Burning a Hole In My Brain

Have you ever had so many thoughts and ideas bouncing around in your head at once that you wanted to just collapse from overload? Let me tell ya, all these thoughts and ideas are burning a big ole hole in my puny brain. I can tell my obsession with this novel is really taking effect because I was STARVING at 11:30am and every time I told myself to get away from my desk to eat, I just wouldn't do it. I didn't eat until 2pm. But that's great because as a writer, your story should haunt you. You should think about it constantly. And I do. As far as the things accomplished for today, I spent quite awhile getting my folders and whatnot on my computer and pendrives all organized and ready for the novel. I also read quite a lot in the "Everything Guide to Writing a Novel." It really is so helpful. I still want to get chapter one done, but it's so hard because I still am trying to figure out a million other things. I also decided today that my novel is NOT coming of age. It COULD be, but that would go in such a different direction; thus, I am declaring it suspense. I also talked to the oh-so talented Susan about my novel. I told her, Anna, and Ellen the whole entire story. They seemed quite engaged by the story. I really appreciate their input too because I just HAD to tell someone the whole story. Like I said, it was burning a hole in my brain. They agreed that my novel wasn't coming of age which made me feel better because I was really having a problem envisioning it that way. I mean, at first I wasn't, but once I did my research, it just wouldn't make sense as a coming of age novel. I asked another friend of mine how to describe the narrator in a first person story. She suggested having her look in the mirror, have another character describe them, notice differences or likenesses with other characters such as comparing her to her mother, father, or siblings, and so on. Also, since the narrator is 7-8 years old in this novel, but is telling the story 20 some-odd years later and looking back, she can describe herself in sort of a "back then I..." type way. If that makes sense. Well, I am going to get started on chapter one. Wish me luck.