The Week Before Nanowrimo

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It’s six days until NaNoWriMo. Oh. My. God.  

While I have a nebulous idea of what I want to write, there is no single solid scene to grasp onto. I want to write a sequel to a book I finished over the summer. I’ve never done a series for Nano.  

I don’t want to say a sequel isn’t exciting, but some of the energy that propels me through a manuscript during nano is the newness. Figuring out who characters are as I write them. Listening to the fresh voices in my head.  

Photo by Toni Cuenca: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-jack-o-lantern-lamps-619418/

Two jack o lanterns lit iwth candles inside. Creepy.

Will writing a sequel work for me? One of my writer friends is doing a sequel as well. I’ve not asked if she’s having any problems plotting it. She writes almost every day. I should ask. She might gift me some ideas.  

There are some thoughts about the story. A large stack of craft books sits near me. Our book club read a bunch of them this year. My mind keeps turning over 22 steps to take, a heroine’s journey, that someone must save the cat and I’m wired for story. All those wonderful writers who shared ways to approach the page.  

Noise. There are too many other thoughts in my brain. As a recovering perfectionist, I can say the weight of all the craft I’ve learned this year hangs heavy around my neck. Where do I go from here? 

I’ve never gone into nano blind. Some folks do. The thought of it makes my shoulders tense and ride up around my ears. I just took a couple of deep breaths. Freaks me out. By blind, I mean no plan of action. No scenes in my head. Not even the first line. I always have at least the beginning scene.  

What am I going to do about it? Get on with it. The panic is real. All that tension is filling up all the space I use to ruminate on ideas. I need to chill out.  

I might try time blocking. Take an hour in the afternoon to sit with it. Then brainstorm. My favorite way to do that is a mind map. You can do those online. I grab a piece of paper and a pen and go at it. At the center, I'll put my main character. From that, I would start with themes or premise. Bookending is very important to me. So, if I think of the first scene, I’ll have the last one as well.  

Photo by Karolina Grabowska: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hand-putting-halloween-decorations-5422858/

A window with Halloween spider web with a few spiders mixed in.

In successful NaNoWriMo wins, I write a scene card before every new scene. Try to nail down how the next scene serves the overall story. I always want a scene to move the plot forward.  

Don’t get me wrong, though. Part of what makes NaNoWriMo so fun is you write fast without worrying over things so much. Not so precious. There are some scene’s I’ll write because I’m trying to puzzle something out. It’s all part of writing.  

At least I’ve got a few ideas about how to find ideas. The next six days are going to blaze past me. I’ll be up at midnight on November first. As soon as the clock dings, I’ll have a first line whether I like it or I don't.  

Are you going to NaNoWriMo this year? Are you further along with your plotting? Tell me how you did it. I can use all the help I can get.