National Novel Writing Month: Preptober #2

Oh yes, I'm back again, hiking a backpack full of research material, NaNoWriMo prep books, and inspirational quotes your way.

Attempting NaNoWriMo doesn't require any of this, however, it can help in the journey to achieve 50,000 words during the month of November. So let's begin with the second installment of PREPTOBER!

For those wondering WHAT THE HECK IS NANOWRIMO? Here is a rundown: National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing where writers around the world accept the challenge to write a novel ( 50,000 words ) in the month of November! If you want to learn more about the organization and mission of NaNoWriMo you can check out their about page here!

To Plot or Not to Plot: The Age Old Question

If you are a NaNoWriMo veteran, you have probably heard of the discourse between planners and pantsers. For those not in the know, planners are writers who plan everything out before drafting, while pantsers quite literally draft by the seat of their pants. No plans are needed.

I'm gonna be honest with you, the answer to this debate is quite simple:

DO WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU!

There is no right or wrong way to go about writing a novel. You might find some common denominators among published authors, but take a second to study publishing schedules and the frequency of new projects, and you will soon discover that no matter the technique, every writer goes about drafting at their own pace.

So then which one should you choose for yourself? Here is how I break down the planner versus pantser routes:

If you are someone who thrives off of knowing where your story is going and having every little plot twist and world-building detail figured out, go for the planner route. Have at least a basic outline for your main plot and notes for subplots like romances or character-building moments. Know the rules of your world, whether it's the laws, magic, or economic structure. ( Whatever floats your boat! )

If you are someone who doesn't like to be restricted by boundaries and thrives off of spontaneous ideas, go the pantser route. Sometimes all you need is an engaging character or a dangerous world to set your mind ablaze. Every day is a new opportunity to stretch your ideas into the next chapter, and the excitement of the unknown can encourage faster writing since you won't be bogged down by pre-set rules or plots for your characters.

There is also the plantser route which combines the two, which I find to be my most used way of drafting, as sometimes I find that trying to follow the guidelines set by myself months prior to writing can change on the fly. Essentially I will plan out a general idea of a main plot, flush out characters and their backgrounds, create a setting, and then let them loose. It becomes a question of how will these characters react to the "destiny" or plot I have set forth, and how will they try to change it rather than having everything pre-planned.

Just know that in the end, all of these ways of drafting are viable, and published authors have used all three to finish their work. Try one or try them all and see what works for you!

The Chicken or the Egg: Choosing What Comes First

This is a topic I don't see discussed too often, as the above topic is usually the one most NaNoWriMo hopefuls worry about. Yet, this next topic has eluded me more in the past than how I should go about drafting my novel.

Should you craft your world, set a plot, or flush out your characters first?

These are the three major pillars of any story, and deciding which one to tackle first can be daunting. In Brandon Sanderson's Writing Science Fiction & Fantasy Lecture at BYU, he explains that stories are made up of plot, characters, and setting and that they are glued together by conflict.

He then goes on to explain his inspirations for his own books and shows how each starting idea was different, from ideas about a prophesized hero failing becoming a plot idea to a world where cathedrals are shrouded in living mist becoming a setting idea. Essentially, he showed that none of these ideas NEED to come first. Instead, it's about how you build off of those ideas to fill in the roles of the other pillars of storytelling.

For me first starting out, I was concerned if there was a benefit I was missing by not doing one before another. Would my characters be stronger if I wrote them first and then built the world and plot around them? Would my world-building be weak if I focused on the plot first? Would my plot be better if I bent my characters and world to conform to it?

It wasn't until AFTER participating in and listening to lectures like the above that I gained a better perspective that there is no correct order. What's most important is how you weave all three together and create a compelling conflict to entice readers into your story.

I highly recommend watching this specific lecture as he goes over a lot more than I'm going to mention here! Just be prepared as it is an hour long!

Sanderson also mentions that ( in his opinion ) the setting is the least important of the three. Now if you read my last NaNoWriMo article, you may be scratching your head as I said one of the first things you can do is cement your setting. I said this because it has helped ME in the past, not that it is the BEST way to start off planning a story. As someone who is very visual, I find that having a setting somewhat planned out in the early days helps me immerse myself into the world I'm crafting better.

Write Your Book Pitch Before Starting the Draft

This is a newer tip that I've seen circulate among authors, especially modern-day authors who have to use social media to promote their books.

During an online publishing class, I was tasked with writing not only a hook, ( typically what you see on the back or inside jacket of a book to get the reader interested in your story ) but also a "Twitter" Pitch which is a condensed version of the Hook which only takes the most interesting parts and fits them into a twitter length post.

I'll give you my hook and Twitter pitch for my draft CASTLING here for an example:

HOOK

Aislinn Eligor is heir to a kingdom that hates her.

Nine years ago, seven-year-old Aislinn was whisked away under cover of night to escape a monster: her father, the king of Irkalla. Now, after news of his murder has breached the once peaceful walls of the Monastery she’s called home, she’s hungry for change and control over a life that’s never felt like hers.

Blaire O’'Connell wants to eradicate all demons.

After his younger brother succumbed to a powerful possession, Blaire exiled himself from his knightly post and took up the mantle of demon hunter. But, when he is called back to Anglafalla, the city where he lost everything, he is given the chance to avenge his brother, so long as he can stomach killing a blind 16-year-old girl...and sole heir to the Irkallan throne.

When their paths collide, neither is prepared for the evil that lurks within their holy city, or themselves. The question becomes when – not if – the kingdom will perish as dark forces gather in the shadow of the throne, and within the heart of Aislinn Eligor herself.

TWITTER PITCH

VESPERTINE x GAME OF THRONES

When blind 16-year-old Aislinn's tyrant father is murdered by a riotous mob of his own people, Aislinn is determined to claim the empty throne of Irkalla before monsters – both man and demon – bring their holy city to ruin. #YA #F #DarkFantasy

______________

As you can see, the two are VERY different, but still convey the same main point: the main character must take over the throne before other forces do. Any other details are there for the reader to become curious or enticed.

The Twitter pitch includes my composition titles, or other books/media that are similar to my book ( Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson and Game of Thrones by George RR Martin ) and hashtags ( # ) that define genre and subgenre ( young adult, fantasy, and dark fantasy ). You do not have to have these starting out!

Daniel Greene does an incredible job explaining the different types of pitches you can, and should consider, writing! He starts at minute 7:30!

I offer this up as a tip for preptober because it's become very helpful - whether planning or pantsing - to have a basic idea going forward. Writing a pitch can help you narrow your focus and prevent distractions when it is time to begin the NaNoWriMo challenge. You can change your pitch easily as you write, which will only help strengthen your plot, characters, and setting.

Also, after you are done with your novel, you can use your pitch to find agents online, promote your work on social media, or pitch it to people in person!

Think of it as a mini plan of attack for your novel. (:

CONCLUSION

And we have come to the end once again!

This entry is definitely more detail-heavy and dense, so don't feel like you have to digest it all at once. Out of all of this, I hope you come away with the confidence to go about drafting your own way by creating a plan, finding ideas for your setting, plot, and characters in their own time, and considering writing your own pitch!

I hope this has been helpful to you. I can think of a few other topics I can cover in the future, so let me know what you think!

If you haven't yet, go check out Preptober #1 here:

You can also browse my work in my Curious Catalogue, which I update whenever I post new content!