Where You Need to be Now for NaNoWriMo

In an earlier post, I shared how to schedule your writing time during NaNoWriMo and the month of November to give you an idea of where you need to be each week and ensure you're not simply writing lots of words but writing to reach the climax of your story by month's end.

Today marks the end of Week 1. This means you should be writing the End of the Beginning scene today and prepared to write into the middle to the exotic world of the antagonist beginning tomorrow.

For help about the Energetic Markers to write toward every week.
The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories

For plot prompts to move your writing to each major turning point: The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing

For plot help and resources during NaNoWriMo: 

1)  The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories
2)  The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
3)  The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing.
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To continue writing and revising (and, lots of writers are finding PlotWriMo the exact right resource to help pre-plot for a powerful first draft. Knowing what to look for in a revision helps create a tighter first draft):

•  
• PlotWriMo: Revise Your Novel in a Month

 ~~ View your story in an entirely new light. Recharge your energy and enthusiasm for your writing. 8 videos (5.5 hours)+ 30 exercises

Writing in Snippets rather than Writing in Scene

As a strategy to seize back power from the self-doubts and self-sabatoging behaviors around her writing, she signs up for ongoing plot consultations with me.

When I learn of the sacrifices she makes to afford my support, I understand how deep her resistance and negative self-talk cuts.

With the 4 Energetic Markers identified through all major plot lines, she plots scenes ideas for the beginning quarter of her story. At the same time we agree to begin incorporating actual writing into her homework. Appreciating that writing is a dance between resistance and flow, I give her two weeks to begin writing.

When she next checks in, I nearly hold my breath in anticipation whether this self-described writer who puts off writing and puts off writing and puts off writing actually wrote anything. She reports progress with the necessary research for a firm grasp of some of the activities that take place in her story and describes the banner paper she bought online and reinforced on the wall and placed the major scenes in place.

Then the news I've been waiting for. I cheer upon hearing she has indeed written. Rather than the usual sweaty palms as she works and reworks the same beginning chapters over and over again, she was determined to try writing in a new way. She'd convinced herself that writing in snippets was easier, less threatening, than writing in complete scenes and so that's what she did. She wrote snippets for the first 2 scenes.

I eager await our next session to learn if she commits to writing actual scenes with beginnings and middles and ends. She appreciates the need for complete scenes, having learned first-hand how difficult and slowing the process of keeping track of and fitting together all the various snippets.

The even greater challenge: Will she be able to write the next 4 scenes WITHOUT going back to rewrite the 2nd scene (snippet) to incorporate ideas she generated during our session and without rewriting the snippets into scenes?

An organizational system for note-keeping (rather than allowing herself back into what she's already written) I prefer is keeping notes on a Plot Planner. Because she readily admits to being a pretty disorganized writer, the idea of adding notes to the Plot Planner she's installed in her writing room appeals to her.

I know she can complete the homework. Now the question becomes, can she walk fully into the person she's becoming, empowered, taking charge of her life, trying new ideas, facing her fears and conquering them? I believe in her. Does she believe in herself? Do you? If not yet, I know she will. When will you?
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For more: Read my Plot Whisperer and Blockbuster Plots books for writers.

Check-point for NaNoWriMo Writers -- Recommitment Scene

In life and in stories, every moment is an opportunity to commit to moving forward. To continue to put one word after another deeper and deeper into the great unknown takes courage. To persevere when the primary plot gets tangled in subplots and plot twists and your story appears lost signifies a commitment that transcends logic and demonstrates a belief in the magic and mystery and miracle of the pull of the Universal Story.

You have found the courage to not only begin writing but to continue. Now, comes the time for both you and your protagonist to state and commit to her/your goal(s) at the halfway point of the Universal Story. When you/she does, you/she feels the energy in your/her life rise in significance. This energetic surge is a warning to the reader.

Wake up.

Be alert.

A crisis is coming.

Powerful antagonists leap in, and she/you quickly find her/yourself under siege, pummeled by forces intent on preventing her/your success. The energy of the story fills with more conflict, tension, suspense, and/or curiosity in every scene.

You have discovered that the energy of the Universal Story does not cease at thresholds. Instead, the energy of your story, of your life, of your world heightens. You have also discovered that the longer you dally at any barrier, the longer it takes to achieve your dreams.

• Thrust yourself forward.
• Send the protagonist on her way.
• You are not alone.
• The Universal Story will assist you

Excerpts from the above come from The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master.

