October 11th, 2022
Hi Readers!
NaNoWriMo is coming up and even though there’s still a number of weeks to go, the countdown always seems to fly by, and it’s never too late to start prepping.
I’m currently working on an idea I’ve had for around a year now, and in June I finally started actively working on a plot. It’s been through a number of major changes from what it was originally. It started as being set at the Olympics, now it will be Wimbledon, the home of British tennis. I’ve gone through many character names, ages, and points in their tennis career. But the initial idea has stayed the core of the story.
I have a timeline for the main plot points, and I know exactly who my characters are. Now I’m working out those little details, and basically just trying to be as prepared as possible.
Here are some ways I’ve been doing that…
More research and less guess work – I’ve got quite a bit planned and even began to write it in August. But I pressed pause on it for a number of reasons, but mainly because I felt I wasn’t quite ready. There was still so much research I needed to do surrounding tennis, Wimbledon, and the characters careers.
Let’s take it from the top – I’ve started the first draft again as I now have more of an idea of what I want to do for it, and I was not happy with my character voice. I’m about I restarted it at the beginning of October and I’m now just over 10,000 words. I’m hoping to get the first draft done during NaNoWriMo.
Ironing out the creases – I’ve spent the majority of Summer ironing things out, mainly by working out what I’m unhappy with, why, and whether or not I need to change it. Writing a novel is a layered process I’ve realised, and it’s getting there.
POV – As I’ve already said, I struggled with the character voice. I started writing in first person present, and ran into the common problem with my character sounding whiny and ‘me, me, me.’ I am sticking with first person present as it just feels right for this story, but I’m actively keeping her away from any whining.
Side plots – I’ve got a few ideas, I just need to make sure there aren’t too many. But I guess the point of a first draft is to get all your thoughts on paper and then I can scribble anything out if it feels too long and jumbled.
Mind Maps – I found an app on the google app store called Mindomo (I use a chromebook) that helps you create mind maps, and it’s been a game changer. I have it open all the time in the background and I can just add whenever I think of something. I have ones for each character, each act (broken down into chapters/scenes) and also anything I need to know about the themes of my novel.
Notion – I have recently discovered notion, and it’s a game changer. I love the fact it’s so visual and you can add pictures and stuff to it. It’s a huge time waster but I feel it’s also productive…
Is anyone else planning on doing NaNoWriMo this year? I’m so excited for it, the community feel really helps me get through those tougher stages…
Thanks For Reading,
Jess X
Comfort Reads & Writes 
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