I am still working on my novel in a new way, but I’ve let go the idea of making 50,000 words this year (meaning in this year’s event– the 30 days).

My home and children are calling me in new ways, and I don’t want to neglect that call.

At the same time, I feel a need to get my first draft finished soon enough to respond to an editor’s interest while she still remembers me. My first chapters have changed enough that I can’t trust she’ll recognize me by the work.

So here is my new(est) quandary: finding contentment despite the unknown– in every realm.

So I started reading Stein on Writing last night (Hi Kaye).

My husband was reading Eragon and occasionally gave me updates on inconsistencies and mapping problems he said evidenced the author’s inexperience (i.e., his youth). Jay’s still enjoying the story, though.

I haven’t read it yet (picked it up at the used-book store and Jay got it first.)

After his comment about rivers running up-hill I submitted a plea that he draw me a map of my story. I don’t know how big a sin it is, but I have no image of my story’s land, and, as my husband has noted before in frustration, I’m not a natural at reading them either.

Basically the reading confirmed my theory that my Lindorm story is primarily plot-driven rather than character-driven. Especially after the characterization chapters, I’ve decided that I’m going to re-start my novel and write it character-driven instead.

This will mean I’m following the rules again (new work on November 1), give me a new angle, and assuming it goes to the same conclusion (something for which I suppose I have no guarantee) I expect to combine the two versions– which I hope will allow me to reach my goal of having a completed (entire) first draft.

The interesting thing to me is that as my characters have fleshed out they beg for new and bigger parts. I think the folktale structure will survive, but it will be richer and more reasonable. I already have parts where my characters are very transparent, but as I’ve never focused specifically on character as I’m writing, that’s what I want to do this time.

Theoretically I was supposed to do this at the NaNo meeting this afternoon, but I got off on the inconcrete randomness of happenings instead of staying focussed on my main Character, so for anybody who wondered: Yes, I am doing NaNoWriMo again this year, but it will be to finish the novel I started last year.

(Competition is good for me– and I like to get this 1st-draft stage over with quickly).

Main Character Exercise

• Main character’s name: Linnea
• One-Sentence Summary of MC’s storyline: A crippled weaver finds out after she marries her prince that a powerful djinn holds a grudge against her new family and is working to destroy them.
• MC’s motivation (what she wants abstractly): Peace and security
• MC’s goal (what she wants concretely): to protect her children and confirm her husband’s innocence
• MC’s conflict (what keeps her from reaching this goal): miscommunication and the djinn’s active interference
• MC’s epiphany (what she learns/how she changes): Action and inaction are both choices, and learning who to trust can mean the difference between life and death.
• One-Paragraph summary of MC’s storyline:
  • Linnea marries her prince and begins “blending” a family, but her happily ever after is disrupted when her husband leaves to help rescue a kidnapped family member. While he is away a letter with his seal orders her execution. Escaping with her children she hides in the forest and meets the djinn who arraigned the kidnapping, seeking to eliminate the royal family. In a series of confrontations Linnea must decide whether to get involved, and how to destroy the djinn’s threat.

Put up another 1200+ words last night.

Is it bad to have such a heroic secondary character?  I wonder…

In case anyone’s noticed how slow it’s been lately: I have dived back into reading, writing, and revising YA (particularly my novel).

I’ve been mostly avoiding blog-reading and blog-writing because it’s too easy to become like the company one keeps, and that type of writing is distinctly different from where my heart and passions are right now.

I’m not sure when or how often I’ll be posting for a while. Enjoy the archives! ;)

So I’m working my way through Nehemiah, and find myself pulling storytelling and character-building/revealing principles from it as I go along.

Some stuff about Nehemiah combined with an edge character that I knew needed something more to do. A whole subplot developed between naming him a few weeks ago and Bible study a few days ago.

I love how a whole character stepped out of a name (though at this point I think the name– Tyko– will have to go). The bit from Nehemiah didn’t change him, just brought his basic nature–perceptive but humble– into sharper focus.

He’s got quite a dashing role now, and even a sweetheart.

It’s fun to be able to include a new POV, and he’s useful too. He is both sympathetic to the main character (without being romantically involved) and staying behind when she journeys, so we can still see what happens after she leaves.