Chapter Two: Getting Serious

If I knew anything about this process when I started, it was this: I'm going to have some serious thinking to do.  About a LOT of things.

As I shared in my last post, I'm working on the beginning of the book, which is a wedding.  It's modeled after an actual wedding I attended about 3 years ago, when I was fresh out of college and so were the bride and groom.  I wasn't actually invited to this wedding, even though the bride and I had known each other since elementary school, and I felt a little snubbed.  Mainly because I HAD been invited to their engagement party.  (Who does that?)  I attended anyway with one of my guy friends as his "plus one." 

This guy was reasonably good friends with the groom, and to this day I still can't tell if my cynicism bothered him.  I think the fact that I can't tell probably means it did.  I'm finding that cynicism inescapable in trying to write this scene.  No wonder I wasn't invited to that wedding.  Even my narrator is starting to make judgment calls. 

Which brings me to my next point: I still don't really know who is narrating this thing.  I've discovered, thanks to the Wikipedia page for narrative mode (remember when I said I was using only unreliable sources?) that I've actually begun in what looks more like third-person limited mode, meaning the narrator actually only blabs about what's going on in Allie's head, not everyone's.  Also, according to Wikipedia, this means I have rules to follow -- mainly, I just need to remember that the narrator only knows what Allie knows.  But I was doing that anyway, right?  I think??

So at this point, I know what you're all thinking: Wow, it seems like Anna doesn't really know the first thing about writing a novel.  She's pretty much in over her head.  Wonder how long until she crashes and burns.

And to that I say: I shall never crash, nor shall I burn, you pessimists!  Eff you guys, this shit is HARD, okay?  I don't see any of you guys out there writing novels!    

And what I really mean is: Yep, you're right.  This is proving to be more complicated than I thought it would be.  Three days in and I'm tripping over theoretical nonsense.  Except that nonsense is going to be the only thing keeps this from being COMPLETELY incoherent, so....

I just need to consult the internet some more and I'll be fine, right?

Hopefully these things will sort themselves out in the beginning and my subsequent posts will be less theoretical... 

The good news is, I'm on page 3 (single-spaced!) and I get to make up lyrics for a blood-filled Jesus song to be sung at the wedding!  Emmy, some help here?