Waffling

This morning I had a brilliant idea that I would shelve the plot sketch I have for this year's NaNo effort and write a "therapy novel." That would be just for me, a loose narrative structure to explore my own internal workings in broad metaphors that wouldn't have to make sense or be particularly original because it would be just for me. I'm not sure I'd be able to drag that out for 50,000 words, but if there's no need for a viable first draft at the end of November, then I wouldn't have to "get" anywhere -- I could wander.
Well, the characters I had been introducing myself to for the real novel didn't take this well. They are raring to go for an adventure and don't really want to be shelved. So. What to do? I'm being heavily lobbied by my main characters. I've got a young and uneducated mother who really wants to discover that education doesn't equal intelligence and she's got the latter in spades. I've got a frustrated young father who wants more for his family. Who am I to deny them -- oh, only the *author*.
I think this'll be an interesting November.