For more support about the 2nd Energetic Marker and Recommitment scene for both you as a

writer and for your protagonist:

1) Check out Chapter 8 of: The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (Also available as a Kindle edition)

2) Watch:

• Plotting the Recommitment Scene
• Recommitment Scene in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

For more about writing the Middle of your novel, memoir, screenplay:

• Goal for the Middle
• Antagonists in the Middle
• Developing the Exotic World in the Middle
• Determine the Beginning, Middle, End of your Story using Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
• Energetic Markers using Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

For more about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, visit:

Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)
Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Plot for Pantsers

Question via Twitter:
@plotwhisperer So what's the best way to plot as you write for those of us who are pantsers but need to meet deadlines? :) @JillKentAuthor Jillian Kent

Answer via Blogger:
Your query is a bit like hearing two non-harmonious sounds clash together -- Plot and Pansters.

1) Every story, whether written by a plotter or a pantser, must fulfill basic needs demanded by a reader -- something must happen (dramatic action plot) to someone (character emotional plot) in a meaningful way (thematic plot) = PLOT -- the noun. Thus, whether you plan it out ahead of time or write to discover as you go, your ultimate goal is to fulfill these basic requirement.

My first suggestion requires discipline so I am reluctant to use it. Somewhere along the line in history, discipline went from having at its core disciple to being a form of punishment. "You will be disciplined for breaking the rules."

So instead, why not apply the word ritual to what I suggest. Create for yourself a sacred ritual.

One time a day, everyday, preferably at the same time and place every session, write.

Another time of day, everyday, preferably at the same time and place every session study plot.

If you're a pantser, you'll like balk at lots of what you read both for how the information is presented and for the information itself. Lots of it will feel confusing and jarring, counter-intuitive.

Search for doors you're drawn to open when it comes to the new plot ideas. Explore the concepts. Look for them in your favorite books. Determine what authors you admire do to create in you admiration for their writing. The more you understand basic plot and structure based on the Universal Story, the more inclined you may become to plot -- the verb.

The more you understand the Universal Story, the less blind you fly. You're able to anticipate where your writing is taking you and take an active role in coaxing what comes into a pleasing form for the reader.

(Disclosure: the following is a shameful act of taking advantage of the sincere query above)
I wrote The Plot Whisperer book for women just like you, Jillian. Lots of my very best friends and family are right-brain, big picture creative, female pantser. Women who fly by the seat of their pants as they are constantly attempting to bring to material form the whimsy their imaginations whisper. I wrote the book for them and for you...

For more support about plot:

***I am giving away 4 free autographed copies of the book AND

and a Scene Tracker Kit.

To enter, simply comment on each of fourteen blogs that took part in the mega-blog book tour

and listed on the Master Schedule. As one writer says of the experience: "I feel like I just took in a 2 hour writing workshop in a few minutes." (when you have accomplished this feat, send me an email with your snail mail address and I'll ship your plot tools)

For more about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post.

For more tips about how to use plot and the Universal Story in your novel, memoir or screenplay, read: The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master
and visit:
Blockbuster Plots for Writers
Plot Whisperer on Facebook (we hope you "like" it)
Plot Whisperer on Twitter

Establish 4 Energetic Plot Markers First

Writer labels herself as a "plotter" during our plot consultation. Whether you call yourself the same or write more by the "seat of your pants", strive to identify the following 4 Energetic Markers in your story as early in the process as possible:

• The End of the Beginning
  
• The Halfway Point
  
• The Crisis
  
• The Climax

Since the writer has revealed to me all the defining traits of a classically left-hemisphere dominate writer, such a task of analyzation brings up no resistance from her. However, she did need help defining the four scenes for both the protagonist and the love interest, too.

Once the scenes are in place on a simple Plot Planner (my apologies for the missing marker -- the Halfway Point, it's coming in the new book) -- she is better able to see the deeper meaning and energetic flow of her story.

I'm having a tough time knowing all this info and so much more is coming in the Plot Whisperer book but... not until October. (The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of the Universal Story Structure Any Writer Can Master is now available for pre-order!) Hate to make you wait. In the middle of final, tiny edits on the galleys and don't have time to go into this further now. In the meantime, I hope the videos help.

For tips about the Universal Story and writing a novel, memoir or screenplay, visit Plot Series: How Do I Plot a Novel, Memoir, Screenplay? on YouTube. A directory of all the steps to the series is to the right of this post. Enjoy!