NaNoWriMo Day 15
Whoa, we're halfway there!
Whoa, oh, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand
we’ll make I swear!
That’s right, my friends, we are at the midpoint of our challenge. Today is the fifteenth day of putting your main character through hell and high water all in the name of a good story. How does it feel?!
Maybe at this point, you’re just living on a prayer…
Me, too, friends. Me, too. And you know what—that’s okay! Pray to whatever god or goddess you believe in and then get back to work. If we keep showing up, the muse will know exactly where to find us when she hears our prayers.
Writing Prompts
Throughout my prompts, I am often going to suggest that you write a scene. By a scene, I mean a continuous sequence of events that occur in a limited timeframe. I intend each prompt to be a 15-minute word sprint. Set a timer for 15 minutes and just keep writing until the timer goes off. You’ll be amazed by what you can achieve in 15 minutes. These first few prompts are designed to help you know your main character more fully. You do them one after the other right now, pick and choose, do one a day—whatever works for you!
For the first four prompts in this NaNoWriMo series, click here.
For prompts six to eight, click here.
For prompts eight to eleven, click here.
For prompts twelve to fourteen, click here.
What person in your story is most invested in keeping the main character from achieving their goal? What are the motives of this person? Write a scene in which this character expresses his or her motive for holding back the main character.
Broaden the lens. Write a scene in which a secondary character appraises your main character. How does this person see your main character at this point in the story? What changes does this character notice in your main character since the start of the story?
Write a scene in which your main character regresses. They have been growing and changing throughout the story, making some progress while also making mistakes. Now, have them fall back on old habits and patterns. Do they realize what they are doing, or does someone else need to point it out to them?
Our final prompt is this set is adapted from Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Mass. Write a scene where your character must make a pivotal decision. There’s no going back after this one. Now, don’t rush into action. Instead, freeze this moment in time. Here are some things to consider and include:
Let your character notice what is different about this moment from all their previous decisions. Try to think of at least three things.
Take in the small details of the setting they find themselves in. Use at least three specific sensory details to bring this place to life. We are slowing time like a freeze frame to focus on this exact moment.
Let your character notice what has changed in their social world at this point in the story. Get into the character’s head at this moment of introspection.
Show your work!
I’d love to hear how your project is shaping up and to see a few sentences from your story! Share in the comments, and I’ll be back on Tuesday with more prompts as we make our way through the second half of the challenge.