself jumped on the toppling I, causing I to stagger and lose balance.

 

I hit the ground with a loud crunch.

 

“Ouch, you hurt I.” I rubbed its top cross piece.

 

Me and myself used the rope to stake I to the ground.

 

“Well, now myself shall be boss,” myself said.

 

“Says who?” me said.

 

“Myself has the most letters, and so am leader by default.” “With I down, the longer naming word should win.” At last, to rule. 

 

“The number of letters shouldn’t matter.” Me pouted. There must be some way to win. ? 

 

“But my longer letter usage makes myself a better leader.” Myself smiled. Everyone knew length and intelligence were directly related. 

 

“How do you figure that?” Me peered at myself. Myself would be harder to topple, but it could be done.  

 

“It’s only logical.” 

 

“What about all that stuff about sharing?” me said.

 

“That was only until myself gained control.” Myself said. Give up already. 

 

Me bunched herself up and rolled at myself, knocking her over. As myself hit the ground, me staked her out like I.

 

“Me, what are you doing?” myself said.

 

“With the two of you staked down, me am the leader.” Me scratched her head. “But there doesn’t seem to be anyone left to rule.”   

 

Ahh, the trials and tribulations  of Internal Dialogue, or with only me left, is it now definitely  Internal Monologue?