October 2, 2015. Welcome to the second day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. Those who are just arriving, please read the earlier posts on this challenge, as the exercises/ reflections build on each other. To find out what this challenge is all about, read my earlier post HERE.

Today let's reflect on the kind of story you are writing.  The same story idea can be explored in many genres. Just because you have so far mostly written in one genre, doesn't mean that's the best one for this idea. I'm speaking from experience here; I had an idea I loved, and tried to put it into the genre I was focused on writing at the time (science fiction). After I spent a year writing it, an editor kindly suggested it might be better suited as an historical fiction novel. So I started again from scratch, and he was right - that's the story that eventually got me my agent. I could have saved some time, though, if I'd considered different genres from the start. 

1. List all the genres you enjoy reading? (You can't really write in a genre you don't enjoy, or don't read much of, so don't worry about those.) What are the expectations readers bring to each of those genres, particularly in terms of characters, types of goals and obstructions to that goal, and plot line?

2. Review your notes from yesterday about your idea. Which of the genres from your answer to question 1 above, is the best fit?
 
Now that you've chosen the best genre for your story, let's explore it a bit more.

3. Quickly list your 5-8 favourite novels in this genre. (Some may be old favourites, but make sure at least half are fairly recent, popular books in that genre.

4. Which character did you like most in each of these books? Why? Which character did you like least? Why?

5. What aspect of the plot did you like most? Why?

NOTE: when you are writing and you try to create a new character, or are thinking about what can happen next in your plot, your unconscious mind will instinctively access these stories, and you will think, "Oh I love that idea!" Then, even if you remember that it's a little like what happened in XXX, or the character in XXX, your mind will start to justify why you should use it. ("There are lots of characters like this" "It's not like that author invented this idea". I know, I've done it.)  But your target readers will also have read and loved those books, and their minds will also draw connections instinctively -  it's what our minds are hard-wired to do. And your story will feel stale to them... UNLESS, because you are consciously aware of those characters and plot-lines, you either avoid them, or give them a unique twist that your readers will enjoy and find fresh and interesting.

6. What, overall, makes your story similar to others in this genre?

7. What, overall, makes your story dissimilar to others in this genre?

If you feel like sharing anything about today's exercise, please leave a comment. We can all learn from each other. See you tomorrow!

October 1, 2015. Welcome to the first day of my October Blog Challenge on preparing to write your novel. (If you've already written the first draft, use these daily reflections to edit it.) To find out what this challenge is all about, read my earlier post explaining it HERE.

Let's start with your idea, since that's where all books begin. Use the following reflective question to deepen your understanding of that idea, and where it could lead.

1. Write out your story idea in one sentence.

2. What is the inherent conflict? (without a conflict, or obstacles to the protagonist's goal, there is no story)

3. What is original about your story idea? (How is it alike and different from similar stories? What makes it uniquely your story - your twist, your slant on this idea)

4. What is its gut-level emotional appeal? (Why should the reader care? What are the stakes? If the protagonist fails, what will it cost him/her? What will it cost others?)

5. What is the universal theme within your idea? (A story tells a specific tale in order to illustrate a universal concept. What is that concept, that relates to all of us?)

Donald Maas said: "A story is about grace being offered, through love, sacrifice, etc. Who is offering it to whom? Is it rejected or accepted?"

6. What is the grace, or opportunity for grace/redemption that is being offered in your story?

7. Who in your story is offering it? To whom? And why?

Another way of expressing your story idea is through a What if? question: "What if ...(your protagonist) ...in... (specific situation) ...had... (specific problem)?"
For example: "What if (a teenage boy) (returned home from university to learn) (his healthy father had mysteriously died, allowing his uncle to marry his mother and steal his inheritance)?" (Hamlet)

8. Write down your story idea as a What if question.

If you feel like sharing anything about today's exercise, please leave a comment. We can all learn from each other. See you tomorrow!

Writers call it "gelling" - that period of time when you let your subconscious mull over a new story idea, letting it simmer just under the surface of your thoughts until - Voila! - you're ready to start writing. Sometimes it takes months, sometimes years...

Wait! There's got to be a better way.  Productive writers don't take years just to BEGIN writing. Isn't there a way to "jump-start" the process?

Yes, there is.

The secret? Preparing. Notice I didn't say 'plotting'. Some writers plot out their novel extensively, and there's no doubt that does make for a faster first draft. Other writers find plotting stifles their creativity, they'd rather just get the first draft down as it comes to them and do more editing. But whether you plot in detail or not, first you have to consciously prepare that idea.

Like a good reporter, if you want to get your story out, you need to make notes in advance. We'll start with the five W's - what, where, when, who and why. Because if you can't answer these five W's before you begin, you will have to stop and figure them out while you're writing. And  as any car owner knows, it takes more gas to start again after stopping than it does to keep going. (Not to mention the likelihood of becoming completely stalled, and giving up.)

So let's dedicate this October to preparing our novels, in order to write them without getting stalled. Every day in October I will provide a series of probing questions about one aspect of the book you (and I) are planning to write. Keep notes on your answers, and as the month progresses, these notes will look more and more like an outline, so that by the end of the month, you will be ready to write.

Meet me here on October 1st and we'll get started!

So you have this idea - or you've had this life-changing experience - and you know it would make a great novel or memoir. But how do you get from the idea to a completed manuscript?

Maybe last November you entered NaNoWriMo, hoping it would give you the encouragement to get your book written, but you didn't get nearly as much done as you hoped? How can you improve your writing speed this year? Take this challenge and I guarantee you will be able to compose your first draft in a fraction of the time.
 
Whether you write fiction or memoir, what you need is not only encouragement, but a clear plan, a blueprint for writing your book. Only you can write that blueprint - but I can walk you through the steps. In fact, we can all do it  together, because I have a novel to write in November, too, and just like you, I have to be ready.

Each day of October, I will post a new challenge relating to your writing project. There will be a logical order to these challenges, each one building on the previous one, so that by the end of the month you will be ready to write your breakout novel or memoir.

Call it InOcPlaMo - International October Planning Month. Why join? Because when we're done at the end of October, we are all going to ROCK NaNoWriMo! And if you're not into NaNoWriMo, you will still be able to write the best first draft you've ever written in way less time than it used to take you.

Leave your name and email address in a comment below this post if you're IN (or use my comment form on my contact page if you prefer).

Whether you plan on participating in NaNoWriMo or just want some help turning your idea into a great story, join me right here every day in October and watch your idea grow into the blueprint for a great book.