Goals
Naturally, the annual Nanowrimo goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days in the month of November. But for many writers, that finish line means so much more.
I'll be finishing the first installment of "Edge of Glory" series by the end of October. The 50k words for Nanowrimo will give me at least the first half of the sequel, while the first takes some time to rest before that red editing pen gets whipped out.
This will be my fourth Nanowrimo. Nano 2018 for me is about comeback. Before last year, I successfully participated for three consecutive years. The divorce last year left me a bit of a wreck, and my head was in no state to be feverishly writing anything. I didn't write much at all in 2017. It slipped away from me somewhere in the haze from transitioning from married life back into the single gal life.
But over this past summer, while on vacation time from work for three weeks, I really sat down and began hammering out a new draft of "Edge of Glory", which I began posting on Wattpad. The positive feedback was encouraging. It kept me going. That began my spiral back into my writing obsession. How I've missed it.
To me, a comeback after life falling apart is a form of rebellion. Against heartache. Against people who have done you wrong. Against all the things that want to keep you down, whether it be people, mental illness or otherwise.
Ironically, rebellion and surviving against adversity are two massive themes in the "Edge of Glory" series. Writing is my life. It's the foundation of who I am, no matter what else around me changes.
Nanowrimo 2018. Comeback year. Goals.
Day 4 - How You Plan
Anyone who knows my style of writing knows I usually wing it and hope for the best. I actually don't do a lot of planning.
My focus before I start a book is massive character development, for I let my characters drive the story. When completed, my profiles for main characters often exceed 15 pages. They involve everything from quirks, attitudes, physical appearance, health problems, favourite things, personality traits and more. I make a list called Randoms/Favourite Things. It's basically a list of the character's favourite things (music, clothing, art, colour, etc) and silly little quirks about them. I also include "20 Things Your Readers Will Never Know About Your Character" - an exercise I discovered on Pinterest and have found it truly rounds out characters.
As for plotting, I mostly wing it, but there's always ideas as I go. I keep a stack of index cards (white and coloured) and two small corkboards. I use the white cards to write individual ideas on and pin them up as plot points for immediate chapters. They can be rearranged as needed. The coloured cards are for ideas down the road and plot points I need to remember to finish off.
I also keep a notebook handy, devoted solely to the book series. I write down other ideas, research points, and plot holes. Research happens as I go, as I realize I need to know something.
All of this information gets conglomerated into OneNote. Book scenes I pre-write, character profiles, pictures, research info, conflicts, scenes-to-be written lists for later books, and so on. I would be LOST without OneNote!
Finally, I utilize Pinterest immensely as well for visual references on characters, settings, and to find quotes and writing prompts. It's invaluable to have when I find myself getting stuck at some points in the book. If anyone is interested in seeing the visualized mind of a writer, you can find my "Edge of Glory" board here. There's no spoilers there, I promise!
It's that simple! The planning habits of a panster. I don't complicate the process. I prefer to keep it easier so that I can focus more on writing.
Now I'm caught up on Preptober! Thanks for sticking with me, and as always, thanks for the support. It's been a long year, but it's getting better. Rising up. Coming back. That's my theme this year.
Keep rising, everyone.