planning a novel -

28Oct 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Creating an Outline

Even if you only have the most basic story, it's important to create an outline. Being able to see your story visually will give you a better idea of where you need to add details, events and subplots, and if you leave enough space you can write in new things as they happen. Having the outline handy while writing can also remind you what you're writing next after a particularly exhausting scene or prolonged break. As November is almost upon us, it's time to create your outline. For the purpose of this exercise, I'm going to assume that you know something about your story's beginning, middle and end, but not much about what happens between those three points. If you're starting completely from scratch, start here. If you're still here,…

04Oct 2013 by Dianna L. Gunn

Finding a novel idea where none exists

Novels, Writing: The Process

"It's all well and good that Nanowrimo is next month," you say, "but how does that help me if I have no idea what to write?" In spite of what you might think about arduous novel planning, many people start Nanowrimo each year with literally no idea what they're going to write, and others start with only the most basic concept. While this isn't the approach I'd recommend, it works for some and even the most basic—or non-existent—concept can be the foundation of a winning 50, 000 word novel. What I'd recommend is to devote every spare moment of this month figuring out exactly what you're going to write in November. If you can choose a genre you'd like to write in, that makes your life a whole lot easier…