Love stories. I dig ’em, but I don’t usually try to write them. At least, not on purpose. I’m just not the lovey-dovey type (see: the zombie books)
Except my NaNo has decided it wants to be a love story. It started hinting about this at around 10,000 words. I decided to incorporate more romantic elements. Then, at 18,000 words, the story turned around and stared at me.
“Yo, writer, I’m really happy for you, and Imma let you finish, but I’m kind of a love story. Like, a real love story.”
This is not the sort of thing I ever want to hear. Ever. It’s kind of like being on a date with a gorgeous man who later informs me he just wants my help getting closer to my roommate (yes, this happened).
Love stories don’t usually pop up in my writing, unless specifically planned. Aliens might show up. Zombies, sure (that’s how Grave New World became Grave New World – the zombies showed up as a plot device). If I’m really strapped for ideas, I might send the characters to the lost city of Atlantis.
Weird stuff, yes. Love stories, no. Love is delicate. Love is mysterious. Love is awkward.
“Why?” I asked. “I thought you were going to be a sci-fi actioner. With spaceships and stuff. And space pirates, maybe.”
“I am,” the story replied. “There is all of that. But there’s also a love story. You need to focus on that. Also, your hero’s temporary name sucks, and you need to change that crap ASAP.”
Like I said, I like love stories. Hell, I love them. I love reading them. But writing them makes me a little bit twitchy, so I stick to what I like. Humor. Sci-fi. Zombie splatter.
But now I have this love story that I’m not sure what to do with, and a hero who needs a name change.
Come to think of it, the heroine needs a name change, too. I’ve been calling her by her last name, which is great, but she does need a first name, even if it’s just to have one.
But hey, wordcount! WOOT. I’m actually at 19k right now.
Oh, NaNo. You work in mysterious ways.
Newsflash! When I’m not awkwardly feeling my way through sci-fi love scenes, I’m apparently Official Zombie Correspondent (or something like that) for Pulsify magazine. I discussed the World War Z trailer yesterday. I don’t know if I’ll be writing about things besides zombies yet.
In other news, I actually had too much coffee and am jittery as all hell. My fingers are actually twitching on the keyboard.