"Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way."
- E.L. Doctorow
I've been gearing up for NaNoWriMo and have mapped out my outline with plot and pivot points (there was a great article in this month's Writer's Digest on how to do this.)
Today I am going to write my scene list. Even if I only have a few to start with and revise/add as I go, it will be a map of where to go each day. I also created two lists (that author and founder of NaNoWriMo Chris Baty suggests in his book, No Plot! No Problem!) one is a list of things that I LIKE in novels and may want to see in mine, another is a list of things that I do NOT like in novels, so that I can refer to these lists to avoid those things I don't like, and try and incorporate the things I like. For example, my lists are below:
WHAT I LIKE IN BOOKS
Characters who aren’t mainstream
Characters who are flawed
Characters who overcome obstacles
Prose that has meaning, symbols
Found objects
Quirky characters
Quest for love
Searching for themselves
Characters that are at turning points in their lives
Characters who have lost everything
Disappointment
Catharsis
Music
Urban settings, but also small town
Strong protagonists
Cliffhanger chapter endings
Rebirth
Mismatched characters who discover they are similar
WHAT I DISLIKE IN BOOKS
Characters who do nothing
Characters who are boring
Scenes that describe in too much detail food
Scenes that read like a timeline of the character’s day (log)
Fluffy writing that has no meaning
Books consisting largely of a character’s thoughts
Books set in the 19th century
Boring, technical language that you can get bogged down in
I also came up with an idea to inspire me along the way with NaNo. I have pre-programmed e-cards to be sent to me every 3-5 days with inspiring quotes (http://www.mtco.com/~lbamber/quotes.htm) and messages to myself. This will be like a personal coach. I use American Greetings, but I'm sure Hallmark or any e-card site has the ability to send cards in the future. They also probably have a section of cards called "Inspiration and Encouragement" or something like that.
Oh, and I have a title! The working title is Landing Scars.
Less than a week to go!
Kathy
