Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Another November comes to an end.

And I managed to win NaNoWriMo for a second time. Sliding into home at 50,121 words on November 29th.

I admit, I completely skipped over the climax of my story and went straight to the ending scenes that I had pretty clearly outlined in my head.

Considering how winding my plot had gotten and how much world building and character sketching I still need to do, I just couldn't think of a reasonable climactic scene(s).

There's some major planning and plotting for this novel in my future.

And not just a little research, as well.

I've already started collecting info on psychiatry and psychiatric testing (of the legit and non-legit variety). I've been on a hunt for information about government/military testing and experimentation. I probably need to do a bit more research into military special ops and such, as well (depending on if my general plot evolves in the same fashion as I research other things).

Which leaves me a little nervous--just in the back of my mind; I remember a few years ago, a story about a writer researching information for a novel (involving Cambodia and terrorists) was allegedly raided under the Patriot act. The story was never verified by the Romance Writers Association (where it appeared in a column), but I don't find it outside the realm of belief. Sadly.

Granted, most of my research has been in the common sphere of knowledge--reading up on the CIA's MK-ULTRA / MK-SEARCH and related programs, the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment, Dr. Cornelius Rhoads, the Stateville Penitentiary Malaria Study, Operation Paperclip, etc. Ad nauseum.

I'm about to branch a little further into what I think borders on conspiracy theorist territory however, with some of the stuff I've found via web (and torrent) searches.

But, considering the world in which I'm writing is a bit of an urban fantasy/alternate US, I'm interested in getting some of the more "extreme"...ideas.

I look forward to the reading.
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