Monday, October 12, 2009

More NaNoWriMo Musings

My son's 18th-birthday gift is done--a photo album, organized by year, with pages of highlights and memories for each year. All together, about 75 pages of text, and I included cute titles: "1992: Liter Bottles, Pop Cans, and Eating Kittens." No, no, don't call PETA--no animals were abused and I'm a vegetarian. (My son at eight months old, when his uncle brought over some kittens, started putting a kitten in his mouth--probably because it was the same size as his favorite rattle--but his vegetarian mom saved the poor little feline.)

Now--that project behind me (which took much more time and work than expected)--time to plan for NaNoWriMo. Originally I'd thought I'd transform a treatment I wrote for a screenwriting class into a novel--"Homecoming," the story of pollyanna-ish Jennifer and cynical Peter, estranged siblings, taking a road trip to their abusive dad's funeral. Lots of drama there--except I'm not sure if it grips me. Won't it be too depressing? And when I think of plot details, I feel lost in a fog. I don't drive--how can I write a road trip? Jennifer works in a day care center--I did work in a day care center, but years and years ago. Peter is a lawyer--what do I know about being a lawyer, and what kind of lawyer is he, anyway?

So while I haven't absolutely decided against "Homecoming," I'm entertaining other ideas:

- boy's diary--historical fiction
- fictionalized story of illiterate deaf-blind man I taught to sign
- online dating service romance between two very different people in their forties
- fictionalized memoir
- a writing group
- coffeeshop friendships
- coffeeshop romance
- Rachel, Benjie, and David--grown up
- an eleven-year-old who's just been evicted with her mom--but eventually ends up in nurturing neighborhood

Do any of these ideas grab me more than "Homecoming"? Alas, I'm not sure--but I'll have to decide soon, as the October clock is ticking!

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