Relax. I haven’t done anybody in…yet…though somebody DID pluck my nerves Saturday in such a MIGHTY way, it warranted some serious azz kicking to almost near-death proportions. I’ma leave that alone cause the mere THOUGHT of what was said to me makes my teeth itch and my blood boil. And um, now that I think about it, somebody else hit my irritation button yesterday but you know what? That was a flea - one flick and he was gone. Over. Done.

Anywho…on to the “real” murder.

My novel-in-progress. I’m KILLING it!

No, not as in “scraping” it. As in wracking up the word count. Whoo-frigging-hoo! I set a goal of reaching 20,000 words by this Friday. I crossed over that line yesterday afternoon. 24,000 words. That’s right…twenny-fo thou!! Go Jackie, Go Jackie!! Now, is it 24,000 “solid” words? Well…see….what had happened was….um…

Honestly? I don’t know. I mean, I wrote what I think are some tight scenes. They flow. Individually. But um, when knit together will them make a beautifully quilted story? Um…I’m not sure. The thing is, this story is coming to me in scenes. And not sequential scenes either. It’s all over the map. The first scene I ever wrote was the prologue. Then I wrote the ending scene. Backed up and wrote a scene that will be a middle scene. These characters have been jumping all over the place trying to tell this story. Sheesh! If this is how they live, I see why they have relationship problems.

It’s all good though. I really just want to get the words on the page then I can go back and reorder scenes, tighten up writing…all that stuff that comes with editing. We never did much “Show-and-Tell” when I was in school and somehow I think that’s carried over to my novel. I think I’m trying to make up for it by “telling” with just a wee bit of “showing”. We’ll see. As wordy as I am, it shouldn’t be hard to go back and add descriptive prose to the mix right? Um. that’s purely rhetorical. For the longest time, I didn’t think I could write fiction. I didn’t think I would be good at writing dialogue. Ha! I don’t know why - as many voices as I be hearing in my head.

I need to go back to my outline - it’s a very, very high level outline. Ok, basically it’s how the story starts, a couple of things that happen in the middle, and how the story ends (which is subject to change). In other words, I’m winging it. *sigh* So not the plan I had in mind but “the Muse” reminds me that he is driving this train and I am along only for my dictation skills. That muse. He can be such an animal sometimes.

As I was writing yesterday, it dawned on me that I just might have to commit murder. No, not as part of the storyline although that chick, the antagonist, is irking me to no end. That’s why she got a knife thrown at her head in the opening scene. But no, as I was reviewing my character chart, I realized I’d given the lead character a younger sister, a mother, and a father. I’ve written 13 scenes and not once have any of them entered the story. So, they’re just clutter. Extras. Fluff.

Hmm…I think I’ll kill off the sister (um, she won’t be a part of the storyline. Ever). That will explain the lead character’s close friendship with the heffa “alleged” best friend. And her parents? Hmmm…oh, I got it. They will meet untimely deaths which tie in with another plot twist. Hehehehehe.

Ahhhh, I love it when a plan comes together. Well, when a high-level plot comes together that is.

Keep ya fingers crossed. If mine are crossed, I can’t write.

Forgive the cheesy pun. Charge it to the fact that I’ve been up all night.

Yep, I got the fever.

Forget the 12-step program unless it moves me 12-steps closer to the end of this novel in progress.

Off to greet the day before my fictional rampage begins!

Live DELICIOUSLY!

~*~ J ~*~