Samsara

Woke up at 5:30 this morning... GAH? I'm an old lady nooooooooooo!

Anyway. So, as you may or may not realize, I'm writing these books. My Books. There are seven in the series. It's a complex design of interwoven plot threads and shtuff. I'm working on the first book, and basically every character that is alive at that point is mentioned in that book. Over the course of seven books those people will be killed off, or do awesome things, or be a part of a bigger picture. The thing is, with the interwoven plot lines and everything, a lot of the characters have mysterious histories that generally interact with another character's history. (with me so far?) and the plot of the first book is somewhat basic, just as the plots of the other books are- but as a whole series the plot of the story is like Keeanu Reeves in a wind tunnel (whoooooaaa.....)...

So the questions are: how much should I reveal in the first book? Should I reveal anything? Should I have some culmination scene where, after hinting at their mysterious pasts, the characters in question are forced to face each other? Does it not matter/is it ok to just not mention things until later in the series? No, I don't like that.

I kind of like the idea of having an interaction between these characters and they just have a normal conversation and damn the reader. The characters wouldn't explain anything to each other because they already know, and the reader can just be all "GASP! What the hell is going on here??? This concept doesn't fit into the generic sci-fi adventure plot line! I must read the next 6 books!" I'd have to be really careful though and set it apart, maybe give the scene its own chapter and everything.

I need a good ol' fashioned pacing and writing session to figure out the details of the structure for the first book. It worked for the second!

On a side note, I need more stuff on my walls in my apartment.

I brought 2 of my cats to the vet today for their seasonal appointments. The vet's office is in Colden, so it's a fair distance and I get a lot of time to think. I was thinking, today, unfortunately, about my Books (capital B represents that I'm talking about The Books that I've been writing for over a decade). I know you're probably (not) wondering: 'unfortunately?' Well, you see, my inability to either stop thinking about My Books or think consistently about My Books is the reason it has taken me, yes, going on 12 years now, to even get this far, which is an unfinished time-line that goes through the beginning of book 3 (out of 7), about 5 character sketches, 2 un-usable drafts of book 4 (which was originally book 1), an un-usable draft of book 5 (whish was originally book 2), an un-usable draft of book 6 (originally 3), and maybe four chapters of the REAL Book 1 that I'll probably have to go back and throw out any way now because I was THINKING today.

le sigh.

I mean, I'm glad I've made all these changes, because where I'm at now is a far cry from the melodramatic unrealistic over-populated and overly-complicated manuscript I originally finished in 6th grade. I've still got too many characters and drama, but at least the concept is interesting now, and I have some kind of a point throughout most of the story, and my character archs (undulations really, since they have to have an arch in each book and an overall arch) are well developed and interesting (i think). But, like I was saying, every time I think about the book I change it, and usually for the better, and today I actually solved an issue that had been bothering me for a while and made headway on solving another problem... but it's just... when the hell am I actually going to be done? When will I be able to sit down and write and know where I'm going without fear of having to scrap yet another 150,000 words? 185,000 words?

Maybe I should just sit down and write, and if I want to change something, just deal with the work I'll have to do to change it. Maybe that's why I was vomiting hair in my dream. I need to get this shit out of me, and I have to stop worrying so much that I stagnate.

Yes. Indeed. Easy for me to say.

Still, I should finish editing my NaNo soonish, eh? Maybe if I get enough other projects going I won't feel so bothered by not finishing My Books.

Eh...

head... exploding...

...I'll get you Kevin Grumbles...!