There’s only one day until national Novel Writing Month, and needless to say I’ve prepped myself quite a bit. Here is a most basic pre-write – because I do not strive off of them for writing save to remember character’s names and major plot devices – which may be expanded in the future. I will still be working on the Europe Journal during the month, and intend to finish tonight or tomorrow, at latest end of the week.

I have also edited the preface to the novel, and will be making the changes on the computer and uploading the new version of the story.

PRE-WRITE ‘06

- The world has drastically changed. Due to new cosmetic techniques, humans can change their form through a simple surgery. Increased crime is only one side-effect, as well as a new culture which shocks a conservative group in society.

-> Perhaps it may lead to a war between conservatives and this new party of liberalistic shapshifters?

HISTORY:
- Experimentation eventually lead to a new surgical technique that could "shape shift" the bones in the human body. It was used to heal broken bones quickly and inexpensively.
- Cosmetic industries got a hold of the technology and developed it further, applying it to shape shifting the entire body. The process would eventually become streamlined and flawless, allowing any human to change their outer appearance without any trace of having once existed in a different form.

-> The main character’s friend begins the novel, telling the story of how he died during human testing.
-> NAME: MIKE RAINER
— He is killed while being tested for the seamless shape shift: placed in a room and subjected to the harmful process that would have taken away extra matter on his body. Instead of taking away the specific amount of matter, the man completely evaporated, destroying the entire surgical room.

–> Why was not the whole building, nay, the city, destroyed?

The main character picks up from here in third person. There will be great detail about the history of the surgical technique to aim for optimal realism.

PURPOSE AND PERSONALITY OF THE MAIN CHARACTER
NAME: GREG WALTERS
-> Has not shapeshfted himself, broken a bone to need to do so, or wish to have risky operations performed on him
-> Encounters and must deal with a criminal group at some point
-> A member of the conservative or liberal group?

Happy 51st, Dad.

Your son,
~ Jason

So, it’s not the Europe journal entry. I ended up having a dream which directly coincides with the story I’ll me writing for National Novel Writing Month. I consider it a preface, or at the very least, a simple preview of the world in which my novel will take place. Make note that this story takes place near the middle or end of my novel, not at the beginning. It is after a huge cultural revolution has shaken the earth’s moral fabric. However, it is meant to be read before the novel, so I can’t give much detail or it won’t have the same effect.

EDIT 11/1/06: The updated, edited version, is now here.

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Here I am. I’m working on my Europe journal. Recently updated the wiki and gave it a total "makeover," if you will.

That’s all. Just need to prove I exist. Next post will be the next journal entry.

~ Jase

For those who didn’t know, my computer caught fire and died, and because of this I was unable to post. The computer is fixed now, and what a hell of a process it was. Not only did I have to replace the PSU, which had basically blown itself up, but also had to install a new hard drive around my existing hardware. I had to move basically everything in my compy over to the left to make room for the SATA port on the motherboard (the 7800GTX is so huge it covers the ports up, hence stuff had to be rearranged). All’s working now, so I’m back, and ready for… more school! ;)

~ Jase

He died at around 11:30pm. I’m even sorry that I don’t know his real birthday. I do know that he was about 78 years old, so I did the math. He was my grandfather on my mother’s side, a very nice and cheerful fellow, until signs of Alzheimer’s Disease began showing about four years ago. He had been cared for at his home starting two years ago, and his health had declined ever since. More recent developments were the loss of the ability to talk, walk, and eventually move entirely. His last two or so days were spent in a semi-comatose state, at which point we just counted the minutes. The whole family has been expecting his death since the beginning of the summer, and while it is sad that he’s really gone, nobody is shocked. I believe his true death occurred about a year and a half ago, where he "metaphorically" died by becoming a person who wasn’t himself due to Alzheimer’s. That was by far the saddest part of it all - watching him disintegrate in front of my eyes. Seeing that happen to a man is far more disheartening than seeing him die after going through such a condition.

It must be a peaceful way to go, though, not knowing who you are or what you have.

EDIT: Thanks for letting me know the birthday. My mother also had told me.

I know it’s way overdue, but school has had me bogged up. Believe it or not, this journal is largely unfinished, and I have to finish it. I’m trying to finish it as fast as I can - and believe me, I sure want it done! In any case, enjoy this next entry. Once the whole journal is done I’m going back and doing some massive spell checks. Especially for names like Mr. Dashew. I’m sorry for spelling your name as Mr. Dachau for all this time. ;)

Oh, and happy Jew Year, i.e. Yom Kippur!

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