It’s time to plan, ladies and gentlemen.
Don’t look at me like I am an English teacher.
I’ll show you who I am.
I will seduce you to the side of the panster-plotter.
For the world of the panster-plotter is a dark and scary place.
It is time to take over the world. It is time for NaNoWriMo.
Yes, that is right, time to write, and also time to plot and plan our devious hearts out.
F&*@ outlines.
I’ve got something better for you, yes, you.
NaNoWriMo is a great way of getting yourself to finish something.
I don’t even like filling in worksheets–I get skittish after having to think about more than a few elements of the story.
But despite that, what I discovered through trial and error is: it’s better to plot. It saves a lot of time and angst.
A LOT. And the draft I have is more manageable to revise, because THAT’s how authors get books they love to death. And books they will spend months of time with to achieve the “I love you” phase.
dun dun da da!
Flashy Plotcards
When Flashy Plotcards are combined with your imagination, they appear more like this:
2. Pick separate colors to correspond to Scenes, Settings, and Characters. </>
3. Begin the scribbling! Put a couple words on each card with some ideas for your story.
When your ideas slow, move on to a new card. Repeat until tapped of evil plots.
4. Look over all your cards on the ground to see what it looks like.
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| Click for a bigger view of my 2012 NaNoWriMo Flashy Plotcards |
Clearly I need to develop my settings– I’ve written only a few generic words on each Setting card. Meanwhile the other categories, especially characters, are more detailed.
Roommates usually equal conflict, which is an inspiration for more scene cards.
5. Carry the Plotcards with you and let the ideas build.
Periodically flip through the cards, put scenes in order, add new cards, and scribble random ideas.
Let the cards guide you to more cards like in the example above. This is play, not work.
I want as many people as possible to hear of this technique and see if it is for them.
xx Sofia Wren
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Hi, I am very new to NaNoWriMo and just wondered how successful it was with you when you used your story draft as brainstorming?
Kate, great question, unfortunately, I would say not so successful. I tried it at least five times, and the stories either peter out or are such a mess by the end that I have no idea where to go from there to fix it. If in a broader sense you are looking for a theme, setting or character to start an entirely different second draft with, I suppose that would work.
I have memorable scenes from a number of stories, but the thought of reading through and editing those messy novels does not appeal to me. Those scenes could be developed into something eventually. Honestly, though, I’d rather develop the novel I plotted as the process is less frustrating.
It sortof depends on your goal– if you want to publish your book, no plot is going to make that really hard. If you just want to practice writing and have fun and write like the wind then no plot is fine. If you want to show anyone else the whole thing…probably better to do as much brainstorming before you write as possible.
This isn’t what I want to say is true, but it’s what I’ve found from my experience. Short stories can drop out of your pen being almost perfect, but a novel is another story.
There are many less work intensive ways to brainstorm than writing 50,000 words–making lists, plotcards, mindmaps, drawings, interviewing characters, visualization, pulling random ideas from a hat…
I find that it is often easier to brainstorm productively, or do anything creative, if there is a tad bit of structure. An example is knowing the start of two different chapters, but leaving the in between to the writing process.
I have, however, read of a mystery author who works by writing several drafts of every possible way the story could go before the final draft. So I absolutely do not say I am the authority on this question. Never worked for me though…
That’s a good idea with the flashcards! Since I’m rewriting a novel this year, I’m writing in a journal chapter by chapter notes while reading through the old draft. But I’m a plotter by nature, so it’s about the only way for me to do NaNo.
First time for NaNoWriMo for me and as I hate planning anything, I totally love this idea. Off to get card tomorrow as I kinda need more than just my MC’s name if I’m gonna write a book 🙂
Thanks for putting NaNoWriMo back on my radar! I used to do stuff like this all the time, writing out entire scenes and characters (and drawing them!) but I could never commit to the story. This looks like a good project to take on for November!
I am so jealous of you plotters! My brain works a little differently I guess, but I am whipping it into shape lol.
I like the journal idea, I am taking a lot of revision notes for my WIP on different workshheets created by Holly Lisle– a couple read throughs with just a few things to focus on for each pass. Instead of a journal I have a massive binder ie my “Revision Tomb”
yayy a girl after my own heart haha. These should help with ideas without really feeliing like planning. Hope you find it helpful 🙂
Awesome, another NaNo buddy. So excited to connect this year. I hope you post some pictures of your drawings! I get inspired by drawing stuff, too, as well as writing words around them before writing a scene. Cool beans, Asia!
It definitely is motivating to know you’ve taken an interest. Will you be sharing your writing online? When you write, do you have a favorite pen or notebook? I find I obsess over the most ridiculous things like that, so I want to get this out of the way now before November comes!
Yeah! Add me as a buddy on Nano–WrenDoloro. I will type on an alphaSmart so I have an internet free word count device, and then I will upload it to a document on Scrivener. That will keep the scenes separate and I can put in a summary of each scene for when I revise. I am also coveting the Evernote moleskins.
Yeah, those Evernote moleskins are pretty sweet. I love the marriage of traditional media and paper. Tried to find you on Nano. No such luck! Look for me. I’m Gynesis. (I suck at coming up with usernames and identities for myself.)
Thank you for the wonderful post. I’ve never plotted a story (on paper anyways) Great info in the replies too. This is my first year in NaNo, I’m so confused.
Mari thanks for dropping by. If you have any questions about NaNoWriMo please feel free to ask.
Whoops! I am Wren Doloro. I found you. 🙂
I love this because after four years of NaNo, I’ve finally crossed over from 100% pantsing to 100% plotsing (pantsing/plotting) just like you’ve suggested here. Last year, I color-coded scenes, settings, and characters using Yarny, but I like this idea of being able to access the cards anytime. Hmm…
Very cool! Total pantster here, and overwriter to top it off–50K words is maybe close to half, probably more like a third, of a first draft for me. Last year, my first NaNo (I won, mwahahaha), did teach me something: that story would need a lot of hard editing to get anywhere close to–not publishable even, just showable. So this year I’m going to follow your lead and try this planster move, see if I can stop myself from going off into too many tangents (some of the time). Thanks!
Another Pantser here – I have a similar method but use tiny notebooks that I keep with me at all times (not just during NaNo). This will be my third year and have been very successful in the past without any planning whatsoever – I usually start with a setting and one character and go from there. This year I have a bit more to go on. Look me up – my user name is JRMinnt.
This is just such a fun, colorful and fabulous post about NaNoWriMo that I absolutely had to refer my readers to this in my own NaNoWriMo post. Come check it out if you like 🙂 The post is about an agent’s feelings about the event 🙂
http://anythingimagined.blogspot.com/2012/10/what-agents-say-about-national-novel.html
Thanks Emilyann, for the link and the moving sympathy! I am happy to help with any Nano questions you’ve got brewing. Best of luck
Thanks Sara, added you as a Nano buddy 🙂
I know what you mean about “showable” oh geez, working through an unplanned Nano would be very very hard. Thanks for stopping by fellow pantser
Never heard of Yarny! That could be cool. I do like the tactile element, myself, though. Thanks Adrianne, good luck
oh yeah tell me about it! The cards help organize in the middle of the story and even after—as long as you update them so it summarizes the scenes you wrote. Glad to help Julia
That index card idea is pretty cool. I have a whole stack of cards, unfortunately not different colors, that’s just been sitting around. 😀
Great tip! I just got to find some coloured cards quick!