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Novel Excerpt from the WIP: NaNoWriMo Day 6

November 6, 2021November 6, 2021 Jaclyn3 Comments

As I am falling, I can tell there is more than snow. There is the supple bend of life, clouds of green that I pass through as I fall, and the uneven jaggedness of growth. But the snow consumes me anyway, pulling me into its murky thickness. It is so dense that I cannot breathe the air between the snowflakes.

And then I hit ground. Real, hard, brown frozen ground. It seems impossible. When was the last time my feet touched ground? My hands touched the earth?

But the snow is slipping. It’s sliding down toward me and I move away from it, against the middle of the space.

And then I realize. It is a trunk against my back, the brittle familiarity of its mottled bark. It clings to me, to my clothes, as the snow rushes toward me and stops. I turn to look at the tree, and there is something odd about it. A wave around the trunk is darker than the rest of the blackness around me, darker than the brown of the trunk itself, darker than the ground, darker than the snow refracting light from way above. I can still see the sky. But this wave of black is deep.

I reach out and touch the soot. I bring my fingers close to my eyes and even in the darkness, I think I can see it. It is familiar, this wave of soot. The way it hugs the tree into a crest. The sharpness of the curve in the trough. I know this tree.

I step around it and my foot snaps on a twig. I look down to see one of Cole’s manufactured friends. And as I bend to reach for it, the snow comes tumbling again. I can feel myself being pulled under, the bubbles rushing away from me, and the light is getting further and further away and I am boring into the water droplets looking for something to hold on to or some kind of answer.

Note:

This is a snippet from the novel I am working on for NaNoWriMo. I hope you enjoy it. I’m documenting my journey each day.

Here’s yesterday’s stats:

Progress:

Day 5 Word Count: 420

Total Word Count: 7107

Where I Planned to Be: 8000

1667 words per day: 8335

Yesterday was supposed to be a day of rest, but an idea came to me and I needed to get it down. Yay for momentum!

How is everyone else doing?

Dangerous Plants: A Writing Prompt for Character Development

August 22, 2021February 25, 2022 Jaclyn5 Comments

Find out how to create a dangerous character on the Lightning Droplets blog. Learn how to create a character-driven plot. This post includes the three most important questions to ask your character and how to turn those answers into a full plot.

You can use this writing prompt about deadly and dangerous plants to learn how to craft a character that will drive a meaningful plot for your story and help your fiction resonate with readers.

#fiction #writingtips #character #amwriting #writingprompt

There’s something about the lure of dangerous plants. The call of the Angel’s trumpet. The come-hither tendrils of poison ivy. The flashy blooms of oleander. Deadly plants have rich stories and lurid histories, and this makes them ripe for character development. This prompt walks you through creating a character based on a poisonous plant, and offers questions to ask your character that will get your plot racing.

Step 1: Start with a little bit of research.

Choose a dangerous plant. You can pick one of the most deadly, or one of the most poisonous, or the most dangerous. The descriptions in the links here might be enough to get the inspiration flowing, or you might want to use Wikipedia to do more research on a particular plant that speaks to you. Take notes about what strikes your interest. You might even let yourself go down the rabbit hole of research a little bit. Look into legends, history, and the biology of the plant. Often, poisonous plants have very interesting ways of interacting with humans, and of reproducing.

Step 2: Anthropomorphize!

Create a character based on the plant. Perhaps it is something about the way the plant kills. A lot of these plants have interesting historical tales surrounding them. Abraham Lincoln’s mother died from drinking milk tinged with white snakeroot. A Bulgarian dissident was killed with the chemical from castor seeds. What would this story look like from the plant’s point of view? Did Socrates deserve what the hemlock did to him?

What would this plant look like as a person? Would she be pale and unassuming, but deadly when you get close? Or would she be flamboyant and loud, luring everyone to her side? Is he spindly or robust? You could approach this question two ways: how would the physical characteristics of this plant translate into the look of a person? For example, does the character have eyes the color of wolfsbane? Or a rosary of rosary peas around their neck? Or you could think more about the personality of the plant. Are they sneaky? How would that look in a person? (But make sure to stay away from stereotypes!)

Once you are starting to envision your plant as a character, you’re ready to interrogate them!

Step 3: The 3 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Character

Think of this plant as a character. All characters have desires, needs, and a drive to be happy. But the trick is tying the desires and needs of the character directly to the plot. The way to do this is to ask the right questions. You don’t necessarily need to know all of the character’s favorite foods, bands and holiday spots, but you do need to know what makes them tick, how they are going to act, and, ultimately, how they are going to change.

These are the three most important questions to ask any character you create because these are the questions that are going to drive your character’s actions, and therefore also drive your plot. So let’s get digging!

What lie does your character believe?

