Final thoughts

I realised that I haven't developed my novel ideas because I hate them

Why do I hate them:
Drunk on a Bus would be like inviting people for a stroll through my ideas and analysis
The Spike Garden would be like inviting people for a stroll through my Gothic fantasies

But as the late Mr Brown had it "I feel goo-oo-ood."

Last year I did far too little preparation. I didn't enjoy the process. I didn't show the finished work to two populations, neither:
a. people who read my blog, nor
b. People to whom I am married
(Population b is larger; prove me wrong)

Even so, I feel goo-oo-ood. I might even plan a bit now, which I can start writing in 75 minutes or so. Or I might spend the time choosing between OpenOffice Writer and MS Word.

The cats

Why write when you could tickle a cat?

Spookie (would be played by Claudia Cardinale)


Tiger is her sister (would be played by Helena Bonham-Carter)


Badger is their mum (would be played by Miriam Margolyes)

Not so much panic as dread

Do I hate writing? Do all writers hate writing? Or is it beginning to write that I hate?

The notes for Drunk on a bus are sparser than they need to be at this distance from the start.
Another title occured to me: The Spike Garden. I came up with that while running the fifteenth Elite Games on the gamesfaqs.com site. It'd be a sinister gothic comedy. I quite like writing that kind of thing and it comes fairly easily.

In other news, I got a copy of Black Static magazine posted to me. Probably because I took out a subscription to The Third Alternative some time ago. Yay, I thought Third Alternative Press has gone under but it looks like they haven't. I really ought to submit something, if only to secure a rejection as if I was a pro writer.

Characters in Drunk on a bus

Notes on characters:
Doab guy (main character)
Could be married. If he is then he may be considering infidelity, or he may be flirting or just miss being single.
His drinking mates
They'll be his colleagues and mostly or exclusively male
Bus contact
Others met as a result of bus contact, probably female

Possible story-types:
Thriller: Bus contact has a plan, which may or may not come to pass.
People from different worlds meeting or Adventures in normality: Bus contact is the same as doab guy - makes contact because they are drunk

A fiction that occurred

I'm jogging to work. On the street is a little girl, crying. I look around but no likely looking parent is in sight.
"Where's whoever looks after you?"
She just crys.
I don't want to call the police because isn't it better to engage with your fellow citizens than invoking the state?
"Have you got something with your address on?"
She turns round to show me what's written on her rucksack in biro. It's an address and post code and it's only round the corner.
I hold her hand and we go there. On the way I notice that she's only got one sock on and her shoelaces aren't tied.
The door's open. Inside is a dead person.
"Hello Daddy," she says.

Notes for Drunk on a bus

Drunk on a bus (DOAB) guy has fun getting drunk and taking the bus. He thinks about fun stuff, does fun things, maybe talks to people.
But there must be a story, so...
When drunk he gets drawn into a story: by talking to somebody or doing something he wouldn't when sober. OK but what is the story? Some ideas:

• He comes across evidence of a crime, like the film The Conversation.
• He gets recruited by "Them". THEM are looking for a person who will do the things he does when he is drunk. (THEM could be a confidence trickster.)
• Somebody likes him when he's drunk and starts a relationship

Whatever the story is, DOAB guy is attracted to it and has to get drunk and get the bus to stay in it.

NaNoWriMo 2007 is go

I signed up
I haven't necessarily decided to do it again though
But realistically, yes, I'm going to do it again

Some working titles: Drunk on a bus, Infernonauts, Elves on crack, Extreme kiss chase

I hate elves but it might be fun to do a non-genre novel in a Sword & Scorcery setting.