A Novel in Thirty Days: Drawing a Blueprint
By: Rianne Grace
Tags: Advice, NaNoWriMo, Inspiration, Writing, Creative Writing

A Novel in Thirty Days: Drawing a Blueprint

Let the preparations begin

This July, I’m taking another stab at fast-drafting a novel by participating in the controlled chaos that is Camp NaNo. In this piece, I discussed the mostly tangible preparations I’ve made, as recommended in Chris Baty’s book No Plot? No Problem. These include establishing a writing nest, planning when to write, and gathering the appropriate tools.

Today’s focus is on the intangibles critical to the success of such a mad dash to the noveling finish line, and most likely these will continue until approximately 11:59pm on May 30th.

First things first.

I already had an idea bubbling merrily on a back burner, so the most difficult step was finished. I just needed to put it front and center for the next month.

Then came the most critical factor of all: creating a cover for the novel I haven’t yet written.

Crickets chirping…

Wait, that’s not the first thing you do? Oh. Hmm. Well, I did that. Because reasons.

Anyways…

A writing exercise to get us moving

After briefly laying out the reasoning behind his one-week limit on prep time, chapter four of No Plot? No Problem! offers a warm-up writing exercise. This consists of answering the question, “What, to you, makes a good novel?”

“What, to you, makes a good novel?”

For the first half, Baty suggests making a quick list of anything you’ve noticed that consistently appears in books that you like, and saving it to refer to throughout the month. Why? “Because the things that you appreciate as a reader are also the things you’ll likely excel at as a writer.”

He calls it The Magna Carta, and he encourages incorporating as many of these elements as possible while developing your story.

This is what mine looks like:

Characters who are reasonably mature (or become so very quickly)

Characters who are quirky and irreverent

Complex and nuanced antagonists

Humor, or books that don’t take themselves too seriously

Romance that builds over time

Romantic partners that balance each other

Commitment and loyalty between partners

Situations that pull the rug out from under the MCs (Main Characters)

An honest portrayal of mental illness, as a facet of character

Unique settings and worldbuilding

Subverted tropes

Close third person POV (Point Of View)

Happy endings

For the second half, Baty tells us to “write down those things that bore or depress you in novels.” These are important to recognize, because: “If you won’t enjoy reading it, you won’t enjoy writing it.” Listing them clearly and referring to the list frequently will help keep you from accidentally including them in your novel.

“If you won’t enjoy reading it, you won’t enjoy writing it.”

He calls this list the Magna Carta II, the Evil Twin of Magna Carta I. Here’s mine:

Characters with no redeeming qualities, or who are insufferably immature

Miscommunication as a plot device

Mental illness as a plot device

Mental illness that is inaccurately or insensitively portrayed

Books that try too hard to be serious, such as most literary fiction

Insta-love, or love at first sight

Hate-to-love relationships, especially with characters who supposedly hate each other but still find each other sexually irresistible

Narration that distances the reader from the characters

Predictability, or over-reliance on cliches

Unsatisfying endings, especially involving the death of one or more characters or the end of a significant relationship

Getting to know the cast

Keeping in mind what we’ve learned from The Magna Carta and the Evil Twin, Baty gently leads us through fleshing out our characters, plot, setting, and POV.

Characters. My story will feature two main characters, Avery and Echo (they don’t have last names yet). The eight questions Baty suggests posing to your characters taught me a lot that I didn’t know about them.

How old are they?

What is their gender?

What do they do for work?

Who are their friends, family, and love interests?

What is their living space like?

What are their hobbies?

What were they doing a year ago? Five years ago?

What are their values and politics?

I’ve chosen not to include my answers to these questions. Otherwise, it would be so long I might as well just write the novel right here.

Plot, Setting, and POV

POV was an easy choice: I enjoy reading close third, so that’s what my novel will be. I have some bare-bones ideas for plot and setting. Those are next on my to-do list, so stay tuned!

A final note

Keep the concept of exuberant imperfection in mind as you make your own preparations. Remember not to get caught up in making every detail right, and just have fun with the process. That’s what NaNoWriMo is all about!