NaNoWriMo counter thingie, snagged from calapine (I think)

[capri0mni]

2,501 / 50,000 (5.0%)

Started around 1:30 am this morning, and got to 697 before I crashed out at 3 am. Picked it up again at 3 pm, and got to where I am now by 8 or so. I was going to try and push for 3,000 before bed. But I am Absolutely Clueless over what happens next.

So is my P.O.V. character (or the current one, at least--I may have several before this thing is done), true. But I'd at least like to be half a step ahead of my gang, instead of half a step behind.

Okay. So here's my plot as-it-is, in three sentances:

1. The characters in our dreams who do not correspond to people in our waking life, are in fact, citizens of a parallel dream world.


2. The fabric of the dream universe is becoming too brittle and inflexible.


3. A motley band of dream world citizens band together on a quest to find out why and fix it, but they need help from humans in the waking universe to succeed.

So -- any ideas what could cause the dream universe to become inflexible and brittle? Or what a rather wet raggish, timid human could do to help?

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Meanwhile, I think I'll get ready for bed. Maybe some random person in my dreams will have an idea... ;-)

5,670 / 50,000 (11.3%)

And I figured out who next to pass the story on to, pov-wise... this whole thing may turn into the narrative version of a relay race.]
[eta:

Comments

[narm00.livejournal.com]

Hm. Couple of ideas spring to mind...

Someone in our universe has discovered how to tap the dream universe as an energy source. (whether as a way to empower themselves, as a source of mystical energy, or as a new fuel-type).

Someone in our universe has discovered a way to alter the dream universe from our side and is attempting to shape the dream universe into their ideal world; unfortunately, their attempt is having unforeseen consequences (the dream universe turning inflexible and brittle).

Someone in either our universe or the dream universe has accidentally opened a one-way rift between the universes, and energy from the dream universe is leaking into ours... with unpredictable consequences for our universe.


Our rather wet, raggish and timid human could help by...

If the dream world citizens stay in their universe, then the human could help by looking for clues as to the source of the problem. (which would raise the question of why /them/, specificallly).

If the dream world citizens cross over to our universe, then the human could help by helping them cope with this world, and helping them find clues to their problem.

That any help?

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

Yes. Thanks!

Of course, I'm writing this stream-of-consciousness, and there's really only one character, so far, thinking to herself about the wierd dreams she's been having. So maybe she'll figure something out as to what she could do.

I don't think the dream world citizens would "cross over", per se. But when we meet each other in our dreams, it's like we're passing each other on a busy street at an intersection, or something.

I don't know yet.

I think I need to get more characters for my waking world protagonist to talk to, for real (rather than just thinking about talking to them.

[snowgrouse.livejournal.com]

WOW. The idea sounds fantastic. I don't know why but somehow I'm reminded of Neil Gaiman's American Gods, even if that doesn't deal with dreams that much...

I'd say a lucid dreamer buggers things up by wanting to change their own dreams too much;).

[capriuni.livejournal.com]

You'd think so, on face value.

But I've been a lucid dreamer (on and off) for years, and even when my dreaming is its most lucid, I never really control my dreams, I'm just more aware of the details and how they all link together. And when I get really confused, I can basically raise my dream hand and say: "A little help, here, please?"

I got the idea this morning that maybe the brittleness is due to scientific/psychiatric experiments going on -- that some psych doctor is trying to find a way to effect behavior changes by controlling patients' dreams with drugs or electro-shock, or somesuch thing.

I'm also trying to figure out how to switch p.o.v characters without going back to the beginning -- basically, having my current p.o.v. character go to someone else for help, and then I'll switch to that other person for my p.o.v. narrator -- sort of like a relay race, except it's a novel(la).