Week 4, Day 28

I just saw New Moon and I have to say I'm disappointed.  I'm just not digging the whole Volturi thing (although the fight scene was blocked and filmed well).  I've also grown tired of Bella being the depressed, suicidal damsel in distress.  I liked Twilight because of the budding romance between the the protagonist and antagonist.  But now that I've seen New Moon, I think Bella just needs a psychiatrist.

Anyway, back to NaNoWriMo...

I'm happy to say that I met my 50,000-word goal and am an official 'winner'.  It feels good to be done but the actual work is now just beginning.  I will begin to edit "A Place for Pamela" sometime during Christmas break.  I plan to put copies of the book in the Media Center sometime this Spring.  Maybe I'll sell them as a fundraiser and give the proceeds to the Academy.  IDK yet.

Anyway, I know there are many of you still plugging away toward the finish line, so I thought I'd write this blog today to give you encouragement.  You've heard me say "you can do it" but I'd like to give you a bit of advice on how.

This is how I finished my last 6,000 words.  I typed the following sentence about each of my characters:

What do I know so far about __________________?  (fill in the blank)

I then typed and answered my question until something happened - usually dialogue emerged or an incident that helped to flesh out a character's motivation or enhance a scene.  Here's an example...


What do I know so far about Nancy? 

She is a supporting character.  Thirteen years old.  Parents divorced.  Older brother.  Antagonist.  Shoplifter.  Pamela's only acquaintance.  What does she want?  To cooerce Pamela into stealing with her to experience the thrill.  Why does Pamela hang with her?  She is not accepted by another group at school. 

Here's what I wrote from that short paragraph above.  Here's the setup:  Nancy has just stolen clothing from a store and Pamela was the lookout.


Nancy smiled politely at the sales clerk and headed toward the door at the front of the store.  Just a few more steps and she'd be out into the main corridor of the mall. Pamela hesitated to follow. What if Nancy got caught?  What if the sales clerk had suspected Nancy all along and had already contacted security?  What if they were waiting right outside the doorway, ready to slap handcuffs on Nancy's wrists?  And did they have a pair for Pamela?



If Nancy was afraid, she certainly didn’t show it. She walked confidently toward the front of the store.  Stealing a shirt was a cinch for a pro like Nancy.  Pamela had never seen her so calm.  Pamela followed Nancy a few steps behind. Suddenly, as Nancy approached the front of the door, a bell began to ring.


The sales clerk looked up. “Girls. Please wait,” she called.


Nancy looked at Pamela, her eyes wide, her mouth grinning. “Run!” she said excitedly.


“Run?!” Pamela panicked.


"It's showtime!" Nancy laughed.  She suddenly darted through the doorway and into the crowd of holiday shoppers, baby strollers and motorized wheelchairs. The sales clerk looked at Pamela, her eyes wide with surprise.


“You!" she shouted to Pamela.  "Stay right there.”


Pamela froze. She looked after Nancy's retreating figure as it disappeared into the throng.  

I didn’t do anything wrong, Pamela thought. I didn’t steal anything.

But would they believe her?

Pamela thought of the security guard she had seen earlier.  Of walking through the mall with her wrists in handcuffs. Of her classmates eating lunch at the food court, pointing and laughing as she was led to the security office. 

Pamela looked at the approaching sales clerk then at Nancy’s fleeing figure in the distance.

Pamela ran.


She lost sight of Nancy. Pamela darted between the clusters of holiday shoppers, looking for Nancy. She was nowhere to be found.

Pamela slowed her gait to not bring attention to herself. She dared not to turn around, afraid someone would recognize her face and call attention to her.


Where was Nancy? Where did she go?


Pamela wanted to cry. Her heart pounded in her chest. Every nerve in her body was on acute high alert. Every muscle was ready to sprint at a moment’s notice.

Pamela remembered Nancy's advice.  Be cool.  Be calm.  And remember the plan.

What was the plan?  Pamela panicked.

Get out of the mall. Go to a quiet, dark spot. Text me.


Pamela spied an outside entrance door. She quickly headed toward a group of people walking through the door. She entered the group and walked with them outside.

No beeps, no alarms. No police officers waiting outside at the curb. Nothing but dark sky and cold evening air.

Pamela looked to the left and right. Nancy was nowhere to be seen. She quickly ran to the parking lot, between the rows of parked cars and trucks. She found a dark hiding place between two large SUVs. There she stopped and waited, watching for security guards in golf carts or police cars.

Where was Nancy?