The best stories have dynamic characters, which means your character needs to change. Maybe this is a small change, like realizing that they actually do like oranges, or maybe it’s a big change, like realizing maybe they don’t feel very fulfilled by poisoning people. Either way, we need to see some transformation, which means they need to change their mind about something. So, what are they going to change their mind about? What lie do they believe?

Another way to think about this is to think about it as a character flaw. What’s wrong with this character that needs to change? How are they acting/thinking/living in a way that does not actually make them happy? How does that relate to the lie they believe?

This is really the root of the matter.

What do they think will make them happy?

Give your plant-character a goal, a terribly misguided goal. This is especially powerful if their goal is based on the lie they believe. What are they pursuing because of this misbelief? What’s wrong with their life as it is, and what do they think they need to get/do/say/love/change in order to be happy?

Something to note about this question: it’s important that this is what they want which is wholly separate from what they need. This goal should be driven by the misguided belief that they hold. This is a goal that should change by the end of the story (even if it is the very last sentence!).

Then focus on what they are going to do to try to pursue this goal: What are they willing to do? What actual steps can they take to try to get there? But don’t forget, you, dear dangerous writer, are not going to let them achieve this goal.

What is going to change their mind?

Finally, what does your character come up against that makes them see the error of their ways? What is the tipping point, the pivotal moment that makes your character rethink their motives and their goals? What’s the event that makes them see the truth?

Of course, these are questions you can ask any character you make, whether they are based on a plant or not. These questions about your character’s personality are questions that specifically drive the plot of your story. You’ve got rich soil to work with.

Step 4: Plants into Plots

Now the plot thickens. (And yes, gardening puns totally intended.)

The real twist in this plot is that this dangerous plant is your protagonist. We know their flaws. We know what they are willing to do because of the lies they believe. So how does it all pan out? This is where the real world action meets the emotions within your herbaceous character. What steps are they taking in their life to try to pursue the lie that they think will make them happy? How does this plan fail? What stands in their way? And what eventually shows them (and your reader) the error of their ways?

Don’t forget, even as this plant is dangerous and believes this terrible lie, we still need to feel something for the character. Why are we rooting for this plant? We don’t have to like the plant, but we need to be interested. How does this dangerous, poisonous plant become a character that we can relate to and whose story we want to read?

Why this works

It might feel ridiculous to start a character with a plant. I mean, for a lot of people they are basically inanimate objects. But beginning the story by trying to find parallels between a human and a plant can help you see human stories from a different perspective. It frees you to think about different motivations and desires.

In terms of the questions to ask your characters, the power is in connecting the changes in your character and the events of the plot. If you allow your plot to be driven by the false belief of the character, the change that they undergo because of the incidents that happen in the story will have much more meaning. The character’s inner journey and outer journey will resonate, which means your story will resonate with readers also.

Finally, I want to give a very big shout out to Abbie Emmons on Youtube. The character questions here are loosely based on her very useful worksheets and videos about character-driven plotting. Definitely check out her channel for more in-depth info on these questions and more ways to think about characters and what drives them. She has short, punchy, informative videos on how to make your writing meaningful and I highly recommend checking them out! They are very good fodder for when you get stuck!

Have you tried this prompt? I would love to see how it comes out! Post a link or paste your results below.

Are you interested in trying more prompts? You might like this prompt using plot generators, this prompt setting myths in new places, or 30 days of writing prompts designed to get you through quarantine.

Enjoy!

NaNoWriMo Prep for Pantsers

October 15, 2019February 25, 2022 Jaclyn47 Comments

National Novel Writing Month is quickly approaching. They say there are two kinds of NaNo writers, the plotters and the pantsers. Is it possible for Pantsers to prep for NaNoWriMo?

Let me get this off my chest right off the bat: I am the epitome of a pantser. My writing style is that I write a sentence or paragraph that belongs in one scene, and then my mind flits to another scene for just a paragraph, and then I get a flash of character description, and then I can see the setting so I need to get it down and suddenly I have 400 words, and they each belong in a different place in the book. This means that I end up printing everything out, cutting it up, and trying to sort it into some kind of order before having to fill in gaps that I missed or expand on scenes. Sometimes I even have to cut sentences in half in order to sort them. Here is what my writing process looks like:

Ugh. I have always hated those people (I am looking at you, Husband) who just sit down and write the next scene like they have a map of where their book is going. Writing is fun and easy, they say. Writing is my escape. Like a movie in my head. You just sit down and write what comes next.

Get out of my face, you people who can just write what comes next. My muse obviously has such terrible ADD that she can only tell me one image at a time, which leaves me swimming in beautiful words that I have to somehow make sense of.

Ok, rant over.

