Learning new things

Things I learned about Deb Riley

So I gave Deb Riley a 70-question interview and she's posted half of it in her journal, then had to run off to watch Battlestar Galactica. I learned some things about her that are very telling. She is a real loner, but with at least one good friend. The friend, Teri, will have to be developed in a future work if I take Deb further. There are interesting things that have come out regarding her childhood. Her mother was a real nut-case and she related to her father mostly. But it doesn't sound like either one of them are around anymore. And the photo thing about all her photos of places she's been were taken in photo booths... I imagine that if you walked into her apartment and saw a picture of her with her parents it would be a very carefully photoshopped image of two people who look like they should have been her parents with one of those photo booth photos airbrushed into the picture. And suddenly there were the keys on her keyring. Two keys for her apartment (building door and apartment door), two for her beater car (trunk and ignition), the office key, and a key her father gave her telling her it was to a treasure chest and she should keep it in case she finds the chest! My god, there's a whole story right there! She also made an off-the-cuff comment that made me think she might be bi- or at least open to any possibility.

Things I learned about Dag Hamar

Now about Dag. I really haven't posted too much about Dag lately because a lot of the notes I've made could be giving away parts of the actualy story. I don't know why that makes a difference, but I've been shy about telling the actual things that would happen and spoiling the story for anyone who reads it. I don't know why I expect anyone here to actually read it, but... So one thing has been bugging me this evening: I have one scene planned (an entire, very short chapter) that is mostly profanity. I mean vulgar, disgusting, don't say it on TV and don't put it in public, I didn't know the human body could do that kind of thing invective. Dag thinks he is dying in a hotel room in Georgia and goes through anger, humiliation, despair, and mourning, all while swearing at himself and forcing himself to keep breathing no matter how much it hurts. I don't know in my mind how better to express this. He isn't a religious man so he's not going to go through prayer or a religious conversion. And he's not going to sit for a chapter in silence moaning.

The only reason this becomes an issue is because I might have an opportunity to post the blog in a very public forum that has asked for G-rated content. It is really the only scene that the language would be hard in. Even when he's in the private strip-club the content isn't all that racy. A little suggestive, but probably way over the head of anyone young enough to be offended by it. There are a couple scenes where someone undresses or is partially undressed in front of someone else, but there's no overt sex, no matter how suggestive Riley is. Dag will ask Riley why she calls Brenda a muffin-top and Riley will make some gestures and say she packs a size 12 body into a size 8 dress and needs someone to do a bra fitting for her. I think that's still G. My daughter would read it, but of course, she's 13 now.

Another thing I discovered is that at the end of the story, Dag checks himself out of the hospital (or just leaves) and goes home to be with his dog and die. There won't be any mad rush of doctors as the heart monitor flatlines. Dag will be truly dead. That may be more than can be said for the victim in the story, but that will be for Riley to discover in December.

I can't believe that I'm planning the sequel that Riley narrates in December before I've even started writing the story, but here is the thing: NaNoWriMo story is "Security & Exchange" and I've opened the blog for it. The name of the story for December, which I expect will simply be posted on debriley is "Municipal Bondage". So it's real enough in my mind now to actually have a title. Can I maintain the pace of writing a chapter a day through the month of December? I'm not going to tell my wife!