some things and then Things

Word count:
Project:


i. Wow, a whole month(ish) since last updating. Shaaame on me.
ii. Quit counting my monthly word counts. Too much of a hassle to keep track of it. However, rest assured that I do, on average, write more than 50k a month just screwing around. This is why NaNo is easy for me.
iii. I have more characters/loosely built settings than I do plots, let alone novels.
iv. I'm really excited to finish up poD in November. Seriously. I think I can do it. I've got it down to two more installments (since I try to keep the word count in each around 50k) and then honestly, I swear, I am rinsing my hands of it and backing away.


1. Idle chat with a certain SOMEONE has us with a challenge for #50kweekend. We're going to write novels around the quote "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." (WikiAnswers says Gerald Seymour is responsible for that one.) If you would kindly refer to iii, I may have something wallowing that could really work with this. This has basically preoccupied me all day.

2. Upon further reflection, most of this can be set to Theory of a Deadman's The Truth Is... album, which is really all about shitty people. The song in particular that made me realize this was Villain.

"There's days when I wanna give in
But it's hard to be a saint when you're full of sin
Why would I ever think of goin' back
When it feels so fuckin' good to be bad

Everybody wants to be like me
The villain is the one that you came to see
Sick of all the good guys savin' the day
'Cause the villain always wins when the hero's away

I know that secretly
Everybody's rootin' for me

Everybody wants to be like me
The villain is the one that you came to see
Sick of all the good guys savin' the day
Because the villain is here to stay.


2. Also, I finished my 662-page history of the Balkans today, and the Yugoslav conflicts are fresh in my mind. And I read about the North Caucasus while I had computer time, so also have thoughts of Russian secessionists. Basically, I have terrorists on the brain anyway.


3. I basically bounced home, booted up the laptop, and intend to spend far too much time sorting this out. Originally when I conjured this up/shat out another worthless idea, I needed two conflicting regions/ethnicities/states/whatever. For some inexplicable reason, I picked Ireland and... Latin. Something. That's right. A small pissy island area and a FREAKING DEAD LANGUAGE. Obviously, this needs serious attention, because what the fuck. I do like the randomness. I also require, y'know, logic. This might take an actual month to fix. Because you can bet your ass I want to keep it that fucking random. Slavic conflict/imperialism/Christianity v Islam/tribalism is so passé. Besides. Ireland has the IRA. I can use that.

Yes, this will be SO fucking AU.

And I'm going to botch it terribly.

WHEE!

/throws impromptu Molotov cocktail
//blows up own car
///fuck.


4. Beyond the total WTF-in' clusterfuck of my general premise (uh... why they hatin' on each other, again?), I have to figure out the following:

What my little band of miscreants IS.
What my little band of miscreants DO.
What my little band of miscreants THINK they do.
What my little band of miscreants TELL people they do.
What my little band of miscreants WANT.
What my little band of miscreants THINK they want.
What my little band of miscreants actually GET.

Who my little band of miscreants ARE.
Who my little band of miscreants ALLY with.
Who my little band of miscreants are AGAINST.
Who my little band of miscreants are REALLY loyal to.

And this has to be broken down to character-level, not just as a group. You don't just walk up and volunteer to do whatever (in my characters' case, smuggle without asking questions) without some kind of strong motive. You don't just wake up and decide 'fuck it.' Although Imogene might have, because she's like that. And all of those character-level answers have to gel, and the power dynamics have to drawn out intra-group, inter-group, and then on a wider national and international scale.

(That last part will take me like, 45 minutes. I'll slave for hours over the character questions.)


5. So... what am I doing, again?

Something about terrorists <--> freedom fighters depending on perspective.
Something about the middle man just trying not to die.
Something about moral degradation.
Something about denial and deception (in the psychological way, not intel, although that might show up too) and delusions and rationalization.

AND IN THE MEANTIME WE'RE ALL GOING TO LEARN ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND WOODSY FROLICKING.

Also, I will be actively spiting all trendy demands for "strong female leads" and "the redeeming power of love" (CACKLE CACKLE CACKLE OH EM GEE CACKLE) and whatever the hell else is popular right now.


6. ...That idea I just had. That is the most deliciously awful idea I've had in awhile. CONSIDER IT DONE. Oh, "redeeming power of love," you adorable little cliche. You so... pretty.


7. Prime numbers.