I am a fan of secret rivers!

Here's to inordinate excitement about a probably-foolish undertaking that occurs in a little over three weeks! *breaks out the chocolate*

My story was seeming too large to deal with, but now it's under control. Pretty much. :D Scene charts colour-coded for character POVs are my salvation. As is caller ID. Strangely excellent for names, that. 

And I love my characters. They still need a lot of work done though. :D Strangely,  I know why the girls function, but not exactly what they'll do in any given situation- while I know what the guys would say in most situations, but not why. This issue is probably aided by the fact that I have little-to-no idea why guys do things most of the time. 

In fact, this is probably a good time to offer a flat apology for any masculine POV's I inflict on the world. I'm sorry. 

SO EXCITED!!!!!!

A line that barged into my head without knocking.

"My love, I also desire peace. I simply do not desire my own destruction as a means to that peace.

What, did you think that I enjoy this war? You really are dreadfully idealistic."

"These people are in Brazil, right?" "Yep." "So why are they speaking Spanish?" "Americans." "Right."

I was just trying to write up a synopsis of my story for the Nano website, and I realized that it doesn't really have a plot. I mean, there are lots of people, and they do things, people get mad and things are broken, places are visited and firefights are engaged in; and that's about it. There isn't really anything I can point to and say, "that is what my story is centered around," without looking quite foolish. 

This worries me.

On the other hand, I have a grand total of NO homework, so things could be worse. :P

P.S. Oh, and also there are some massive political machinations, but that's just the setting, not central to the lack-of-plot. Is that all right? Now I'm all worried. *insecure* But it's good that I caught this now, and not three days in, as I did in May.

"A year at college didn't do much towards breaking the coffee habit."

Yeah. 

Remember how I said I'd try to guilt myself into finishing up M's D last month? Didn't work out so hot. I think I wrote, oh, 600 words? If I'm being charitable. 

So now I have three days to try and stay within my self-imposed deadline. 

I bet myself a writing evening at Tim's that I don't make it. (and let's see, so if I win, I have to pay myself a writing evening. And if I lose, I have to pay myself a writing evening. A delicious cycle. :P)

"Don't make me try and find adjectives to describe you."

It's almost the end of September? How did that happen? If find it especially of note because I intend to spend October in preparation for Nano. And I think I'm gonna need the whole month because of my unwieldily story which keeps morphing every time I look at it. (She's angry! She's sad! She's gifted! She's clumsy! They're snobbish! They're nice! They're noble! They're conned! He's trying to commit suicide! He's a secret enemy! And so on...)

I REALLY need to pin it down. But that means I need to get Merchant's Daughter mostly out of my head. Which therefore means that I have to try and get it done by the end of the month. And why am I writing this? Because I hope that, perhaps, I will be guilted enough by my public admission that I will actually finish it. Perhaps. :D

Doesn't hurt to try!

You know what this is? This is awesome slapping you in the face!

"The key is Sincerity. Once you can fake that you can do anything."

I have a story in my head for NaNoWriMo. This is good, yes? Yes. Is good. 

However, it has been in my head since March, pretty much, and it keeps growing. The thing is EPIC. It's Science fiction, which probably helps the scale, but the thing will not retain a sense of perspective. It currently lurks behind my eyes and whispers enticingly that everything is related to the story. Today, the items which set me off were,

This

This

and General Drive-thru-ness 

The thing has tentacles. 

• I have back-story. 
• I have history of my empire(s). Yes, I have THREE distinct cultures which need imagining. Scrap that, I think I need four. Oh my, it's five. Five. Good grief.
• I have three characters who have etched their viewpoints on the inside of my brain and demanded that I relate them, and I can see three others who will grab text if given half a chance. 
• I have four major "adventures" and flashbacks. 
• I have costume design, for goodness sake. COSTUME DESIGN. Why???
• I don't have maps- only because my empires are three-dimensional. 
  

I need to write this before it gets utterly out of control.