It’s the last Thursday before November starts, and in connection to last week‘s Thursday Thirteen, this week will still be my upcoming NaNo. :) I’m actually having a hard time deciding on the major plot point among all the plot ideas I want to put into the story. :-s Maybe you guys have some suggestions? :)

Anyway…

Thirteen Things about my NaNoWriMo 2006 Novel

1. The main theme of the novel is based on the story of Jacob. I got the idea from one of the chicklit authors interview I read, where they based their novel on Job. I was emailing with my friend Chris (which reminds me, it’s his birthday today! Happy Birthday Chris!) once and he explained to me Jacob’s story and I researched it and I knew then that Jacob’s story would be the theme of my novel. To make the long story short, the point of Jacob’s entire story is that God often has to break us to make way for His plan in our lives.
2. My initial idea for the novel is that Rain (my MC) would quit her job to look for a better one, one that she dreams of having. Now is it possible for someone to be so near promotion but wants to get out of her job only she doesn’t because it’s already comfortable for her? It is, right? If so…then I have one plot point. Yay! Now the question would be…when should she quit? Is it good to start it in the novel or should it be somewhere in the middle? Hmmm.
3. Rain is not close to her cousins…but she wants to get to know them ever since she saw them again in RJ’s wedding. A chance for her comes when her younger cousin Lissa moves in with Rain because of her call center shift. Rain plans all kinds of things for them to do but Lissa doesn’t seem to like what her cousin has planned. Also, Lissa would do everything Rain doesn’t like: leave a mess, bake haphazardly, bring guests in the condo without asking permission and mostly, play mainstream music (which Rain absolutely hates) out loud all day when she’s home at the condo. I’m thinking that Lissa really likes Rain only she is jealous of how well off her cousin is…only that seems kind of shallow. Or is it?
4. And again, more on cousins: the cousin get together. I’m choosing between two options: Rain decided for herself to plan a cousin get together for their entire clan or Rain ends up having to plan a cousin get-together for all of them, as suggested by one of their relatives. I’m not sure which would fit for now since Rain is supposed to be a control freak, and she likes well thought out plans…so should she volunteer or should she be forced? Hmmm. Then again if I’m following the story of Jacob…I think it would be better for her to volunteer, thinking everything would be smooth sailing.
5. Aha! And there’s the love life angle that everyone loves to read about! Rain’s male best friend Mark was her most recent love interest, who unfortunately, doesn’t have interest in her. As always. Mark disappears in Rain’s life…or rather, Rain disappears from his life when he got a girlfriend, masking the hurt she felt in her work. Mark shows up again with some sort of tragic news (his girlfriend dies from a car crash that Rain didn’t hear about) and becomes more visible in Rain’s life again. Is this typical or not?
6. There’s the best friends plot point. Rain’s two best girl friends, Meah and Faith comes back to Manila. First, is Meah’s issue. After staying for two years in the US, she manages to stays thin, which makes Rain marvel at her discipline. However, Meah seems to be too aware of her nonexistent weight gain everytime they eat. I plan to give Meah an eating disorder, specifically Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)…how they resolve that, I’m still working on it.
7. Faith‘s issue comes from her boyfriend who the three of them knows back in college. Martin, the guy is someone they all knew back in college who they admired and sometimes made fun of because of his devotion and how funny he can be as the head of the a big Catholic Singles group that they are not a part of but help in. Faith and Martin end up in the same mission area, and became a couple in the span of two years they served together. The thing is, Martin’s status would affect Faith’s thinking once they are back in Manila.
8. And since Rain quits her job, she has decided to look for The Ultimate Job that she dreamed of ever since she graduated. The thing is…what is that job?
9. Rain’s parents, who live in another country, urge her to try looking for a job in the US, where they are staying already. Rain refuses to listen to their offers because she likes living in the Philippines…but what if her parents are right? Hmmm.
10. Of course, with all these events (and some more, I hope?), it would drive control-freak Rain up the wall. She would be hurt, broken and all that…but obviously in the end it would all work out.
11. And finally, there’s the entire raining issue. Rain dislikes rain…and for all unhappy events that happen in the story, I want it to rain. The entire part about rain being a cleansing thing will come at the end though. Is that too much?
12. I think I’m having difficulty here because this is the first novel that I didn’t base on any of the events that happened in my life. I need to make my imagination work. Work work work! Hmmm.
13. Now for the last number in this list…which plot point sounds like the best one to expand and tackle for the novel? Can I just play with the theme and stick all the ideas there or should I focus on one big plot point and tie the subplots in?! Help!

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