So I am preparing for this year's book contest, where you write a book in 30 days in November, and I am actually very, very excited!
I thought I was deciding late to participate, but as it turns out, I have loads of time to work out what I am going to do with my story. Now, normally, I am NOT a planner, I do not outline or do anything at all, I just write. But, for some reason, it takes me YEARS to write a novel, that COULD only take me a few months, if I just planned it right (meaning a way that fits my personality).
Because yes, for my brain, there is a right way and a wrong way to plan. If I do it the wrong way (which I did once), then I am 100% turned off to the idea of that novel. But, if I do it the right way? It lays out a foundation where I can still be creative without a million details bogging down my brain to remember (which is what slows me down and eventually turns me off completely).
One thing I normally plan out before I write a book: my characters. I plan out what they look like and somewhat of who they are. Who they really are comes out in the story, but I just do a basic, rough sketch of their personalities and let them blossom from there. Because as I am writing, they react in real ways that I can't control ahead of the story. Kind of like you really don't know someone until you see them in all situations. The same goes for characters: I don't know how my MC (main character) will act if their dog dies, or if their house blows up. I won't know that until it actually
happens.
So, instead of planning out a million details, I do it fast and loose (there's a watercolor strategy called that, look it up!) and as little as I can so I basically know where I am going. Once upon a time, I tried to do the "million detail" way with a story that took place on a Native American reservation. I even made charts with pics of who would play my characters in a movie. And when I was all done, I found it had sucked me dry of all my creativity! Gone. Kaput. I just said "Nope!" and put the story away and still haven't gone back to it (actually that story and the one I ended up choosing were the two I was deciding between for this year's NaNoWriMo).
So, how will I get ready this year?
For those of you who I deem CC personalities
(this is the term I use on my organizational/art website meaning "Chaotic Creative"), planning a novel can be very annoying. But sometimes you might feel that you need some direction. As my 15 year old son said yesterday, who is also writing a novel next month, "
Just because you write 50,000 words in 30 days doesn't mean it will be good. Anyone can write 50,000 random words. And what will that get you? Editing the crap out of it for the next year?". He has a great point. Which is why I decided this year, to do some plotting first.
Those of us who don't normally plot may find ourselves wanting to use October to work out our novels in at least
some way before November 1st comes, so we're not staring at an empty page and wondering "what's next?". But where to even start?
- 1. Come up with a story idea. Which is kind of DUH, but at the same time, some don't, and find themselves sitting there on November 1st hoping something comes to them. Do yourself a favor and come up with something now. Need a way to generate a story? Download and print the amazing Story Idea Generator my husband and I created for our writing class! If you use it, let us know down below if you like it. It's goofy and silly, but it will get your creative juices flowing and might spark some ideas for a real story :) (We used it last night with hubby and it generated a 73 year old UPS package handler who's prized possession was his beloved lawnmower who only listens to R&B music. The story's main climax will take place in a grocery store with a villain who looks like Henry Rollins. Um....yeah....LOL That sounds fantastic, doesn't it??) So have some fun, and use it today!
- 2. Characters. I always do names first. Google name generators and write down some you like. Here is a sheet I made for a class that my hubby and I taught (the dot com website on the sheet is no longer active) to keep track of a whole slew of names. Pick names you like, and then put them on the sheet and pick from there for your story. Here is an AMAZING character sheet that I adore once you get done finding a name. It's from a fabulous book about writing a novel in 30 days. I highly recommend it.
- 3. Try the 8pt story arc as a plotting tool. This technique is so simple and so easy, it doesn't feel like you're doing any extra work at all. I used blank flashcards that are hole-punched and put on a ring for this. You can make your own with index cards, or buy what I have, which is the brand name Myndology from Walmart (though I can't find them on Walmart.com) for a few bucks. I wrote my book title on the first sheet, then I went from 1-8 , one on each card, and wrote what will happen in that stage for my arc. Here is the link to the 8pt story arc. (the link to the book on the website isn't correct, you can get this book for $7 for Kindle, or around $15 for a print book, just search the title on Amazon)
- 4. If you did number 3 above, then try this one next for more oompfh! Flesh out a little more of your story idea (meaning, give yourself ideas--these are not set in stone as the index cards are removable and replaceable). Or try our sheet on plotting to see if any of the techniques sound interesting to you. I will say that too much plotting sucks out my creativity, so I don't do too much--I only try to write one small sentence for each plot point. I will say this version of plotting is a LOT more intricate, and may not work for CC personality types.
- 5. If neither of these work for pre-writing for you, then maybe get out some 4x6 cards and write only scenes you know have to go in the story. Sometimes I write dialogue, too. Like things I want to crop up in the story somewhere or in particular scenes I want to be added. And that's it and go from there. Let this be your "fast and loose" outline.
- 6. Another way is to print out these setting cards my husband I created for our class, and write all the settings you want have in your book, and go from there. Find a way to work in each setting into the story and use it as a loose outline.
And I think that's it for now :) Plotting doesn't have to drain the creative energy out of you. Even if the only pre-writing is developing your characters a bit, that will go a LONG way in your editing later. Knowing
who you're writing about, will set the tone for everything in your book.
What about you? Are you a total pre-planner? A type A personality? Or are you a CC, where you just write and let the story unfold as you go? Or are you somewhere in between? For more fun, here a few more worksheets from our 2-day weekend intensive class:
How to Make a Logline
Your Story's Soundtrack
Book Title Creation Ideas
If you have any suggestions for plotting, planning or otherwise, please share them below! And thanks for reading, and happy writing!
Oh, if you're doing NaNoWriMo, feel free to add me: jalynnb27.
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