Finished fleshing out the last bit of script left in the rough draft of Tell No Tales from NaNoWriMo. Because I figured it’d be easier to write all the way to the end of the story and leave script bits in for later, than stall out on the places where I wasn’t sure what to write in and keep going all the way to the end of the story.
Currently the rough is about 54.6K words. Based on past experience, it’ll gain at least 20K more when I go back through and edit. More details, more characters worked in as foreshadowing, possibly even a few extra events – there’s always something that needs to get added to a rough draft.
I think, though, that I’m at least happy with the arc of events in the story and the rough pacing so far. Characters meet, bounce off each other, investigate a murder (and following murders), face baddies, figure out Whodunit, have final confrontation, and do some clean-up at the end. Always good.
I also managed to get in weather as a factor. Because it so is. Especially if you have to drive places while the rain is hitting you sideways.
Current plan is to get a printout of those last bits of Tales, then put it all together in a folder and leave it alone for at least a month. Best way to come back to the story fresh, and realize what actually got onto the page vs. the story in your head.
In the meantime, still doing some persnickety stuff on Pearl of Fire. I think I’ve got the e-version and paperback inside drafts mostly done; I need some info from the cover artist, though. And the final cover art. And then to get an ISBN from Amazon and jump through hoops for an LCCN, hopefully.
*Flops over.* That and to recover from Murphy’s party over the holidays. Apparently my family wants me to avoid any use of the phrase, “I’m doing X just in case Y.” Because at least 3 of those “just in case”s have happened in the past week.
Crossover Queen's Creative Chaos 
*\{^o^}/* Hooray! This is awesome! I’m super excited for you!
Also, why doesn’t your family join in prep? Prepping for disaster is just good sense. And it means that no one person is stuckas the Cassandra.
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There are mental aspects of forecasting disasters, preparing contingencies, and handling emergencies that can be difficult to teach.
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Though I definitely recc’ Deep Survival for exploring what mindsets lead you into trouble, and out of it. “The map is not the territory” is a very important phrase. Way too often, to give just one survival problem example, people get into trouble following the map without realizing they’re lost.
Which is why one of the first rules when you do realize you’re lost is, “Don’t just do something, sit there.” I.e., stop, breathe, take a moment to calm down and let the panicked adrenaline flush out of your system. Because adrenaline is great for beating down man-eating lions, but lousy when your life depends on thinking your way out of trouble.
I’m actually very prone to panic. For whatever reason, my nervous system has an extremely low threshold for it. Which, ironically, means I am very, very used to how it shuts down my brain and exhausts me. So I plan for things going wrong, before they do, as much as possible.
…Think I read one psych guy who said in a survival situation, the person he wanted to be sitting by was the one with acute panic disorder. Because they would have already figured out where the exits are.
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*Crosses fingers, knocks on wood about books!*
As for family… don’t get me started. Just… don’t. I’m the pessimist in the family, and they hate it when I’m right.
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Thanks.
One thing that comes to mind? Some of what is going on may be subconscious processing of subtle hints that the contingency is more likely. Obviously lots of unreliability that keeps prevention from being a simple subsequent step.
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Eh. Part of it is just past experience that things tend to go wrong around this time of year, and because of the holidays getting repair people is not easy or cheap. I have contingency plans for lots of things. Including a copy of Eating Through the Zombie Apocalypse.
…It’s a really cool book! With lots of good survival tips. And a sense of humor. 😉
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sympathies on Murphy. We’ve had too many visits from him ourselves this year. And how can you prepare for the house making you sick? (it was sewage gas seeping & very well hidden ex termite & critter remnants outgassing.)
Yay on progress on the book.
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Ouch. As someone who keeps finding more allergies, I sympathize. Hope you’ve got that contained now. 🙂
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Murphy really likes you, doesn’t he? I’m sorry. I have family members that don’t like it when I’m right about things going wrong either, it sucks. Here’s hoping he leaves you alone for at least a couple of months in the new year!!
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*Stares at you glassy-eyed from last night’s Murphy.* Thanks. It’s appreciated. 🙂
We can hope. I do hope. I’m not optimistic.
(“Hope is having two plans.”)
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True. “Hope for the best, plan for the worst.” Right? 🙂
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I need Plan D….
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