Many of you know that I’m trying to meet the NaNoWriMo challenge of writing a 50,000+ word novel by the end of November (in other words, by the end of next week). While I started out fingers on fire, I am finding that it’s rough going now.
Inspiration, please (and I don’t mean to breathe in deeply.)
Here’s the general story arc. What should happen next? I’ve been plucking stories right out of the news, and because of that, I’m a bit worried that the daggone thing will end up being x-rated.
Story arc (as much as I’m going to tell you so as not to completely spoil everything):
A very conservative senator who may or may not resemble Inhofe from OK – known for untreated strain of Bush rabies, anti-science and boot strapping non-torture has a businessman Bush pioneer brother-in-law. B-I-L has an auto accident (he may or may not have imbibed a beer or two hours before the accident)and is seriously injured and unconscious. But the cops can’t figure out why he ran his truck off the road apparently accelerating all the way. Yee Haw!
He is med-flighted to his state’s premier level one trauma center where he is treated for his traumatic brain injury, multiple fractures, blunt chest and abdominal trauma (of course he doesn’t wear a seat belt, and yes there is a gun rack in his dually -why do you ask?) by a crew of conservative emergency department physicians and nurses.
His male passenger, the head of the area’s megachurch (flag on a crucifix pole) and a Bush fundraising pioneer, is discovered to be wearing a condom by the hospital staff, and since the fellas haven’t been with their wives or visiting the local prostitutes – let’s just say that word travels, donchaknow….
After maxing out his insurance bennies (with lots of hilarity during the claims denials and appeals process), he incurs enough debt and slowly goes bankrupt. The senator, meanwhile, of course, is still voting to kill children via S-CHIP vetoes. He follows the twin religions of fundamentalist xtian dominionism and Bush boot strap conservatism.
As B-I-L is discharged and tries to get into a rehab facility to treat his TBI, he rooms with an Iraq veteran who is also suffering from untreated TBI’s who was drummed out of the Army with a Chapter 5-13 general discharge.
Meanwhile, the senator continues to tout his compassionless conservatism based on all of the fundie “values”. Cognitive dissonance ‘r us.
More hilarity ensues.
The ending?
Haven’t decided yet – but consider the possibilities: red state turns blue, homelessness, joblessness, homicide, suicide, domestic violence, conversion of the heathen from Repubs to progressives….(Update: I’m leaning towards some jail time for one or more characters – still not sure)
Also – in the hospital subplot, patient delays based on reimbursement source and diagnosis will predominate, the schism of faux nurse leaders who are organizational prostitutes instead of nurse advocates will have a supporting role, and passive aggressive nurses who blame everyone except themselves for their working conditions (who needs collective bargaining or self-governance?) will get some face time.
There could possibly be a hint or two of hospital administrative malfeasance….
OK – I need some help. Gimme what you’ve got – plot lines, sub stories, back sotries, good character names, interesting place names, zingers, ringers and tinglers.
I owe Nanowrimo thirty two thousand words in ten days….starting now.
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Got any spare names, mister?
For some character development, why not have the holy roller pretend to be trying to save Lot Lizards in the truck stop while he is actually cruising the Truckers for his own gear stick fun.
Fun plays on words versus his intent, especially concerning sexual morality can be found there. Plus, shit, lot lizards are always fun to write about.
How would I end it?
Why, that Army dude and the holy roller decide to havea fling, but the army dude says he has been seeing someone in DC where he goes for protest marches. Looking for some three way action, they go to Union Station and wait for the party to begin. Who arrives? The Senator of course, toe tapping!
Since the Senator has revealed an unfortunate mole on his penis, the holy roller and army dude, who have been kicked out of the life of the Senator, go all Taxi Driver on him.
Except instead of, you know, trying to kill him, they wait till he is doing a presser on the steps of capital hill. The holy roller comes up all Job like and presses the Senator on the true values of Christianity, especially tolerance. As the Senator tears into him, the holy roller yells that he knows the Senator is hypocrit, and disclose he once suckled the mole on the Senator’s cock.
As the Senator denies all this, the Army dude slips up, using his training from the military, and pants the Senator on the Capital Steps exposing the mole to God and everybody.
This causes the wife of said senator to go hostile and start screaming out all his scandals, “were you fucking these guys while you took kick backs from the megachurches too? who else were you fucking, besides all the taxpayers?” and so on.
Final scene, Army dude and holy roller have opened a camp to help recovering homosexuals who were “converted” family value Christians back into their more accustomed homosexual preferences, deprogramming if you will.
Who shows up, the Senator, which ends with the holy roller jokingly asking the Senator, “You aren’t a mole for the religious right are you?”
Senator laughs, saying, “No, that just sucked, and not the kind of sucking I enjoy.”
End.
But, uh yeah, x-rated.
Author
linky
It’s a World Harvest of voters and $$$
You seem to have done a good job expressing the frustrations of medical bureaucracy – but isn’t life a great deal more frustrating? Some people get jail time, some people never do – some people are ruinous bastards who never get their comeuppance and even when it’s brought to light, nothing changes. So don’t feel like you have to tie up loose ends, or develop into a more satisfying cadence to your plot. You’ll figure it out when it gets there. In the meantime, just follow what the characters are likely to do next, even if it seems banal.
but kredwyn does nanowrimo in orange…I always miss the diaries live, but she makes good points & the comments do too….maybe you can find some inspiration there?
http://www.dailykos.com/tag/na…
I’m stuck myself on where to go, how to add in more stuff yet tie it all together & get my point in too… 🙁
naww, nobody’d buy that one.
How about, the passenger goes for counseling and after three weeks isn’t gay anymore . . . that’s lame
Now THIS could be more believeable-the Senator slips on the Senate floor and sustains a serious head injury. There could be a Code Pink involved as a dainty glass slipper is found on the Senate steps with a hairline crack in its toe suggesting that it may have tripped the esteemed Senator.
Fatherland Security is breaking into the homes and detaining without charges all women of a certain demographic in their zeal to protect U.S. Senators from the terrorism of those who resemble Code Pinkers.
The Senator leaves the hospital. He starts acting crazy. Twists arms to get SCHIP passed. Insists on ending the Iraq War. Denounces oil profits. Brings a Lambie-Pie puppet to the podium and they sing “War! Good God! What Is It Good For?”
His wife leaves him for his BIL (does the Senator have a sister?) after the BIL’s former male lover gives public testimony, confessing his sins and every sex act the BIL was able to perform.
The Senator doesn’t care; he becomes a monk and does penance for his sins on weekdays, while on weekends trains to infiltrate Guantanamo and set all prisoners free.
The passenger/fundamentalist preacher/new heterosexual starts a counseling business to turn homosexuals into hetero . . . uh-uh. Nobody would believe that.
I’m all out.
comes back from the dead. In a “reverse rapture” scene, the Bushies’ clothing is “raptured up”, leaving the Senator naked, live on CNN.
Jesus laughs and laughs…