It's that time again—time for the year's first Camp NaNoWriMo! Now, I know some of you are veterans and at this, but this is actually my first time participating in any of the NaNo's. So while I watch everyone scramble around, getting ready for NaNo, I've been . . . well . . . trying to prepare. But as someone who tends to do little pre-work, actually getting ready for Camp is a bit of a struggle. So, as you can imagine, plotting has been a bit of an adventure. But there's some observations and things I've learned about Camp NaNo preparation that I thought I might share with y'all.
First of all, plotting. Yeah, I know I just talked about it, but this is a subject deserving of extra attention. I believe that at least having a starting point and an ending point is crucial to NaNo success. (I know, this is coming from a future newbie, but I'm only making observations . . . ) Know how you want your story to begin, and how you want it to end. What happens in the middle is anyone's guess—and your job with plotting is to make it your guess. But how exactly does one plot a book?
First try asking yourself some questions. Like in the synopsis writing post from last year, let's start with the five W's: who, what, when, where, and why.
Who is the book about? Well duh, the main character(s). But more importantly, what are the characters like? When do they arc perfectly? Where are they comfortable? Why do they act the way they do?
What is the book about? Who is the main character going to come across? When will the climax occur? Where will the protagonist finally find him/herself? Why are the circumstances the way they are? I think having some backstory in your head beforehand will be helpful to understanding what it currently happening in the book.
When is the story set? If you're writing a historical or contemporary, Who is a famous icon from the time? What is a restaurant, toy, or makeup brand that others will relate to? Where will the protagonist finally realize that humankind can only do so much? Why does everyone think that the future will be brighter/darker?
Where is the story set? Who will kidnap the protagonist and take them to their hideout? What are the landmarks that he/she will encounter? When will the protagonist escape from wherever they are? Why are the elements constantly working against their favor?
Why does the plot follow the path that it does? Who tries to constantly change the protagonists' plot? What will happen to the antagonist? When will the protagonist fall offtrack? Where is the perfect turnaround time that good triumphs over evil?
If that doesn't get you to thinking about what your book is really about . . . well, sorry, I'm no help. Any other newbies out there like me? *raises hand*
First try asking yourself some questions. Like in the synopsis writing post from last year, let's start with the five W's: who, what, when, where, and why.
Who is the book about? Well duh, the main character(s). But more importantly, what are the characters like? When do they arc perfectly? Where are they comfortable? Why do they act the way they do?
What is the book about? Who is the main character going to come across? When will the climax occur? Where will the protagonist finally find him/herself? Why are the circumstances the way they are? I think having some backstory in your head beforehand will be helpful to understanding what it currently happening in the book.
When is the story set? If you're writing a historical or contemporary, Who is a famous icon from the time? What is a restaurant, toy, or makeup brand that others will relate to? Where will the protagonist finally realize that humankind can only do so much? Why does everyone think that the future will be brighter/darker?
Where is the story set? Who will kidnap the protagonist and take them to their hideout? What are the landmarks that he/she will encounter? When will the protagonist escape from wherever they are? Why are the elements constantly working against their favor?
Why does the plot follow the path that it does? Who tries to constantly change the protagonists' plot? What will happen to the antagonist? When will the protagonist fall offtrack? Where is the perfect turnaround time that good triumphs over evil?
If that doesn't get you to thinking about what your book is really about . . . well, sorry, I'm no help. Any other newbies out there like me? *raises hand*
*applause* yes, yes. Now I should really heed your advice and go outline my project...
ReplyDeleteThis is SO HELPFUL! I don't really like outlining/plotting, so these questions are good to go through! ;)
ReplyDelete-Brooklyne