NaNoWriMo Day 16: It has a life of its own

Well, I am now just over 41,000 words into the novel and I can say that it truly has taken on a life of its own.  Though I actually prepared this year, coming up with a concept and making lots of notes, the novel is turning out quite different from how I thought it would.  I liked my original concept, but I was  a little worried about how I would flesh it out and make it interesting.  Since I started writing, I've had several epiphanies, and the fact that the novel is different from how I'd envisioned it is a good thing.  I think the new ideas I came up with will actually make it stronger and better.

My big frustration right now is with having to move forward.  I've been hopping around in the novel, adding chapters here and there as I've changed the direction of the narrative.  However, there are several chapters that need extensive rewrites and it's killing me not to be able to touch them!  I swear, as soon as my fingers finish that 50,000th word, I am going to be rushing straight to the stuff I want to fix.  Yes, I am a little obsessive!

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“What are you trying to say?” Dara asked, tired of playing games.  She felt a sense of foreboding at where the conversation was going.  Seeing as how she had so much on her plate already, she was very unhappy at the thought that Letizia was about to heap more on it.

            “I know you don’t want me here.  I don’t want to be here either—I have no business intruding on you right now.”

            Dara knew she should probably protest, but she didn’t.  She agreed with what Letizia had said, and she was done observing form for form’s sake.  It had been a long day and she simply no longer had the energy for it.

            “Magnum is very protective of its secrets, you should know that,” Letizia said, sounding as if she was choosing each of her words with the utmost care.  “If trade secrets were provided to other Job Creators...  Well, I probably don’t need to tell you that it’s one of Magnum’s worst fears—one of the worst fears of any Job Creator, actually.”

            “What does that have to do with me?” Dara asked, her fatigue making her much more blunt than she’d normally dare to be with her mentor.

            “It means that Magnum is very meticulous about the information exchanged by employees.”  Letizia studied her intently, waiting for her to put the pieces together.

            “Are you saying that...that the conference rooms are observed?” Dara asked, horror struck at the idea.

            “Not observed, no.  But there are recording devices—and not just in the conference rooms either.”

            “But why...”  Dara allowed her voice to trail off; Letizia had already anticipated that question and had answered it.  “So everything I said in the room...”

            “Was being recorded, yes,” Letizia confirmed.