It’s A Listing Blog Hop: Story Points & NaNoWritMo Prep
THE LISTING BLOG HOP-MY LISTS
STORY POINTS: BUILD YOUR STORY
PREPARING TO WRITE:
List in no particular order.
Create and Give Characters
- 3-Dimensional antagonist (shades of gray)
- Strong, reliable protagonist (emotionally sympathetic)
- Deep-seated desires (emotionally do or die)
- Clear Purposes (avoid the ambiguous)
- Cause & effect conflict = consequence
- No detail that does not move the story forward
- Know story goal = The End
- Scenes are mini 3 act plays =forward motion or remove it
- Reinforce structure with strong plot points thru each Act + Scenes
- Compelling Hook (Opening–What’s the story question?)
- Mirror moments (James Scott Bell says Write From Middle)
- Actionable & Internal conflict: Primary & Secondary characters.
- Profile all characters: Show internal-external elements, history & connections
- Write in Deep POV
- Use Deep POV description for story movement, revealing personality of character & emotion
- Natural dialogue-Flows & Pops
- Know why you’re telling the story, why should readers care?
- Use pace to control story action & nonaction moments
- Sum up your story in 1 sentence (30 words or less.)
- Keep premise to 1 paragraph (no more 250-300 words)
- Reader experience is about story immersion, escape, and emotional connection
NOVEMBER NANOWRIMO LIST
- NaNo Coffee Mug: Keep it brewing
- My Place to Write: Setup for Comfort & Inspiration
- Writing supplies e.g. pens, pencils, color pencils, sharpeners, highlighters, index cards, sketch pad for mind mapping & note taking
- Music: Characters playlist, For me: Pandora backgrounds-classical-rain/thunderstorm sounds.
- Chocolate + other energy snacks–pre-planned lunches
- Computer, OneNote, Word & Scrivener, Props
- Character cast photo picks
- Character profiles
- List of short story ideas, scene revision/creation
- Set each day’s goal the night before: Pick one project/scene/short for that day’s focus
JOIN ME. JOURNEY WITH ME! SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER
I’ve been so busy (JOB CHANGE, BOTB, LISTING HOP all happening close together) that I’m only now making it over here. I profusely apologize for my lateness.
Although I have tried my hand at some writing (a children’s manuscript and a screenplay), I no longer pursue that dream. So, I’m afraid blog bits about writing don’t really haul me in (Ha!) but I’m glad you participated in Bish’s LISTING HOP, and I thank you for visiting my site.
May You Bless And Be Blessed!
~ D-FensDogG
‘Loyal American Underground’
I hope you don’t mind that I copied your list down! Thank you for it, and taking the time to put it together. It’s not that I didn’t already know these things, but it helps to go over it from time to time and remember…
I don’t mind at all. Glad you liked it.
This is a good list of tips. It’s true about the 30 words and 1 paragraph. I think many authors find that once they accomplish that description, they have a much better grasp on how to present their story to others.
I agree, lol
Thanks for all the useful tips! I think coming up with a 30-word-or-less sentence for a storyline is the hardest thing to do. Good luck with NaNo!!
I agree, lol.
Great lists! I really liked your NaNo survival list. 🙂
lol, thank you.
Wowzers! Talk about some awesome lists! I’ll be visiting again!
Cool, I’m glad you like then so much. Thank you.
Wow. You’ve got it all covered. 🙂
Anna from Elements of Writing
Not sure about that, but thanks. Now to figure out how to translate knowledge into results.
Good story building points, and great Nano tips! I could use the chocolate even if I’m not participating in Nano!
Thank you, lol.
Those are some great story building points! Good luck with NaNo! If I were participating, my prep list would probably be similar, especially the coffee and chocolate 🙂
lol, thank you.
Great list for writers! You’re super organized. I’ve got nothing planned for ShaNo. Will have to sit down and draw up my goals soon.
ROFL I read super organized and found myself looking over my shoulder for who you were referring too, snickers—Thank you.
Wow thanks! These are great lists for attacking NaNo this year. What a blast it always is!
Glad you like it. Yeah NaNo, it is fun.
Great list! If only it were so easy to ensure all of those points were covered while writing! 🙂
No kidding, lol, thanks.
Great lists! Good luck with Nano, too.
