Thursday is NaNo! This month, in preparation, I started putting together a “showrunner’s bible”. Since I am terrible at outlining–if I know too much, it kills the story dead for me–I’ve been focussing on all the other elements: characters, worlds (yes plural), backstories, possible antagonists, possible Obstacles, etc.

My friend Laura, aka The Pillbug, has been invaluable, as she often is, with the worldbuilding, because her ideas aren’t just outside the box, they are nowhere near the box, and even just in brainstorming she throws curves that I have to scramble to catch–which makes the story stronger and more interesting. (I like to think I help just as much in return with her fiction, offering solutions to her sticky plots, being very good at tying threads together, like a fiction macrame artist.) Fletcher & Cooper is going to be so much better and so much weirder thanks to her help.

For instance, in my original vague vision, the Hero Livingstone and his Stalwart Steward, Weekday were just… MacGuffins, essentially. Cardboard cut-outs at best, which didn’t sit right with me. But after a good discussion in a weird little park in the Annex, I came away not only with two reasonably filled-out characters, but the inkling of their own backstory, that I thought might be fun to “sketch out” as a warm-up for NaNo.

Naturally, because she was the only person who knew the details of my world–and because she became JUST AS EXCITED ABOUT THE STUPID NERDS KISSING that I was–Pillbug became the person I shared my thoughts with as I was writing, usually in the form of random chat messages left at all times of the day as soon as something occurred to me.

She suggested that these txts would make an excellent blag post. Perhaps she was trying to get me to stop livetexting her; in that she failed because I most certainly kept texting. But it was a good idea, and so, BEHOLD.

YOU’RE WELCOME

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Livingstone and Weekday’s adventures
AS THEY ARE WRITTEN

A Journey from inside
THE WRITER’S MIND
feat. guest artist PILLBUG

18 OCTOBER 11:38

VDF
So went on another plot blender walk

Fletcher & Cooper are still probably Not A Thing

But Livingstone and Weekday most certainly are, hoooo-boy *nosebleed*

I might have a short story to write about the two of them and their luuuuurve

18 OCTOBER 17:04

TPB
Weekday and Livingstone in luuurv sounds odd and exciting and I need to hear more about it next week when you’ve blenderized the details.

VDF
I am writing Livingstone’s and Weekday’s luuuuurve story as we speak

(so far there is a ripped up notebook, an exploded apple, and the noise of peaches on a summer’s afternoon)

TPB
Can I read the lurv story when it’s done? plsplspls

VDF
of course!

it’s still not a kissing story

just be warned

TPB
i GUESS I can just make them smooch in my mind.

VDF
There is likely to be triumphant smooching at the end

TPB
AWWWWW YISSSSSSS

VDF
but it’s more of a “falling in luuuurv with the angry little red-headed boy next door” story

TPB
I guess I will deal.

VDF
Babby!Weekday I realize is a little bit like Babby!Kyo from furuba

TPB
AWWWWWWWWWWWWW

YIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

VDF
and it will have a happy ending because I think we all need a happy ending right about now especially with kissin’

18 OCTOBER

I am 2,100 words in and they are still both children 😐

Why do I do this to myself

19 OCTOBER

Up to 4K and they are STILL CHILDREN

but they’re really cute together

HOPE YOU LIKE ANGST, LAURA

edit: 4700 words. I think I’m done for the day though. Maybe?

They’re SO CUTE LAURA

LAURA

20 OCTOBER 11:36

VDF
Hi. My name is Victoria Feistner, I am 37 years old, and I just wrote my first queer kissing scene (and like only my third or fourth kissing scene overall.)

+ 1 level up

TPB
…I cannot for the life of me recall if I ever made anyone smooch in any of my stories, OH GOD I NEED TO MAKE EVERYONE SMOOCH.

Maybe a husband gave his wife a peck on the cheek but I think he just told her to eat her breakfast?

Also, YAYYYYYYY

VDF
I’ve written plenty of pecks but very few full-on first smooches

7800 words in and I think I can finish part two today and then there’s only two more parts to go!

…I really should cut this down BUT I HEART THEM SO MUCH LAURA

tiny angry nerds in luuuuurv

have you ever written a story where you were like WRITE FASTER I MUST FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS WHY ISN’T IT DONE SO THAT I CAN READ IT

I think it’s like the writing equivalent of craving a cigarette while you’re already smoking one

20 OCTOBER 17:27

oh no

oh no, they’ve broke up :O

AUGH WHY AM I DOING THIS TO MYSELF

20 OCTOBER 22:05

11,160 words and I am done part one! Or is it part two, I am not sure and I can’t feel my hands

WHY CAN’T THEY BE TOGETHER

also oblivious nerds in luuuuurv are the worst especially oblivious male nerds

But Livingstone’s mother just showed up for graduation and she’s a firecracker, so that’s a win

22 OCTOBER 15:44

WHY CAN’T THEY BE TOGETHER, LAURA :'(

WHY IS LIFE SO HARD FOR A CARTOMANCER

22 OCTOBER 16:46

…I may understand your frustration with Creampuffs a little better. Watching/writing along with Livingstone completely muck up his life by not being honest with his feeeeeeelings and just KISSING HIM ALREADY is excruciating

He’s just about to do it AGAIN, the dope

God, nerds

So frustrating

TPB
NOW YOU KNOW MY SMOOCH-PAIN

VDF
I KNOW IT ALL TOO WELLLLLLLL

TPB
Maybe this is why one of the nerds is always suUuUuch a klutz, so they can just trip and do an accidental smooch, OOPS

22 OCTOBER 23:12

YAAAAAAAY I’M AT 17,600 WORDS BUT REACHED THE SMOOCHES FINALLY YAAAAAAAAAAY

i love these goddamn nerds so much

23 OCTOBER

19,000 words but have wrapped up all the character arcs (since it is very obviously a romance novella, whaaaaaat, I am 37 years old and just wrote my first full romance story) and this even I shall jump ahead to the ILL-FATED BEEHUNT

*evening, or perhaps eventide

P.S. Also I looked up pignuts and they are A Real Thing so clearly what the urchin was eating out of a boot

24 OCTOBER

21,000 words and have leapt forward 8 years and now they are comfy nerds still in luuurv and it makes me so happy.

25 OCTOBER

VDF
24,000 words and I AM DONNNNNNE

I FINISHED IT

TPB
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

VDF
AAAAAAHHHH

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That “tiny bit of backstory” became, as of last Friday, a 25,000 word novella. I wrote 25,000 words IN A WEEK

Definitely a new record for me.

AND it’s a complete story!!

AND IT’S MY FIRST ROMANCE STORY (although wrapped in a weird, Regency fantasy candy coating).

I feel sufficiently warmed.

SEE YOU ON THURSDAY FOR NANO!!