"I'm going to dress professional. And by that I mean MY profession, not a streetwalker."

(Title quote from online conversations. Where all the insanity happens.)

I've learned so much this Nano. Like how I ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE SAME SUBJECTS. Governments, Trust, Grief and Family, oh HAI! And colourful hair. That seems to be a theme. (And Fire. Heh.)

And also how what seems to be easy writing is actually based on MONTHS of thinking about the story, the characters, and how it all fits together. If I actually have to think it up when I'm writing it? I am lucky to crank out 500 words an hour.

Also I'm Lazy. :D

But I got my hair cut last night!

I've been told this makes me look Taller, Shorter, Thiner, Curvier,  Healthier, Younger, Older, Prettier, and "just better!"
So it's magic hair?
(Either way, I like it. ^_^)

Without further ado, I usher in Sylvie Stone!

Sylvie: *nods to everyone, with a slight smile*
Interviewer: "How old are you?"
S: "19, sir."
I: "Height?"
S: "5 feet 4 inches, sir."
I: "Do you have any bad habits?"
S: "Nothing that interferes with my work, sir."
I: "What’s your hairstyle?"
S: *mild panic as this must be a trick question* "Regulation, sir."
I: "Have any kids?"
S: "No sir."
I: "Favourite food?"
S: "I enjoy pomegranates and strawberries, sir. Though usually not at the same time."
I: "Killed anyone?"
S: "Yes sir."
I: "Hate anyone?"
S: "Yes sir."
I: "Any secrets?"
S: "Yes sir."
I: "Love anyone?"
S: "Yes sir."
I: "What is your job?"
S: "Sir! I am a Licensed Driver in the employ of Her Majesty, Sir!"
I: "Are you a boy or a girl?"
S: "Female, Sir!"
I: "Family? You can- tone down the yelling, Stone."
S: "Sorry sir. I do have living family, sir. My mother and father, and two sisters and a brother. Sir."
I: "Best Friends?"
S: "That would probably be my brother Goward, sir."
I: "What was the most surprising moment in your life up until now?"
S: "I try not to be surprised, sir."
I: "Where would you rather be?"
S: "I don't understand the question, sir. I'm sorry."
I: "Ever wish to be something else?"
S: "I believe everyone's wished for more income, sir." *smiles* "But that's about the extent of it."
I: "Ever kissed anyone that's not a family member?"
S: "Could you define "kissing," sir?

"

She's just a bundle of personality, is our Sylvie. :D

“A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.”

So yesterday I wrote a little over a thousand words!

*cringes*

Please don't shoot me! I tried! I just- got distracted by other characters?

Alright, that is an excuse and not even a very good one. I'll try to do better. I HAVE to do better, or I'm not going to finish. So yeah. *nods* Note to self. Concentration is for cool people. Look into that.

And now I need another interview so I can figure out who on earth I'm writing! Or, who in space, because it's SF... Anyways. Say hi to Sym, everyone!

*Sym greets the chorus of "hi's" with a guilty flinch, and then glares at everyone*

Sym: "What's your problem? Huh?"
Interviewer: "How old are you?"
S: "Green."
I: "Height?"
S: "I don't care what any of the girls said, I can't fit through there. They just like whining. It's their hobby. Whining and being stupid."
I: "Do you have any bad habits?"
S: "You know, that depends on- Wait....  Why do you ask?"
I: "What’s your hairstyle?"
S: "I don't understand the question."
I: "Have any kids?"
S: "Dozens. Get over it."
I: "Favorite food?"
S: "There are kinds of food?"
I. "Killed anyone?"
S: "I've got amnesia, see. No idea. Probably thousands. OR YOU COULD LOOKING IT UP YOUR SELF ON YOUR FLATLINING COMPUTER YOU"VE GOT THERE YOU GIRL. So no, no idea really."
I: "Hate anyone?"
S: "Only stupid people. So most of humanity, yeah. And all girls."
I: "Any secrets?"
S: *smirks*
I: "Love anyone?"
S: *Tries to continue smirking, but goes red.* "Whatever."
I: "What is your job?"
S: "No idea. Like I said. You're a moron and a girl."
I: "Are you a boy or a girl?"
S: *So. Much. Profanity.*
I: "Family?"
S: "What do YOU think, machine-headed girl-idiot-child?"
I: "Best Friends?"
S: "No one I'd tell YOU about."
I: "What was the most surprising moment in your life up until now?"
S: "When I woke up and didn't know who I was." *laughs*
I: "Where would you rather be?"
S: "Where else COULD I rather be?"
I: "Ever wish to be something else?"
S: "Have something else? Yeah. Be someone else? MASK no."
I: "Ever kissed anyone that's not a family member?"
S: *so red*

"but I think you'll be good to me/ I'll be so good to you."

