What I know < What I don't know (Word Count = 15,042)

Yes...I know I should closing in on 21K words...but I have 15K...it could be worse.  I have decided to not stress so much about the word count.  I'll write when I feel like writing.  If there are others things I would rather be doing...I'll do them.  It just feels better all around.  My novel is taking shape.  As with every November, I'm learning lots of things that I was not expecting too.  This is my first attempt at Young Adult Fiction...so my characters are in high school at that perfect age of 17ish.  Well...perfect for some.  It was one of my favorite ages...I got a car...I got a real grown up job...I got an A on my term paper...and I was in a hurry to leave high school behind.  I have written young characters before...but this is very different.  It is good to stretch yourself in new and different ways.  It is a completely different perspective.  I am having fun with it.

What I know so far...

1. My girl hero is Agnes.
2. My boy hero is Shane.
3. Another boy named Jaren appeared in Agnes's Spanish class...who knows where this will go.  
4. Agnes has an Aunt Ellen who is part mother, part big sister, and part best friend.
5. Agnes's favorite teacher is Betty Torres...she teaches Economics and Business Law.
6. Agnes is about to embark on a Junior Achievement student company adventure.
7. Agnes may or may not be selected as the President of aforementioned student company.
8. Shane may or may not have a huge problem with this; he thinks he should be the President.
9. There may end up being two student company's - one "on the books" for school and one "off the books" because Agnes has big ideas and knows how to bring them to fruition.

 What I don't know so far... 

1. Where the novel takes place.
2. What time of year it is.
3. What the name of the High School is.
4. What Aunt Ellen does for a living.
5. What Agnes's parents names are.  What they look like.
6. What Agnes's style is.  What her favorite song is. What her favorite candy is.
7. What the duration of the story is - a week, a month, a season, a year.
8. What the name(s) of the student company's will be.
9. This list goes on...and on...

I never let the details hold me back...I just keep writing...it all sorts out in the end.

And she is off...Word Count = 1,212

So the fun begins...after a crazy long day at work...I came home...and cranked out 1,212 words without really stressing too much. I eased into it really. I have a main character with a name. I have a boy character (of course!!). I have the main character's boss. I love my names this year so far...very inspirational thanks to the NanoWrimo Kick-off Party yesterday. My muse is working!! It is a cute little monkey named Choptank...more to come on that later. All I can say is that it is working!!

Discoveries made this evening in my short time noveling - my character works at a company called Canton Niles. Her bosses name is Brenna Kent...who is the boss's daughter. I know right? Who knows where we will go from here!!

Fortune Telling of Sorts or Verification?

A couple of days ago I made a proclamation that I thought it would be neat to have psychic reading done at some point. Just for grins. Since I'm so intuitive, I thought it might be a fun thing to see if what I think matches what they would think. Plus, it seemed like something fun to do with my current character, Lolly Friar or one from another of my uncompleted novels. In the name of research and all...this could be interesting.

After sharing this bit of randomness with my girls (Sister, Mom, and Grandma), they looked at me like I was crazy. Which, admittedly, I very well could be. To allay their concerns I said the following:

"Don't worry, I'm not talking about going to someone behind a curtain at the Fair or anything."

To which they immediately burst out laughing.

Thinking about Characters...

I have been thinking most about a character who recently came into a clearer view. I even have a nickname for him now - "JP". JP wears old school addias - Gazelles to be exact. The blue kind of course...because how cute do they look with scrubs? Very cute in deed. As I was driving home last night, I was enjoying the Beastie Boys...XM was playing Root Down. I had not listened to them in a while. In thinking about it...it occurred to me that JP would be insanely into the Beasties. So...just like that...he came into view this weekend during my 10,000 word craziness...and now he has a nickname, a trademark kind of sneaks, and a favorite band.

This particular character has morphed a bit...in my original book planning I thought he would be older...but now...I think he will be in his 30's. And well...he has really pretty blue eyes. And...hmmm...I can't give everything away!! :)