What’s that you ask? How’s my writing coming? Well, I’ll tell you. I still have my short story ideas in my head, but right now I’m beginning to plan for this year’s NaNoWriMo. You can tell I’m planning because I’ve posted that nifty little graphic in the sidebar here with the other “badges”. Impressive work I know. I’ve done more, though.
I’ve actually begun to outline my novel. This is an enormous deal for me as I never outline or plan anything I write. I usually get my idea and just start writing. Having done NaNoWriMo before, however, I know I need some plan if I’m going to accomplish 50,000 words in a month (that’s roughly 1667 words a day including weekends and Thanksgiving). With this in mind I bought a cheap little notebook for $1.60 and started to get my ideas on paper.
(Mine looks similar to this but is red instead of Orange )
What I’ve done so far is write some characteristics of my protagonist and write some ideas about chapters 1 and 2. It’s a start, I guess. I also wrote an opening paragraph. I know this is against the rules, but the paragraph is more to get things moving in my head than the actual opening paragraph. Anyhow, here it is:
Stevie opened the door to his father’s station wagon, dangled his foot outside, and jumped out of the movie vehicle, rolling as he landed in the wet leaves on the side of the road. It was much darker on that lonely back road than it had seemed from the back seat of the car, but as he sat in the dirt, gazing up at the trees which stretched above the pavement like the slender fingers of an old man, Stevie knew he made the right decision.
Not great, but a start. As I wrote this I was looking at this excellent picture posted by dlennis. I’d post the photo here but I think it would be worth your while to head over to his blog and check out some of his work.
I still haven’t been able to get to the library and check out the Encyclopedia of Fairies, maybe tonight I will.
Well your first paragraph seems like a good hook to me – I already want to know who Stevie is, where he was going in the car and why he decided to jump out of it… so many questions! Good luck with the rest of your planning :]
Brave of you to do NaNoWriMo – I refuse to do it – I know I can write 50 000 words in a month – done it before, but I refuse to work under such pressure – I’m not convinced it would do me or my work any good. Stories, I believe, have to be allowed to take their own pace – as opposed to be dictated to by deadlines. You can tell, can’t you, that I am deeply suspicious and resentful of deadlines
Good luck – hope it goes really well!
Thanks Soph!
Absolute Vanilla… (& Atyllah) – I’m opposite of you. I have never come close to 50,000 words and I’m not sure I ever will. Also, I like deadlines because they help motivate me.
Yes, that is a very good start – even if it’s rather an outline itself.
I checked the photo, too. A really inspirational one, too bad that it has been touched digitally over too much, in my book.
But the site (in the photo) is great, it does tell a story.
I like that you are doing NaNoWriMo.
*fingers crossed again*
Good luck on it! I’m devoting this month to outlining, too.
You’re off to a good start!
I’ve been eying NaNoWriMo for years now, but I’ve never attempted it. I really don’t think I’d be able to get through it.
I always felt it would be a waste to write that much and finish with pages and pages of garbage. Do you use an idea you’ve been holding for a novel and potentially ruin it or make up something else and not be completely behind it? Who knows, maybe you’ll finish with something great that just needs some editing. You never know until you try, I guess.
I hear that the key with NANOWRIMO is to come up with a schedule for working on the book and then to stick to it come hell or high water. If one gets behind by even one day, it can be too hard to overcome.
Good luck! Sounds like you’ve got a good idea and a lot of enthusiasm. I hope you have a good time with it!
SzélsőFa – Thanks! I liked that beginning too. Thanks for the crossed fingers!
Cavan – good luck with the outlining. I hope you’re better at it than me.
Rob – Thanks for the compliment and questions. I will address some of these questions in a post tomorrow.
writinggb – getting behind one day is a deal breaker. that means you have to write 3000+ for the next day and the one you missed. crazy!
Wow. Now, that is some planning! I like to just try and come up with an idea the day the whole thing starts…it doesn’t work most of the time, but hey….it’s bound to sometime, right?
[...] Categories: Writing Tags: fiction writing, genre, NaNoWriMo If the NaNoWriMo story I’m currently planning is ever bought (and written ), I’m thinking it will be labeled as Young Adult, Fantasy, or [...]