I'm back with another post. Not a book review this time, as I have been rereading some old favorites recently, but maybe I'll write a review on one of them soon.
Lately, aside from reading, my project has been NaNoWriMo. I started off with great intentions, setting my highest goal yet of 50,000 words, but with a brain dead from finals, I had no desire to work on my plot. So, the first of the month rolled around and I left for vacation. I wrote nothing the first day that I returned home, so five days were gone without a word written AND without and outline.
And then I realized that I had no idea where I was going. I had ideas for the plot and knew the basics of the beginning, so I began to write that while I tried to plot. And here I am now halfway through the month with barely any plot. I have resigned my self to a lower goal of 30,000 words and have buckled down on my plot.
That's what I am working on currently, so I am counting my outline towards my word count goal. Progress is progress. Maybe I'll surprise myself by the end of the month and have a surplus of words written.
In the midst of July, sometimes it gets hard to keep writing everyday, so I have put together a few tips that have helped me wrangle my story and get my act together. I hope that they help you as well.
Tip #1
This tip takes place more at the beginning of a draft. If you are trying to plot and just have so many ideas that you don't know what goes where and what happens when, take a deep breath. Start making a list of all of the ideas that you want to include. Personally, I am typing mine and I plan to print it when I am finished compiling it.
Format the document so that each idea or detail is on a new line. Print it out if you typed it and cut out each individual idea that you have. Now comes the fun part: lay them all out on your floor. If it's easier, you can pin them to a bulletin board or use magnets on a magnetic surface. Rearrange them, fill in the blanks, and figure out splits if you are writing a book series. At this point, you can write an in-depth outline, adding information or keeping the same way that you did with your list of ideas.
When rearranging the pieces on the floor, I suggest that you keep a pen and highlighter with you. That way you can easily cross out parts that don't make sense or highlight important plot points. It will be messy, and that's a good thing. These are the seeds of your novel - they are not going to be perfect.
I also suggest keeping a stack of notecards with you. You can write in points that you miss or that you come up with as you are plotting and add them in, rearranging them with the typed portion.
Tip #2
Take a personality test for your characters. I read this on a blog several months ago and I find it very helpful in discovering who my characters are. Hopefully halfway through the month you know at least the basics of who your characters are, but if not that's okay. You still have time to fix that. I took this test for a few of my characters. The results will give you access to an analysis of how a person with that personality type will react in certain situations and what they want out of different aspects of life. I printed out a few of these and put them in my story binder, making sure to label them with the name of the character that they represent.
I personally think that it is a good idea to refer to this before you outline, as you will understand the motivation behind your characters decisions. Or you can take the quiz afterwards when you know what decisions your characters make, helping find out their true personality as you already know a lot about them. At that point, the test can help you expand your knowledge. Either way will work.
Taking this test for multiple characters can also let you know if their personalities are too similar or if they are exactly like you, which might be helpful information in the long run.
Tip #3
Don't choose a word count goal that is too high, especially if you have other commitments during the month. I started with a 50,000 word count goal and I realized that it was too high for me, so I lowered it to 30,000. In that number, I am including my outline and any work on other stories that I do. It has made it a lot less stressful for me, which I appreciate for the summer months.
In addition, you do not have to finish your novel in a month. If you want to, that's great, but simply trying to reach your word count is great as well. As I mentioned earlier, progress is progress.
Tip #4
Make a Pinterest board!
I find it helpful when I am quenched for inspiration to browse Pinterest. Make boards for your characters, your worlds, or your story in general. I have also found some great pictures that inspire different aspects of my story or lead me to creating another one.
It is a great place to look when you hit a road block, but I will warn that it is easy to get distracted and spend several hours pinning things, whether they have to do with your story or not. If you are worried about this, set a timer. When the timer goes off, reassess what you have found on Pinterest and figure out how and if you want to work it into your story.
Tip #5
Make sure to give your mind a rest. Don't put so much pressure on yourself to finish that you crack. Take time to relax: hang out with friends, read books, or just think. Taking a walk is a good time to think about your story. Who knows, maybe you'll come up for the solution to that plot hole you discovered!
That's all I have today, as I have to get back to writing. Hoping to catch up to my word count goal today, so my fingers are crossed.
Good luck writing to everyone!
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