Threshold

Putting aside our visual novel, OTChi Kocchi, it was NaNoWriMo that taught me to be a novelist.  I am utterly wedded to the idea of irrational deadlines; were I not, nothing would ever get finished.  This entry of Nichole5’s second book would put me just over the 50k limit demanded by NNRM, were I playing along.

That’s all well and good, but I need the Nation across the Cascades, beating the cannibals, betrayed by the Special Police, and burning Portland.  In two weeks.  Dang.  The best I can hope for is either a mild heart attack that sidelines me from my DayJob, or a meteor hits the place, with the same affect.

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Stretching Home

I really need to find a doctor or NP.  My drinking has lead to liver disease or cirrhosis.  Not that I’ll stop drinking until N5 v2 is complete, but I’d like to know exactly what’s wrong with me:  even with Metoprolol, my BP is up, I get tired easily, lose my balance in the mornings, and my right under my ribs hurts.

In the mean time, Nichole starts her tour.  This segment touches on her school fellows and puts Nancy in a can.  We’ll be back to Zom’s for dinner – have to fit Joe in somewhere as he’s a part of the second to last scene of Part 3… a fighting retreat.  Honestly, I don’t actually see him die…  Tomorrow should be a good day for writing.  If you’re inclined, pray for me*.  I’d appreciate it.

*For the stories, not my health.  I’m gonna die regardless… need to get these out!

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The Deep breath…

Made a start on Part 3; the final part.  After what’s below the fold I came to a halt as I realized Nichole’s time in the City before she departs on her mission to the Nation with need some meticulous planning on my part.  She won’t be back for at least two months so I have to have all of my other characters otherwise engaged.  Both in their day-to-day lives as well as for what happens in the end.

I’ll likely be dark for a couple of days.  Unless I die (and I’ve told my wife to make a suitable post here if I do) I’ll be back with more content in a bit.  Cheerio!

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Back to the Present

Forgot my blood pressure meds last night.  As it was cooler this AM, I made coffee around noon.  Not being a total idiot, it was 50/50 decaf.  Halfway through my second cup, I wondered why I felt so tanjed awful.  I moved to the other side of the formal dining table (where I write) and picked up the BP machine.

164/90.  I then recalled my missed med.  Which I took immediately.  By dinner, and after several glasses of wine, I checked again.  150/90.

Dammit!  I took a third half-pill and reached for the whiskey.  At least I was able to wrap up Part 2 today! Be a shame to die before I complete part 3 and the book!  For those that are new or do not recall, the very last section, called “present day,” hearkens back to this.

There will be a break of a few days as I have to see the unfolding of the joint campaign of the Nation and the City’s Regular Army & Militia A against the cannibals.  Only once they are defeated can I allow things to go to hell.  Halloween comes fast; must make haste slowly.

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Rebellion

An explanation of the surprise Nichole walked into in the last post.  I’d tried to fit Joe into this as well, getting everyone together before things go to hell, but it didn’t work:  I had to keep the 3.5-way conversation as tight as possible, so his part came right back out.

We’re north of 43k words!  I knew Nichole would have a meeting with Mayor Johnson before she was seconded to the Nation.  Seeing here that his daughter – and possible successor, Teresa is present, I think the Army general, Tessmer, will be there, as well.  Four-way dynamics are easiest to write, and in my advanced years, I am all about easy!

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Modeling Clay

No, that’s not a pun on my given name.  Just where we’re headed.  A solid, two days work below the fold.  My boss has been gone for two days – a working vacation, as I call it – so I do not arrive home exhausted and shocky.  Here’s some theology, politics, and conversation.  With a few surprise reveals.  I think after a couple of thousand word this weekend, I’ll be finished with Part 2 and ready to wrap everything up in 3.

On Sunday, September 16th, the missus & I will be seeing Gary Numan in Columbus, Ohio.  I hear he plays “Down in the Park” in this tour.  How very appropriate.

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Dead Time

An editor would probably tell me to lose this entire post below the fold.  Yet another reason I self-publish.

What will have to be radically reassigned it the last bit of my last post, the part that is first-person Gil.  There’s no way Nichole can ‘remember’ something from someone else; she’d run off at that point.  Still, I was drunk and saw it, so I wrote it down.  I’ll slip it in somewhere.

Which is something else I’m trying very hard to do:  keeping this first-person Nichole.  While my books have (few) good reviews on Amazon, there is particular criticism of how much I flick from character to character.  I realize it is – hopefully becoming was – a bad habit of mine:  as you all know, I ‘see’ these scene and write them down.  Many are from the perspective of other characters.  As in a film or animation, it would all be simple and obvious.  As a book?  My fault entirely.  So, I’m really trying to rein that tendency in and getting into the heads of other characters as few and far between as I can.

It is tough.  Especially once I’m into Part Three, when not just Nichole, but a host of other pivotal players in that Act.  Rhun, Tessmer, Bakke, the Mayor, Teresa, Nike… how can I get this bloodbath done by Halloween?

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Reaching Power

The few times I was out of cosplay as Elias Ainsworth, I tried to take pictures of the other fantastic outfits at Matsuricon.  Those moments, honestly, were few and far between.  About every thirty minutes I had to take the mask off – too hot! – but it got to the point others would see my clothes and the head and say, “Oh my gosh!  Can I take your picture?!” and back on the head went.

If you’re curious and on Instagram, try my account, @machciv, along with #Matsuricon.

In other news, I realized as I was waking up this morning, that, so far from a power source, Nichole would need to carry some with her.  The rest of this scene wrote itself.

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“Get Chance & Luck!”

A little over 5000 words this weekend.  I feel less useless.  There’s a bit more to the story than what’s below, but the whiskey was starting to win over the caffeine, so it will keep.  Things have to come to a quick head here in part two so that I can ‘flash-forward’ to where it opened with the entire folk of the horsemen on the move into the Centralia Valley.  That leaves me part three:  I gloss their victory over the cannibals, followed quickly by escalating demands from the horsemen and the City.  Then:  Adrianople.

That’s later.  For now, Nichole misses her friends and writes them letters.

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Drencum

“… which is what we was drinking, as we sat about the Korova Milk Bar, trying to make up our raszudoks as to what to do this evening…” ~ A Clockwork Orange.

I’ve been taking caffeine tabs with my boxed wine.  And my beta-blockers.  I’m going to die soon, aren’t I?

Prep-work done with one line into the badlands.  This story is about to go places I can only imagine!  Unlimited Witch Works!

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