We’ve come to the end of October, which means it’s time for you to submit your questions about prewriting. Of course, it’d be great if you shared some of your favorite prewriting tools, as well. Also a question: Do you plan to compete in NANOWRIMO this year?
I figured out in last NaNoWriMo that I am not a pantser, so I need to figure out a plot. I normally write adventures for TTRPGs and take the "worldbuild until there's enough conflict to draw the player characters in" approach: come up with a Big Problem, put a layer of concealment around it and create a Medium-Sized Problem that turns out to be caused by the Big Problem, then do that again with the Medium-Sized Problem and a Small Problem that draws the characters in. Then the player characters can blunder around doing whatever bizarre things I could never predict in a million years, and eventually start pulling on the string of a plot thread. Trying to craft that for one particular character who starts out as a fairly ordinary person (rather than a group of people who are already adventurers) is an interesting challenge.
I am participating in NANOWRIMO this year. It really helps me to recommit and cement in a more regular writing routine. For prewriting, well, I'm thoroughly a pantser. I know basically what I want to write about and the main characters' names, but the details and supporting characters are filled in along the way. I do try to at least start on a playlist to set the mood (which I also add to throughout each project). I also set up the bones of a spreadsheet to track different aspects of story/setting/characters to help keep my sanity/consistency as nothing I do is ever linear. :D
I am participation in NANOWRIMO! I have been using your guidance, plus Save The Cat to set up some pre-writing before the start. I am also discovering how much of a pantser I am. :)
I do NaNoWriMo every year. I am usually a complete pantser with just a few things planned like the general story and the names of the characters. This year I made a rough outline, got the names sorted, did a lot more research than usual, made a playlist, and even chose some face claims to help me visualize some things.
I do have a question for you: how do you get to know your characters?
I missed the last two years but I'm doing this year with a friend that has never written fiction before. Its been fun helping her prep. We went through the 7 point story structure and have been working on a scene summary style outline. This is going to be the second book in a series for me, so the worldbuilding is done. I don't have a good grasp on doing the whole summary of the first book thing, though.
Do you always know the end of your story before you sit down to write or does it change during the writing process? If you do know how it ends, as a puzzler do you write that first?
I'm a pantser. My prewriting process consists of getting an idea that will hold water, of course, and then weeks, possibly months, talking to my husband about this or that. I say he pushes my swing higher because he asks questions I haven't thought of and makes me really go deep inside my characters or the issues. He definitely pushes me outside my comfort zone.
I like to get my character's names (I've been drawn to the older generation for names like Hubert, George, and Sophie) and what they look like. I look for pictures of models or celebrities or even friend or two. I've been known to use pictures of animals that are the spirit animals of my characters. I put these in the character section of Scrivener.
YouTube has a lot of ambient noise videos. I scour those looking for the right feeling for scenes I'm writing. If it's raining I find one that got rain and thunder. If it's a scary scene I find a haunted mansion or house themed one. There are tons of ambient noises. You like Victoria London, they have sounds for that too! Okay, enough YouTube commercial.
As for NANOWRIMO I will not be participating. I'm having a hard time showing up for write-ins let alone that. Good luck to those of you who are. I'm cheering you on from the cheap seats.
I figured out in last NaNoWriMo that I am not a pantser, so I need to figure out a plot. I normally write adventures for TTRPGs and take the "worldbuild until there's enough conflict to draw the player characters in" approach: come up with a Big Problem, put a layer of concealment around it and create a Medium-Sized Problem that turns out to be caused by the Big Problem, then do that again with the Medium-Sized Problem and a Small Problem that draws the characters in. Then the player characters can blunder around doing whatever bizarre things I could never predict in a million years, and eventually start pulling on the string of a plot thread. Trying to craft that for one particular character who starts out as a fairly ordinary person (rather than a group of people who are already adventurers) is an interesting challenge.
I am participating in NANOWRIMO this year. It really helps me to recommit and cement in a more regular writing routine. For prewriting, well, I'm thoroughly a pantser. I know basically what I want to write about and the main characters' names, but the details and supporting characters are filled in along the way. I do try to at least start on a playlist to set the mood (which I also add to throughout each project). I also set up the bones of a spreadsheet to track different aspects of story/setting/characters to help keep my sanity/consistency as nothing I do is ever linear. :D
I am participation in NANOWRIMO! I have been using your guidance, plus Save The Cat to set up some pre-writing before the start. I am also discovering how much of a pantser I am. :)
My work schedule never allows me to participate in NaNo. I'd love to though
I do NaNoWriMo every year. I am usually a complete pantser with just a few things planned like the general story and the names of the characters. This year I made a rough outline, got the names sorted, did a lot more research than usual, made a playlist, and even chose some face claims to help me visualize some things.
I do have a question for you: how do you get to know your characters?
I missed the last two years but I'm doing this year with a friend that has never written fiction before. Its been fun helping her prep. We went through the 7 point story structure and have been working on a scene summary style outline. This is going to be the second book in a series for me, so the worldbuilding is done. I don't have a good grasp on doing the whole summary of the first book thing, though.
Do you always know the end of your story before you sit down to write or does it change during the writing process? If you do know how it ends, as a puzzler do you write that first?
I'm a pantser. My prewriting process consists of getting an idea that will hold water, of course, and then weeks, possibly months, talking to my husband about this or that. I say he pushes my swing higher because he asks questions I haven't thought of and makes me really go deep inside my characters or the issues. He definitely pushes me outside my comfort zone.
I like to get my character's names (I've been drawn to the older generation for names like Hubert, George, and Sophie) and what they look like. I look for pictures of models or celebrities or even friend or two. I've been known to use pictures of animals that are the spirit animals of my characters. I put these in the character section of Scrivener.
YouTube has a lot of ambient noise videos. I scour those looking for the right feeling for scenes I'm writing. If it's raining I find one that got rain and thunder. If it's a scary scene I find a haunted mansion or house themed one. There are tons of ambient noises. You like Victoria London, they have sounds for that too! Okay, enough YouTube commercial.
As for NANOWRIMO I will not be participating. I'm having a hard time showing up for write-ins let alone that. Good luck to those of you who are. I'm cheering you on from the cheap seats.