A productive nap

Well, I've spent the day reading various articles pertaining to the experiences I'm hoping to share through Claire. I've not gotten too much done on my outline this weekend, though I have made several heartbreaking decisions. Poor Claire bears the brunt of these developments.

I've decided that Claire's favorite book is to be Jane Eyre. MarLo's favorite book will likely be Cheese Monkeys. David doesn't have much a very high opinion of literature, though he probably likes David Copperfield pretty well or perhaps Nikolas Nickelby. I've began writing Claire's introductory chapter!!! But then I ran up against a wall because I hadn't adequately outlined before beginning to write.

So I decided to take a nap midday. The most productive portion of my day was spent napping, actually. Rather it's a state of near-sleep in which I imagine my characters in specific situations and watch how they deal with challenges and interact with each other. Some very useful dialog occurred to me today in just such a state. I have written it down and will incorporate it in the second or fourth chapters. I also decided while 'napping' to re-order some of what I'd hoped to fit into two small chapters. These events and revelations are now going to occur in four chapters instead of two. I found that I may have been trying to jump too quickly into the breach, as it were. I've now decided to put off introducing Claire to David formally until about the fifth of sixth chapter. I've also added a minor event in order to include a scene I'd originally sketched out for my abandoned short story last winter. It's based on an experiment undertaken by Eileen Garrett, whose autobiography I have just ordered and will likely find immensely useful in my research. I've also decided that Dr. Feigner's collection of stress toys are merely leftovers from a long-ago study he did while working towards his doctorate. His collection has been augmented by colleagues and students. He spends time each day remembering where he acquired each of the objects and what significance they have for him. This information will likely show up in either the first or third chapters. He is currently working to determine the cognitive abilities of cuttlefish. David finds this project interesting and occasionally assists in the daily round of experiments, but is much more interested in understanding the creation of mind from the material brain in humans. He intends to specialize in the cognitive processes of chemical addictions.