Monthly Archives: October 2013

No plot? No problem (this year) …

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Yes, I actually have a plot this year.

I was really planning on doing all sorts of pre-plotting and outlining and fleshing out and everything short of the actual story writing (using the “Snowflake” method).  That would have made me feel a lot more comfortable.

I ended up compressing that whole process into … well, today.  And I at least have a paragraph summary of each of the “acts”, so there’s some bones of action to hang more action off of.

The funny thing is — this is actually more plotted a state than I think I’ve ever been in a NaNoWriMo writing challenge.  Usually I have an opening scene, a climax at the end, and a lot of space to backfill.

I’m doing a sequel to the Donne & Donne novel I’ve been working on the last three NaNos (and am currently working through with a writing group, so it’s still under revision). That makes the plotting a bit easier, since I have a cast of characters and a setting.  So that’s all good. Of course it also means that I’ve already drained away a lot of those lovely word-count-increasing backstory flashbacks.

So, a plot!  No problem?

Yeah … we’ll see how that all works out over the next 30 days.

NaNoWriMo 2013 — Eek!

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It’s that time again …

The damnable thing is, I decided a month or two ago that I was going to NaNo this year. I know what I’m doing (a sequel novel to the story I’ve worked on the last three NaNos).  And I’ve been doing some writing workshop stuff that’s given me all sorts of tools for plotting.

Yes, this is the year I actually plot my NaNo entry in advance.

So the plan was obvious.  Make use of October to work on an outline.  I had the main characters in mind, and a basic plot premise.  It would be straightforward to go from a simple plot premise to a more structured outline to a detailed plot layout that I would simply need to type like a madman to flesh out.  Easy-peasey.

And here we are, October 28th, ready to rock and, fully prepared to — um — well, I’ve — uh — and I have …

… well …

Pantsing NaNoWriMo… the main characters in mind, and a basic plot premise.

Sigh.

I could blame a bunch of personal stuff in my life.  Or business trips that ended up occupying much of October.  Or all sorts of stuff.

But I think I’ll just face facts that I didn’t get it done.

There are, of course, a few days left before things go APESHIT-WRITING-AS-FAST-AS-I-CAN, so maybe a miracle will occur.

In the meantime I think I’ll …

… watch some TV. Because I’m very tired.