"and a creature which had once been a young woman rose, all bloodstained petticoats and ribbons."

[ontology]

Over eight thousand words, and I dislike my story a little less. In fact I have written an entire sequence that I am really quite pleased with, and which even involved a tiny bit of plot. The terrifically aggravating thing about NaNo is that apparently -- I'd mostly forgotten this -- things change rather frequently in my writing, by which I mean I will have written something one way and then realise within short order that it actually came about this way, or that this thing happened in between, or that person has been here all along. Then I go back and write in the explanation or the introduction. NaNo, of course, is all about Pressing Onwards and Not Editing Ever. So I currently have: an important secondary character who appeared, complete with name and personality, out of nowhere, a sort of sunlight talisman whose origin I have not quite discerned, and an odd ability of Evangeline's that must have been discovered a very long time ago.

So, yes, some Plot did happen. I am so pleased. Not any of the Plot I had planned, but it does lead into my plans, and I hadn't figured out what did that yet, so this is nice. My somehow writing over two thousand words today (twice as much as my usual daily output thus far) is mostly due to finally having something to write about, although the sessions with Victoria and Jonathan last night also helped. (Also I know what is going to happen at the end of this chapter, and that will make everything much more interesting and finally give me much material with which to work. They say the beginning is the best and the second week is the hardest, but honestly? For me I think the second week is going to go so very much better.) 

Yesterday there was work, and it was dull. Oh goodness was it ever dull. I did not, however, muck up any sales so badly I had to void them, so that was a perk -- but I only had six or seven sales in four hours. I was warned the kiosk could be deathly boring. Well, now I believe them. I am not allowed to bring things to do -- like my notebook -- because The Company (not my boss, but The Man, seriously) does not wish for me to look otherwise occupied and therefore discourage customers. Says I: BUT THERE ARE NO CUSTOMERS TO DISCOURAGE. I swear, tomorrow I am going to smuggle in a book under my shirt or something. Wear a jacket with pockets. I want to be a good employee and not flout rules, but also? I am cannot be a good employee if I am so inactive that I can barely think straight, which is what happened yesterday. That was one of the things that I really loved about working Waldenbooks, by the way -- even when there weren't customers I could still keep busy with useful work, mostly finding where books go and putting them there. (Also there were a lot more customers.) Now the only thing I can do to relieve the boredom is walk around the kiosk multiple times, making sure no-one has knocked over any of the displays (they haven't). GAH. I cannot wait to acquire store hours again.

I did find a notepad and a pen after a while and wrote fifty-one words on the sly. I would have written more, but again, I was so utterly bored I couldn't even focus. I don't even get bored most of the time. (But then, usually I can bring a book.) 

ALSO? My kiosk is right in front of FYE. Right at the doorway they had this GIGANTIC POSTER OF EDWARD CULLEN. He looked clammy and damp and seriously contagious (whose brilliant idea was it to give the vampires bloodshot eyes? they don't look eerie or beautiful or otherworldly, they look like they have THE WORST COLDS KNOWN TO MAN and all I know is that I DO NOT WANT THEM TO SNEEZE NEAR ME). So my entire shift he is there, glowering at me and looking rather nauseated and all I could think was "STOP STARING AT ME I DID NOT TAKE YOUR STICKERS LEAVE ME ALOOOONE."

This is where you observe that I have gone mad from boredom.

And my legs ached like -- something, I am out of metaphors after two thousand five hundred words or so -- when I got home, ow. I won't even tell you guys about closing up the cash register after my shift. (LEAST. FAVOURITE. PART. EVER.)

Then I walked to Jonathan's, because the Angelmobile, while not totalled, is certainly out of commission until his tire gets fixed. There was a NaNo get-together with Victoria. Because of the walking I arrived ten to fifteen minutes late, and it took five to eight more minutes for anyone to figure out I was waiting outside. (Jonathan's apartment does not have doorbells. Nor can I get into the hallway and go up and knock on his door without a key. Usually when people come over he waits on the porch to let them in, but I was -- like I said, kind of late.) I threw bark at his window and waved my arms and yelled and everything. (One of his neighbours looked out the window at me curiously and I kind of smiled apologetically and kept waving my arms. I didn't want to make a lot of noise because I really didn't want to upset his neighbours, but I also did not want to stand outside all night. Fortunately it has been extremely warm all week.) 

He finally saw me and let me in, and then there were rollicking good times with word wars, candy, describing each other's NaNos, catching up with Victoria, and general organised chaos. It was splendid.

Today I did not work and instead wrote a lot, sometimes outside, and baked cupcakes, and finished re-reading Sunshine for approximately the thirty-seventh time.

Comments

[spockodile.livejournal.com]

For the record, I did _not_ see or hear you. I was merely going down to the porch to check if you were there yet. You weren't the first time I checked; you were the second.

While I have absolutely no authority in the matter, out of genuine concern for you and a knowledge of How Reality Works In The Real World (Of Which You Are Part), it is my vehement suggestion that the devilmobile be abstained from until such time as the _brakes_ are fixed, in addition to the tire.

[bonny-kathryn.livejournal.com]

I wish I could start a story and just start writing and find out where it's going as I write. But I have to know where I am going before I can start, or my story doesn't go anywhere. So, my NaNo has an outline that I shall probably follow. But I am in awe of anyone who can write anything without an outline.

[greyeyedpixie.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry that you had a boring workday. I've had receptionist jobs that were so dull that I'd smuggle books in & read them under the counter.

And I love the little bit about the Edward Cullen poster. ;) At least that made the day a little more entertaining. Perhaps... :)

Good luck with your story.

[lady-moriel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, basically you can do whatever you can get away with, so...as long as no one sees you writing/reading, or it looks like you're doing something work-related, and as long as you jump to whenever the occasional customer does wander by, there really shouldn't be a problem. And another thing you could probably do? This is a bit harder to explain away if you're caught at it so it might not be a good idea, but: it is possible to hide earbuds under one's hair and have the cord going down one's back or even under one's clothes so that it's virtually invisible. (With your shorter hair this might be more difficult, but I'm guessing it would be doable if you're desperate.) You'd have to make sure the volume's low enough so you can hear everything else, but that way you could at least have music to keep you going mad, or even an audiobook. Like Storm Front (http://www.megaupload.com/?d=E23G2FSZ), for instance, because Dresden Files = win. (Which reminds me, I still need to re-upload the other three Dresden audios.)

Also? The passage your subject line is from? I read that on your NaNo page and verily it is awesome. So creepy.

[lady-moriel.livejournal.com]

Wait, hello, you switched to third-person! When did that happen?