Writer's Life Wednesdays - Preptober Prep

Speaker: Abby Emmons
Topic: Preptober preparation for NaNoWriMo

Introduction

• Preptober: The first Wednesday of October, month of preparation for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).
• NaNoWriMo Challenge: Write a novel in 30 days.
• Questions from writers about starting a new story.

Abby's Preptober Process

Step 0: Idea Gathering

• Write down every story idea as it comes.
• Use a "plot bunnies" project in Scrivener for chaotic, unordered ideas.
• Importance of having a starting point for the outline stage.

Step 1: Organizing Ideas

• Transition the mess of ideas into a rough sketch.
• Rough sketches include:
  • Premise
  • Characters
  • Vibe
  • Themes
  • Subplots
  • Tone
• Keep ideas tentative and open to change.

Step 2: Creating a Rough Sketch

• Explore main conflicts and characters.
• Address four key questions:
  • Who: Characters, their conflicts, and motivations.
  • What: Basic premise of the story.
  • How: Characters' journeys and transformations.
  • Why: Passion behind the theme and big ideas to explore.

Example: "Tessa and Weston, The Best Christmas Ever"

• Sequel to "100 Days of Sunlight."
• Main conflicts:
  • Tessa: Unresolved issues with her mom.
  • Weston: Doubts about being enough for Tessa.

Step 3: Bullet Point Outline

• Break down the rough sketch into story beats using the three-act structure.
• Outline covers:
  • Hook
  • Inciting incident
  • Plot points
  • Midpoint
  • Dark moment
  • Resolution
• Allows flexibility for discovery writers.

Benefits of Outlining

• Provides a solid foundation for the story structure and character arcs.
• Prevents extensive rewrites during editing.

Next Steps

• Future video on crafting characters.
• Preptober series will continue.
• Link to more detailed Preptober process via Patreon.
• Encouragement to follow Abby’s channel for more content.

Conclusion

• Encouragement to notice and analyze stories that captivate you.
• Understanding the underlying science of storytelling.