Behold Chapter 13! I just finished typing this up a few minutes ago and then did my copy/paste/edit for webpage/upload mess right after. I also updated the Writings page to keep it up-to-date with all the chapter additions. I doubt that I could get Chapter 14 typed up today since I’m not really sure where it’s going to end, and I might want to switch over to adding new content to Book 2. Then, of course, at some point, I’m going to have to type up all of Book 2 on the computer as well. I prefer writing the novels on paper because then when I go back and edit things, I have the original and all subsequent changes right there on the page. I just think it’s easier to keep track of, and it’s far more portable than my heavy laptop. I’m a luddite, I guess. What can I say?

I have, however, struck upon some innovation recently in coming up with book titles. For a while now, I’ve had it stuck in my head that I want the series to have titles all consisting of locutions concerning the number two. I’ll likely alter many of them slightly, but at least it gives the series a theme and something to work with as a base for titles because I suck so much at coming up with them on my own. So the first novel is currently titles “Two Minds Are Better than One.” The second novel is “Two’s Company, Three’s Trouble.” The third book is currently titled “Second Time’s a Charm.” It’s not technically the number two, but “second” is just a different way of saying the “twoth” of something because English is wonky and can’t have regular ordinal numbers (though many other languages share this obnoxious trait as well). Actually, “twoth” is a funny word, lol. “The twoth, the whole twoth, and nothing but the twoth,” hehe. Now I’m just being silly. The point is, I actually have some working titles I don’t completely hate, and that makes me happy.

In addition to having come up with titles, last night I worked out some of the plot kinks in Book 3 (“Second Time’s a Charm”), and have decided I’m going to use it for the NaNoWriMo event this year. I’ve even already posted it on my NaNoWriMo page. I also threw a link to NaNoWriMo over on the left side of the page where I throw just about everything else, except my Adagio Teas link at the bottom of the page.

Where was I and what was I talking about prior to blathering on about links? Uh, oh yeah! Using Book 3 as my NaNoWriMo. I figure it’s safe to work on Book 3 without having finished Book 2 because Book 3 is what I’m calling a “flukeman” book. See, in the X-files, there are episodes that further the overall storyline of the series (called the Mythology episodes) and then there are the random episodes which are one-timers, episodes where Mulder and Scully run into situations or people they’ll likely never be in or meet again though the episode itself might add a little to their characters in general. Such an episode is the episode with the Flukeman, a hybrid of a man and a flukeworm. I bet Sarah could say the actual name of that episode, and owning all the seasons, I could easily wander over to the DVD towers and look, but I’m feeling lazy.

At any rate, Book 2 is a Mythology book, one which furthers the overall storyline and is important to the entire world I’m creating. Book 3 is more of a Flukeman book. While it adds to the characters’ character and has some substance worth adding to the series as a whole, it’s generally OK as a stand-alone and can be written as such. Book 4 is Mythology, so I can’t work on it without having finished Book 2. Book 5 is Flukeman, so I could probably work on it (and actually already have several chapters finished), but it’s a touchy one and I’d rather wait on it. Book 6 is Mythology, and a major one so no way I could jump that far ahead. Book 7 is Flukeworm, but also partly Mythology. Book 8 is Flukeworm dependent upon Mythology, and Book 9 is all Mythology. Needless to say, even if say, Book 7 were all Flukeworm, it’s way too far along in the series to where I’d feel comfortable skipping Books 2-6 to write it. Book 3, however, is close enough to Books 1 and 2 that I can probably crank it out as a rought draft (that’s what NaNoWriMo asks you to do in the first place) then go back and fix any broken Mythology later. So Book 3 it is for NaNoWriMo.

And this post has gone on far longer than anticipated. I guess I’m just feeling verbose after having focused on literature and writing for the past several hours. I even stayed up last night until three working on fixing plot holes in Book 3 to get it ready to go for next month. I’ve sketched out an outline with some brief explanations for certain sticky areas, and I’ve printed out my notes for that book as well to keep on hand when I start working on it. I’ll just keep the book in the back of my mind while I work on Books 1 and 2 and while I’m crocheting. It feels good to be writing so much. I’d feel better to have a job and be writing so much though. 😛 I hope the temp agency calls soon. I guess I’ll type up more of Book 1 to get my mind off of that. Later!