NaNoWriMo Day 19
"When you hit a wall, just kick it in." ~ Patti Smith
Hello, writers!
It’s day 19! How is that possible? You’re nearly two-thirds through the challenge. How are you feeling? Do you have a vision for how your story is going to end, or are you still exploring the world of the story day by day? There’s no right or wrong way to write a novel, so there’s no right answer to that question! The only right thing to do is keep going, day by day, word by word.
We live in an efficiency-obsessed world, and it would be amazing if there were some magical shortcut to producing the Great American Novel, but creativity is not always (or even often) efficient. It’s messy, it’s recursive, it’s confusing—and that’s what makes it human. So, as we churn along into the home stretch of the challenge, embrace your humanity in all its messiness, and just keep moving forward.
I have more prompts for you today to help keep the words flowing. Remember, everything you write in November counts toward your daily word count, so even if you aren’t sure what you produce from a prompt will make the cut into your finished book, the words you write toward the prompts do count.
Remember what I said back on day 1? Whatever you write in November is all part of the “shitty first draft”—the draft where you begin unearthing your story. I don’t mean to be discouraging when I say that most of what you write this month will not make it to the final draft, because your story is going to evolve and change as you revise it. And that’s a good thing! It means you have room to play and experiment in this draft. Take risks. Cut loose. Write the things you are scared to write. No one ever has to see it if you don’t want them to.
Okay, pep talk over. Let’s get on to our next set of prompts, which I hope will encourage you to take some risks and try some new directions in your story.
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.
For prompts fifteen to eighteen, click here.
Write a scene in which a stranger arrives in town, bringing with them a mystery that forces your protagonist to face a hidden fear or secret. Who is this visitor, and what do they want from the protagonist?
For one scene, let a minor character take the reins. Show a day or a significant event from their point of view. How does this shift reveal something new or unexpected about the protagonist?
Your protagonist writes a letter to someone close to them but doesn’t send it. What truths, feelings, or plans do they reveal in this unsent letter?
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 Friday with more prompts as we make our way through the last third of the challenge.