Notes on a Zombie Novel

Obviously, I haven't finished writing the book yet, but I did just finish writing the last two chapter outlines for the Zaphod Zombie novel.  Which means I know what the last words in the book will be ("The End").

What I didn't know--and still don't, for that matter--is if the book will be any good.  There's no mystery.  There's no driving plot.  It's a story (albeit loosely) about a guy who's undead and the people he crosses paths with.  And in my admitted limited novel-writing career, this isn't really territory I'm all too familiar with.  Hell, I don't even know if anybody is remotely interested in such a story.  But it's something I wanted to write, so I did.

When I picked this book back up the other week, one thing that quickly dawned on me was that no matter how it ends, I didn't think it was going to feel "complete".  To use that mystery novel thought again: at the end of a mystery, you get an answer and you have closure to the story.  I don't think Zaphod Zombie has closure.

Which might actually be the point.

At any rate, as I'm writing my outlines and getting closer and closer to the last moments of the story, I reached a certain point and had a quiet realization.  By the time I finished writing my last notes for the last chapter, I walked away from the computer, happy, satisfied, and a little surprised at the ending that I came up with.  It's appropriate.  It fits.  It does everything the rest of the book does, and puts a little bow on the very ending.

I can say this: the Zaphod Zombie novel can very easily appeal to or disgust you.  It could just easily seem profound as well as seeming utterly without point.  For me, with this ending soon-to-be-written, I think this book will be perfect.

And that's all I have to say about that.


A PRODUCTIVE DAY, BY ANY OTHER NAME.

So you know how you go to bed some days and feel like you haven't accomplished anything worthwhile?  Tonight is going to be the exact opposite for me.  In addition to what I already described about the Zaphod novel, I also managed to move this idiotic sword and shield that's been sitting around the house for months.  I only made $30 on it, but I feel good about finally selling it.

And since I had to go out this afternoon to make the deal, I decided to drop by a mechanic for an oil change and to see if I could a minor, persistent issue fixed on my car.  Basically, the engine was idling at ridiculously high RPMs.  The price tag on the repair was $300, so I didn't quite break even today, but fortunately that's what I have savings account for (I knew there'd be a point to that thing one of these days!).

Interestingly, my 3G iPad played a big role in today's auto-adventures.  Along with giving me something to do while I waited for the car (note to self: keep a pair of earbuds in the case and load up some random episodes of SOMETHING for emergency situations like that!) I was also able to log onto my bank website and transfer funds from my savings to my checking account to cover the repair bill.  It wouldn't have been an issue if I hadn't been so WILD and SPONTANEOUS, but it was nice that I was able to do that.  (Note to self: this might also be why a credit card could come in handy.)

After Sam got home, I called Verizon to have another go with the effed-up Blackberry I got screwed on (that I half-mentioned yesterday).  Basically, I traded my old MyTouch 3G for a brand new Blackberry Curve.  I wanted to give Sam a chance with it before I flipped it on craigslist because after almost two years with her Blackberry Storm, my gut was telling me that she probably would like a phone with a keyboard.  That fact that she was telling me that she really wanted a phone with a keyboard helped, too.  Problem was, when I first tried to activate the phone for her, Verizon informed me that the Blackberry had a blacklisted ESN number because of an outstanding balance on the original owners account.

This didn't make much sense for a lot of reasons, including the fact that person I got the phone from swore she didn't have any issues with it and that she had activated it as a prepaid phone (which would mean that a prepaid account WOULDN'T HAVE an outstanding balance).  Verizon wouldn't activate it and I was screwed.

I tried again this evening because I had more facts on the matter and, if all else failed, maybe the original owner paid their account.  Some kind of luck was on my side, because although there was no change in the outstanding balance and the ESN number still seemed to be blacklisted, the guy I spoke with had the foresight to realize that the phone had been free for the original owner and that the original owner had been billed whatever gratuitous early termination fee they had coming to them ... so no matter how you look at it, the phone should be in the free and clear.  After a manual programming, he went ahead and activated the new Blackberry and so far Sam is happy with her new keyboard.  And now I have a used Blackberry Storm up for grabs.

So I made $30, spent $300, set Sam up with a new Blackberry in exchange for an old, beat-up Storm, and wrote the outlines for the last two chapters of Zaphod.  Oh, and I finished editing the takes and have assembled the Golf episode of WEBCAMS.  Okay, maybe I haven't "come out on top" today, but I do feel accomplished.  And that's more than enough for me.

Good night.