New sort of nerves.

I'm struggling with a new and improved case of the nerves. Whereas the first week, I was anxious because I was sure that I couldn't come up with enough words to write for a whole month, now I'm stressed because I don't know if I'll be able to wrap up the story in the few days left to me. I feel confident that I've got the words, but I may have too much story. I'm leaving place-markers where I can. "Insert car chase here." "Describe railroad here." That sort of thing so that I can push ahead. But I can only do so much of that because I have no idea what's going to happen until I'm in the thick of it. Place-markers are great when I KNOW what's supposed to happen, but I don't seem to know what's going to happen until it's already happened. I'm as clueless as my main character, it appears. When I began the story, I knew how it ended. Or I thought I did. Then, about a quarter of the way into it, strange things began to happen. Characters appeared without my bidding. They did things that I had not instructed them to do. Bronte was my Eve. I had a certain amount of control over her in the beginning. Then she started making decisions without consulting me. Little things at first. She rearranged the cans of tuna and Sloppy Joe in her cabinet while I was distracted with other matters. No big deal. I was okay with a reasonable amount of self-determination. It took some of the pressure off of me. But then she started making bigger decisions. Out of nowhere. Decisions that altered the ending that I had planned. Then came the rogue characters. First there was the money-hungry literary agent. Then the black-clad leader of the IOOF. Then Bronte's old college chum reintroduced himself into the plot when he was only meant to be a side note in the first chapter. Now bathroom attendants who seemed entirely ornamental at first glance are taking over whole scenes - kidnapping, punching, making dumb jokes. The guy that I had pegged as the romantic lead has bad breath, and Bronte just isn't into him. The plot is darker. People have died. Even people that I liked. Not people that I liked a lot, of course. I would have to intervene in those cases. But my point is that I have no idea how the novel ends now. The characters are developed. The action is mounting. The suspense is killing me. Is anyone else facing a similar situation?

Also...why have I been the only person posting entries? Huh? Natalie? You must have something to say about all of this. When I don't see entries, I think that you've been swallowed up by an earthquake...or worse...you've quit writing your novel.

I ended with 43,408 today after a weekend of power-writing.