NaNoWriMo Day 22
Just keep writing.
We are in the final third of the challenge! Home stretch! Nothing can stop us now!
If you’ve been following along since my pre-NaNo posts, you know I decided to do a mini NaNo challenge this month, and I’m happy to report it’s paying off. It’s getting harder and harder to find time for these posts, because I’m busy plugging away at a new novella.
I hope your writing routine is also getting a pick-me-up this month. Remember, big challenges are great, but not if they lead to burn out. We don’t want anyone getting to the end of November feeling less motivated than they were at the start, so if you need to slow your pace and take some pressure off, don’t hesitate. We’re here to have fun, so keep that playful spirit alive as we close out the challenge.
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.
For prompts nineteen to twenty-one, click here.
Write a scene in which your characters experience a moment of peace: a simple, seemingly mundane scene where they rest, reflect, or share a heartfelt conversation. Use this to build emotional depth or foreshadow upcoming conflict. The final third of your story will contain your climactic moment. Let this be a reprieve before the big drama.
Write a scene in which someone or something pushes your protagonist to the edge of their patience, willpower, or emotional endurance. What do they do when they’ve had enough, and how does it change their motivation or relationships?
Write a scene in which an important message, conversation, or note is misinterpreted or lost in translation, setting off a domino effect in your protagonist’s plans.
Write a scene in which you reveal an unexpected fact about the antagonist—something that makes the protagonist question their assumptions. Does this new perspective alter the hero’s sense of purpose or strategy?
Show your work!
I’d love to hear how things are going for you. Please share a few sentences from your WIP and let me know what sorts of victories and obstacles you’re encountering throughout the month.
Stay creative, friends, and I’ll be back with more prompts on Tuesday!