Thank you
Great plan for NanoWriMo!!!! Good luck!
Thank you
Somebody will be doing Nano!
Love the list with the writing ingredients
Nice to meet you!
Great to meet you too, thank you.
I know a lot of work goes into a book; that’s why I haven’t tried to write one! Also, I have no imagination. I think your list is amazing and helpful to other writers.
Thank you, I like to think I can offer something to others.
Excellent list. I’m adding some of these to my own. Thanks!
Glad they help.
These are great story building tips. I would add, tell the story in the 3rd person, past tense but you’ve probably covered that in a previous post.
Thank you, I’ll have to add that one to the list.
This is a fantastic list! Great points, great checklist. Haha… And I love the idea of character playlists… I do scene playlists, too, and mood playlists. (Actually, I’ll be over tomorrow at Sam Redstreake’s blog talking about precisely that, and I’d love it if you came over to join the conversation 🙂 )
I think I’ll skip NaNo this year, unfortunately—but I’ll be rooting for you! Thanks for hopping over to my blog earlier 🙂
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter
Those are good ideas for list too. I find list help me organize my thoughts even if I never use them again. Thanks for the invite, I’ll try to stop by. Your welcome, loved the quotes.
Great list of points to hit indeed
Thank you.
I love that you have character music playlists. I do that, too. And I also keep a steady supply of chocolate come NaNoWriMo time. Best of luck to you next month!
My characters sometimes have very specific taste and not always mine, lol. Best of luck to you too.
Great list. All the best for your NaNo. I’ll keep an eye on you. 😀
lol, thank you, I am still on the fence about it a bit, but I will still probably give it a shot, See ya there, We should claim each other as buddies if we have not done it in the past.
Nice writing checklist. I like the one about having a “mirror moment”. I don’t remember seeing that in a writing list, but it’s something that shows up in my writing from time to time. Glad to know it’s a “thing”.
Thank you. I actually learned about the “mirror moment” in reading, Write Your Novel From The Middle: A New Approach for Plotters, Pantsers and Everyone in Between by James Scott Bell
Like you I have had it occur, but did not have a name for it till I read this book.
Doing NaNo for the first time this year, so that list was particularly helpful. Thanks!
Yvonne
Glad to hear it, This is my 3rd year to do NaNo. The camps in April and July are a blast to, especially sharing a cabin with fellow writers that you have gotten to know over timne.
The best way to get dialogue that pops is to read it out loud. (Which is awkward when your husband is in the other room listening to you talk to yourself.)
LOL, I bet, especially if you are writing romance rofl. Nice tip.
Great list to keep in mind. I’ve been rewriting an older story and have found I need to have some kind of secondary plot going on, and throwing it to the secondary characters makes them as interesting as well as the main leads.
I also have started to make sure I have some kind of hook at the beginning of each part. The last one I rewrote seemed to be well received.
As for my characters. I keep a profile for each person. As I’ve been rewriting each part, I update their profile sheet.
Sounds like good organization. I like layered complicated story. When I read I love it when I love more than just the main characters too.
Very useful writing tips to keep in mind. I doubt whether I’ll be doing NANO this year. If I do it will be a last minute decision and I’ll be highly unorganized in comparison to the way you’ve laid things out. Your method will undoubtedly be more effective than mine.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
I feel disorganized even when I organize. I am a panster by nature, so can’t say which works best, but pre planning some gives me a starting place without having to think about it, or find a starting point,
Great lists. I’m not doing NaNo but your list made me want to prepare as if I was going to try it.
Susan Says
It gives me a starting point, which helps when looking at white computer screen, even for a panster.
Great list, hope you don’t mind if I copy it for my attempt at the NaNo goal of 50,000 words!
Good luck!
I don’t mind at all. Thanks lol
Great check off lists for NaNo and story building.
Thank you
Coffee and chocolate will do the trick!
Yup, lol,
I like your writerly lists.
NaNo starts Sunday – good luck!
And thanks for participating in the blog hop.
Thanks you for pointing me toward the blog hop.
Juneta Writer’s Gambit
Thanks for listing with me, Juenta! A down to earth and practical list for all of us writers. I like the NaNo touch at the end, particularly LOTS of coffee!
Your welcome. Congratulations on 8 years of blogging and Thank you for this neat bloghop idea.