Today, at work, my plot finally arrived. It may have been fifteen days late, but it's HERE!

Which really means I need characters. I realized, (belatedly, I know,) that my brain was still stuck on short stories. In them, you really only need one character trait, or maybe two. There just isn't time to fit other things in them? And now I'm trying long form again. MUST SHUNT MY BRAIN ONTO NEW TRACK.

This post, therefore, is my attempt to nail down one of my characters. Say hello to Johanne, everyone!

Johanne: "Hi." *dry tone*
Interviewer: "How old are you?"
J: "Seventeen? Why do you ask?"
I. "Height?"
J: "Tall enough..."
I: "Do you have any bad habits? "
J: "That depends on who you ask, really." *bright, fake smile*
I: "What’s your hairstyle?"
J: "It's- hair." *looks at hair, nonplussed* "Dark and in a ponytail?"
I. "Have any kids?"
J: *stares* "Wow. That's just- a special question. If you've seen me out and about, that would be my siblings? You know, not every family has 2.4 children? Some people get a bit edge about cutting their children into five pieces and only keeping two of the limbs. I'm just saying."
I: "Favourite food?"
J: "Sandwiches? You know, I really don't have an absolute favourite. I like cold food, but nothing really stands out."
I: "Killed anyone?"
J: "I'd like to exercise my right to legal council."
I: "Hate anyone?"
J: "Is my lawyer here yet?"
I: "Any secrets?"
J: "Have I been keeping my desire for a lawyer secret? Because I think I've been pretty open about that."
*Later*
New Interviewer: "Do you love anyone?"
J: *small grin* "I wouldn't say I'm incapable of emotion, no. I'm quite close with my family, even when we don't get along. They're very important to me."
NI: "What is your job?"
J: "I'm a student, but for medical reasons I'm studying at home."
NI: "Are you a boy or a girl?"
J: "Well, that sales woman was certainly lying about this shirt being flattering to my so-called curves." *looks up as the pause stretches on. "That was a real quest- girl." *sits back and folds her arms, eyebrows raised.* "I am medically female."
NI: "Family?"
J: *pause* "I wasn't cloned, no..."
NI: "Best Friends?"
J: "Are you capable of using verbs? I think that's the questions we're all waiting on!"
NI: "What was the most surprising moment in your life up until now?"
J: "WELL DONE, you. I applaud your use of language. I'd say that moment right up there, when you spoke so eloquently- that has to be in the top five."
NI: "Where would you rather be?"
J: "Thank here? How long do I have to list places?"
NI: "Ever wish to be something else?"
J: "It is my fondest and most heartfelt desire to be a knife. Or a feather. I don't know what I want. Where are you GETTING these questions?"
NI: "Ever kissed anyone that's not a family member?"
J: *totally red* "N-no?"

So there's Johanne. Touchy and mad, and not at all as worldly as she likes to tell herself. :D

I think I like her. :D

Nano Week 2: "[Insert Witty Quote Here]"

So, as you may have heard, Nano is HARD.

Picture's worth a thousand words? Darn it, I just need eight more pictures to catch up. ^_^

And it just continues to BE hard. Gosh and Golly, it continues to be hard. This may be for a myriad of reasons, including my lack of plot, the fact that all my characters are the same person, or even the rest of my life, which is devouring my brain, soul and memory by the day. University searches, I LOVE YOU. (Wait, that last part was a lie. Oops.)

But the fact remains, I am stuck. I mean, my settings are all pretty, but there's only so much drive I have to talk about settings, if there's no PLOT!

*pokes novel with a stick*

Nano Week 1. "Cause I've seen it before-"

• Words I should be at: 11,669
• Words I am at: 7,519
• Stories within Stories: 3
• Characters who don't have names yet, despite being featured prominently: 2

This has been- hard. Despite what I've been accused of, I do NOT have words on tap. I'm pretty much dry, this year. :P And the fact that I never have any idea where my story is going is also- fun.

Basically I've been motivating myself for a week with the hope of getting to this one line.

The prince stretched out again. “Stone, we’re having air conservation issues. I really must insist on informality. Call me Highness!”

Now what do I write? o.O

---

P.S. I'll update later today with a Character Call and excerpt.