Noveling 101

Last night, my co-ML (link to her handout) for the Columbia region and I hosted Noveling 101. Other than the tri-Mus, we only had one participant, but that is OK! This is the handout that I made for the workshop. Which was sort more of a facilitated discussion. It was mentioned that I left out the question Why.....you can add that on your own.

Who

• Characters – Nearly every story needs a character with which the reader can identify.
  
• Point of View – the viewpoint from which a story is told.
  
  
  • 1^st Person – The narrator is the main character. 1^st person POV is characterized by the use of "I."
    
  • 2^nd Person – Remember the Choose Your Own Adventure novels. These were told using 2^nd person POV. The reader was the main character. "You" is used often in 2^nd person.
    
  • 3^rd Person Close – The narrator is inside the characters head. He/she can hear the thoughts and emotions of the character but they don't use "I."
    
  • 3^rd Person – Omniscient – The narrator is an observer. He/she sees the story happening but they do not experience the characters' emotions or thoughts.
    

What

• Plot – a framework on which your story is built. Most plots include an Inciting Incident, Rising Action, a Climax, Falling Action, and a Resolution.
  
• 3 Act Structure – One of the easiest frameworks to remember. Shakespeare used this in most of his plays.
  

When

• Pacing - the speed in which the story moved. Certain words convey urgency. Certain words convey lassitude.
  
• Timing – the date and time that the story occurs. This doesn't have to be exact, but if you're writing World War II story, you probably don't want to set it in 2008.
  
• Length – No, not word count! Length in this instance is the amount of time that passes from the first page of the first chapter to the last page of the last chapter.
  

Where

• Setting – Real or imagined, setting can play a pivotal role in your story. It impacts every aspect of your story from characters to plot.
  
  
  • World building – Even imaginary worlds need rules.
    
  • Sensory Details – Use your five senses to add detail to your story. It is an excellent way to add word count!!!
    

How

• Remember this is NaNo! Quantity is more important than quality.
  
• Butt in Chair. Hands on Keyboard.
  
• If you can't find the time, steal it!
  
• Pre-planning can be really helpful especially if you're a plotter. Join us for the plotting bash.
• There's nothing like a little moral support. Attend as many write-ins as you can.