Inside Voices

NaNo portion of the month done. I'm largely pleased with the effort -- and am pressing on to 100,000 words by November 30th.

More to report, but too brain-fried. It's been a *full* couple of days, physically and emotionally around here. Details tomorrow.

Nite.

"Convicted in Absentia" - NaNo Totals:

50,629 / 50,000 (101.3%)

Oh how I've missed you!

"Convicted in Absentia":

42,879 / 100,000 (42.9%)

As I said over on nanonov, with luck and a few hours at Starbucks, I *should* pass the NaNo mark today. If not, definitely tomorrow.

50K in 10-11 days? I'll take that. Particularly when a lot of the past week has been devoted to rewriting/polishing the first couple of chapters. I know, I know -- not supposed to do that during NaNo (and I wouldn't recommend it for most people) -- but at the pace I've been setting, I don't think it's really going to hurt my ability to complete this thing on time.

Plus, I want to be able to have the first three chapters ready to go out in a query package by November 30 -- which means editing/polishing. Luckily it hasn't required much -- my characters are all in a cooperative mood and more than ready to party.

The big challenge on the horizon story-wise is that I've had to write in two additional characters. One of them is going to *really* want to go with Jason and Diane on their adventures and, well, she can't. She'll interfere, she'll weigh down the storyline, and she'll just generally make me miserable.

Ironically enough, she's already causing me problems. Her name (nickname, actually) is Callie, and she's the team mechanic. *facepalm* No wonder she's annoying me right now.

Been fighting off a cold and general ickiness all week. It's not a surprise -- between life and having my brain tied up in this book, I'm not sleeping well or sufficiently. I'm *really* trying to do better, but it's probably going to be touch and go until the end of the month.

Allergy issues aren't helping, but I invested in some Tylenol Day/Night formula for Robin (who's also been suffering), and it appears to be really wonderful stuff. Haven't tried the nighttime stuff yet; it knocked Robin on her ass last weekend, so I've been kind of leery.

Of course she *does* have her father's nonexistant tolerance for those kind of medications...but on the other hand, I haven't been suffering all that much.

Things around the apartment have been surprisingly calm. We're entering another week of Dad charting reasonable/normal bloodsugar readings, so for the first time in nearly a year I'm not dreading his labs next week. Everything else has gotten more manageable as well -- he's listening to Mom and I more, and actually *asking* for help instead of trying to pretend he can still do things. I'm probably going to have to bite the bullet and just handle helping him get dressed while we're away Thanksgiving week, but I definitely want to ease Mom back into that position as quickly as possible.

Not surprisingly (to me, at any rate), Mom is doing *much* better. She's still going in for surgery on the 27th (and needs to), but she hasn't suffered any adverse effects from cutting back the valium dosage. In fact, she's had a lot more energy -- last weekend was the first in far too long that she didn't spend most of it in bed. She's also been offered the possibility of more temp work in December at the Clerk's office, and is considering the possibility that she could be able to do it with a walker. If her doctor agrees -- I think it would be *great* for her self-esteem and recovery.

Gods -- I think what this is all boiling down to is that things are all right. Maybe even...good, with the possibility of better in the future.

Shower. Shower, then back to work! *brandishes pen*

Luckily for me, Jason and Diane are a little more disciplined and have a better idea of where they're going, what they're doing and why. Currently, 2/3 of the way through chapter four, Diane has secured them a line of credit with the Guild of Free Traders, and Jason has charmed his way into the local whorehouse.

The upside of this is that as my pace cranks up to what I need it to be, the words I'm spewing aren't the absolute suckage I achieved last year.

The downside is that I'm going slower than I need to if I'm going to secure the nanonov prize. Which, this year, is a critique by rachelcaine of the 50,000 words you write.

Which is something I and my self-confidence could desperately use at this point. The limited feedback I've gotten from Rachel in the past (on a chapter of Conscience) ended up strengthening the manuscript 100%, and completely turned around reader perception of Jason (Coleman, not Starblaze).

It'd be a nice thing to have prior to setting this particular puppy loose into the world.

"Convicted in Absentia" NaNo Count:

7,449 / 50,000 (14.9%)

Total Written to Date:

17,564 / 100,000 (17.6%)

Yep -- pretty much lost an afternoon and evening to reading the Penguin and restoring relevent scene snippets for the proposed NaNo project.

The proposed NaNo project that I'm beginning to realize there is no way in HELL I'm going to be able to wait thirty days to start. Not and stay sane. *g* It's been three years since I've worked seriously with these characters -- I'm practically drowning in the literary NRE.

Today absolutely must be devoted to more practical pursuits. Dad has a podiatrist appointment this morning -- Robin has a dentist appointment this afternoon. Laundry to do, bathroom to clean, catbox to scoop, deposits to make, bills to pay...all the critical stuff that keeps this place running.

*yawn*

Nonono -- not going back to bed. Not even as a lark. Did that yesterday, and ended up shooting most of the morning in the proverbial foot. *slaps face*

Aw crap -- also wanted to acknowledge beeber2's birthday in the old LJ yesterday. Happy birthday, beeber2!

Wonder if the podiatrist's office has wireless I can crib off of? The amount of time I spend in the waiting room would be good for catching up on the BSG webisodes (is it Friday yet? Is it? Huh?).

Wank continues apace in lj_biz regarding sponsored communities/forums. Much apologizing and acknowledging of wankitude going on -- we're still waiting for them to address the fandom concerns. I don't often take moral high ground positions -- and while the idea of being whored out like a corporate commodity is admittedly gross, as long as they let me keep it out of my LJ experience, I'll most likely stick around.

However, if the fic and icon experience is compromised (and admittedly I can't imagine under the current situation where it wouldn't be) -- then my LJ enjoyment *is* compromised.

And ultimately, it *is* all about me, no? :)

Coffee. Must have coffee. And make bed.

Not necessarily in that order.