PlanMo = The Month Devoted to Planning
Coherent Plot Lines = not existing atm
There are just a few key phrases to get everyone started for PlanMo. Even though we're starting with our opening posts a bit late this year, I hope y'all have been doing the work on your own.
The Journal Challenge that @biscuitsleguin and @kaylaa hosted during the 2017 turned out wonderfully and we're grabbing those challenges again.
For this, there are ten challenges to complete but this year, there will be some extras along the way.
Start by creating your own thread and then giving us a little blurb about your chosen project. Then all you really have to do is answer the challenges, which can be done in any order you care but it's easier to work through them in this current order.
1. World-building! What world do your characters live in? A fantasy world? A sci-fi world? The real world? If in the real world--what place? What makes the world your characters live in unique? Describe in your thread what your world looks like.
2. Have a think about your opening scene. Write about what plot points will be hit and what information will be shared in your first scene, or first scene that you consider to be important.
3. Don't neglect your villain. We may spend less time with this character, but it is crucial to the existence of the plot that your character's opposition be as believable and interesting as possible. For this challenge, either write about your antagonist's aims, characteristics, flaws, fears etc or, if you're feeling musical, write a lament-style song for them.
4. Fill out the following questionnaire from the NaNo site about at least one of your side characters, though the more you do the more prepared you will be.
Spoiler
Name:
Age:
Height:
Eye colour:
Physical appearance:
Strange or unique physical attributes:
Favourite clothing style/outfit:
Where does he/she live? What is it like there? --
Defining gestures/movements:
Things about his/her appearance he/she would most like to change:
Speaking style:
Pet peeves:
Fondest memory:
Hobbies/interests:
Special skills/abilities:
Insecurities:
Quirks/eccentricities:
Temperament:
Negative traits:
Things that upset him.
Things that embarrass him:
This character is highly opinionated about:
Any phobias? --
Things that make him/her happy:
Family (describe):
Deepest, darkest secret:
Reason he/she has kept this secret for so long:
Other people's opinions of this character:
Favourite bands/songs/types of music:
Favourite movies:
Favourite TV shows:
Favourite books:
Favourite foods:
Favourite sports/sports teams:
Political views:
Religion/philosophy of life:
Physical health:
Dream holiday:
Description of his/her house:
Description of his/her room:
Any pets? --
Best thing that has ever happened to this character:
Worst thing that has ever happened to this character:
Superstitions:
Three words to describe this character:
If a song played every time this character walked into a room, what song would it be?
Age:
Height:
Eye colour:
Physical appearance:
Strange or unique physical attributes:
Favourite clothing style/outfit:
Where does he/she live? What is it like there? --
Defining gestures/movements:
Things about his/her appearance he/she would most like to change:
Speaking style:
Pet peeves:
Fondest memory:
Hobbies/interests:
Special skills/abilities:
Insecurities:
Quirks/eccentricities:
Temperament:
Negative traits:
Things that upset him.
Things that embarrass him:
This character is highly opinionated about:
Any phobias? --
Things that make him/her happy:
Family (describe):
Deepest, darkest secret:
Reason he/she has kept this secret for so long:
Other people's opinions of this character:
Favourite bands/songs/types of music:
Favourite movies:
Favourite TV shows:
Favourite books:
Favourite foods:
Favourite sports/sports teams:
Political views:
Religion/philosophy of life:
Physical health:
Dream holiday:
Description of his/her house:
Description of his/her room:
Any pets? --
Best thing that has ever happened to this character:
Worst thing that has ever happened to this character:
Superstitions:
Three words to describe this character:
If a song played every time this character walked into a room, what song would it be?
5. Two alternatives for outlining your plot: 1. Draw them as a graph, 2. Write a list of everything important that happens and in the margins make not of what happens in betwee.
6. Think of at least one way in which the structure of your story could be interesting. You don't necessarily have to use this in your story, but it can be useful to have a think about if it's something that just hadn't occurred to you.
7. Post a brief outline of your plot on the club wall then go around all the other posts asking questions and suggesting plot holes that the author might want to correct.
8. Give a rough outline of the key moment in your story so far. What is that one scene you're really, really excited to write?
9. Really dig into your main character. Write their motives and what is holding them back. What is the conflict in their way from reaching their desired goal?
10. Questions! Post some questions in your entry, then, since is the end of the journal, go round other finished journals answering questions with your thoughts. This month is likely to lead to different realisations for different people, or maybe some people are more experienced with NaNo than others. Either way, we are sure that if you ask a question of the YWS hivemind, the YWS hivemind will answer.