Nano Day 11

Today's Words: 0
Month to Date: 20041
 
"0″ isn't entirely accurate. I've written about 1500 words so far today. And they are related to the Nano novel. They just aren't, you know, words.
 
Today I realized that I needed to get to know my characters better. I could've just kept writing as I have been, but … I haven't been entirely happy with some of it. The depth isn't there. I'm not really seeing the story through the eyes of my characters. So I've spent my writing time today trying to squeeze my way into their heads and behind their eyes.
 
I've also been thinking-via-typing (in The Journal, of course) about how I want the comedy parts of the story to work. I will confess that I'm somewhat intimidated by trying to be deliberately funny. That's another reason I'm trying to get to know my characters better: I need to see them more completely, so I can emphasize their funny/odd/quirky features, personalities, and behaviors. So I can make their dialogue less straight, more odd/offbeat/distinctive.
 
While not-writing today, I had the odd idea of writing the novel to completion, then going back and giving it the Mystery Science Theater 3000 treatment. That is, go through the story and make fun of it. Add in the sarcastic and self-referential lines that might seem to be missing and could be ad libbed by hecklers in the audience. If it didn't seem so much like doing double work, I'd take the idea more seriously.
 
-David