Countdown to NNWM 2012 − 24 Days!

[ladyseishou]

24 days until the start of NNWM


Plot is a map and I begin with it.
It is what made me admire the novels of the 19th century;
that the stories are foreshadowed. They’re going someplace.

— John Irving



Can you imagine the beginning of your story, Nano Writer? The end? Then you have a map…

Comments

[lolita]

i actually think I might DRAW a map of the locations in my story after seeing this!

[celestinenox]

The beginning, yes. Not the end. I have a vagueish idea of what the end might be, but since I'm a pantser when it comes to writing, that end might (probably will) change before I get there. So I don't use it as a guide.

[serpentrose]

I know the beginning, my MC wakes to find herself in the body of a dragon and a world where magic is very real.

I know her consciousness will switch between living in her dragon body and her human body. She will alternate time between the two worlds.

I know the ending, she enters, mentally, the space between the worlds and severs the link between the two worlds in order to prevent them from crashing into each-other. (I don't intend to reveal which world she finds herself in at the end.)

Other than that I have only a few vague ideas, and that's the way I like it.

[ladyseishou]

That's a great idea! For me, even a sketch really helps me work through my story. And it's a great excuse to get out my color pencils ;-)

[ladyseishou]

To tell you the truth, even when I have a detailed outline for my plot, the story doesn't always come out exactly as I first envision it. Things happen along the way - most likely a more interesting plot twist or a better resolution for the subplot. But we all have our own ways to get to the story! I'm happy to hear that you know what works for you!

[ladyseishou]

Very cool!

[paceisthetrick]

I've actually sketched the layout of the hospital and the grounds -- to the best of my ability since no actual blueprint survives. :(

[lap_otter]

That sounds so cool! I would read the heck out of that book!

[lap_otter]

The beginning is a brief retelling of the events of the show, mostly focusing on what John thinks of the whole thing, just to make sure no one's approaching the story with a conflicting headcanon. This is pretty important because the story conflicts even my headcanon, so I have to address those points of conflict. Then I can say "we all on the same page now? Good. On to the plot."

At the end... there is sadness, and ambiguity, and I have a clear picture but I can't tell you because spoilers. But if you watch Sherlock and read Paper Towns, you'll have a pretty good idea what happens in my story, I think.

Poor John.

[ladyseishou]

I love Sherlock! And yes, definitely no spoilers. What's important is what you need for your story! The only thing I might mention is that readers usually look for an interesting hook at the beginning of a story but something surprising/different/shocking (for the reader/viewer of the show) from John's POV of the re-telling might do very well :-)

[lap_otter]

That's one of the things I'm hoping to figure out in the writing process. It's in the outline: "Okay so the hardest thing about this part is finding a source for the narrative tension, for the reader. It's not going to come from the events; they've already seen this show, they know how everything ends up working. It has to come from John somehow. A lot of that will end up being the way John feels about Sherlock, the fact that he's "absolutely and incontestably in love with" him (PT 1.3)." But I figure, if I get there and I'm writing and I'm just hideously bored, then I'll know I need to do something different.

[dark_kana]

I have a beginning (my MC is going to a ju-jitsu traineeship in Japan) I have an ending (sort of. :p) And I even have an outline of what's going to happen in between (She falls in love and discovers she has a relaps of lung cancer)

I think it is the first time ever I've known so much details of what I'm going to write for NaNo... XD
I kinda am really looking forward to it. :-) Though I already know my ending might change about ten times. If not more. XD

[dark_kana]

Oh, that sounds cool! I would definately want to read that! ^^

[dark_kana]

Oh! Sounds interesting and something I'd want to read. :-)

supposing I do write this year

[cheyinka]

Assuming I don't sit this one out, the opening scene is my protagonist learning that her uncle has died :(
(but she'll find out whodunnit, assuming I do write the story!)

[ladyseishou]

That's the "secret" to working with outlines, the willingness to let it take you off-road so to speak ;-) Sounds like you're ready!

Re: supposing I do write this year

[ladyseishou]

Acorns and oaks, my friend ;-) I hope that you'll have time this year to write your whodunnit!

Re: supposing I do write this year

[cheyinka]

I've never actually written a mystery before! So even if I just dabble in it and it takes me three months, I'm still interested. (I don't know what happened to her uncle yet. Or who caused it to happen. Just that his shuffle off the mortal coil was assisted somehow by someone.)