I am eager to do NaNoWriMo this year. I have done it a few times before and never won, but this year, I have no thesis to write, I am not moving to another country (that I know of), and I am not pregnant, so I figure this year is my year. (Friend me on the Nano site: I am JaclynMaryLuke! Let’s inspire each other!)

Because I am so gung-ho to actually follow through this time, I decided that I needed to do some Nano Prep. But guess what, I am not a plotter. How do you prep for NaNoWriMo other than plotting out your story, or developing your characters? To me, the things that most people do to prep for NaNoWriMo are things that I discover and uncover in my process of writing, so it feels like cheating to start those before the big November 1st kick off.

I have, however, tried a few things so far this month that have definitely helped get me in the mood, and so I wanted to share them in hopes that some other pantsers out there could use them too!

1. Sign up!

I don’t mean this to be an infomerical for NaNoWriMo, but it can be really helpful to sign up ahead of time, meet some other writers, and kick off the month with a bang. Community support is what NaNoWriMo is all about. You could choose to write a novel any month, perhaps an easier month than one which has only 30 days and several holidays. But doing it in November gives you the support of thousands of writers who are doing it along with you.

When I lived in Fairbanks, they had a midnight write-in on October 31st, so you could really get going from the moment the clock struck November. They also did word wars on Facebook that I found useful, and of course write-ins at coffee shops. This year, I’m in Anchorage, so I’m excited to see how it works differently in different places. The point is that you don’t want to spend your November writing time poking around the website, lurking on the forums, and stalking other NaNos. Do that now and get it out of your system!

2. Make a mood board

This is one I found on the NaNoWriMo Blog. Basically, the idea is to collect images that you can use to inspire your story. You can create a physical board out of newspaper and magazine clippings, or you can create a Pinterest board. Here’s mine, as an example. What I love about this prep is that it feels like I am steeling myself against future writer’s block. After just a little bit of time, I have inspiration for days. Author J.M. Ralley has a great post on using Pinterest for both inspiration and connection with readers. Suddenly, on my Pinterest feed, there are pictures that are reminiscent of my story, which both inspires me and also tells me that I should be writing and not on Pinterest. One word of warning, though. Pinterest is excellent procrastination, so be careful with how you use your time.

3. Create a writing space

If you are going to make room in your life for writing, you need to make physical room in your life for writing. This can be as big as creating a whole office for yourself, or as small as transforming your dining room table. In the summers, the hubs, the toddler, the dog and I live in a one-room, off-the-grid cabin that is 12 feet by 16 feet. You can image that there is not room for anyone to have their own writing studio in this situation. But for me, the space is important and so when it’s time to write, our little table transforms into this:

I have my special writing fabric, my special writing candles, my special writing mug (Thanks, Maeve!), and my special writing plant. They all come out and transform the little table where we eat into my own space. The point is to have a physical space that gets you in the headspace — and to make sure you have it set up before November 1st so that when NaNoWriMo comes around, you can just sit down and immerse yourself in your writing. Bonus points for also displaying your mood board from above!

4. Create a writing ritual

In a similar vein, I need to get in the mood for writing. I find it extremely helpful to have a writing ritual that helps get my head in the game. Personally, I make myself some coffee, set up my space, and water my writing plant, reminding myself that I am helping my creativity and my story grow. Maybe you put on some music to write to, make yourself some tea, watch a NaNoWriMo Pep Talk, read some poetry, meditate, pray, do yoga, or draw a tarot card to inspire your day. Whatever your ritual/routine is, you want to make sure that it’s short and sweet and that it actually supports your writing. I personally start to get sucked in if I meditate or watch a pep talk, so these are not for me. It can take time to find a routine that works for you, so now is the time to do it. Don’t wait to figure out what works, or you might spend half of November testing out routines.

5. Create a cover.

This can be as easy or as involved as you want. I’m not talking about creating the final, be all, end all cover with the blurb and everything. Put your name on it. Pick a working title. Heck, even tag it with some Pulitzer Prize or “Best-selling” stickers. The idea is just to have some visual representation of the book you are writing in its complete form. I used Pixabay to find appropriate photos (which can also go on your mood board!). Canva actually has book cover templates that are super easy to use and free! You can print it out and put it in your writing space, or leave it on your computer desktop. Just make sure that you see it often and let the inspiration of seeing your book (YOUR BOOK!) get you through those difficult days in November when the sun is slipping and writing feels too hard. You got this!

6. Plotting for Pantsers

This one comes straight from the NaNoWriMo Prep Workbook. They call it the Jot, Bin, Pants method. This is the first time I’ve tried this and it’s working well for me. The idea is basically that you find a little time each day leading up to NaNoWriMo to sit and conjure up the scenes in your book. You can do this by meditating, just thinking over a cup of tea, scribbling what comes to mind before you go to bed, working on your mood board: whatever gives you ideas for scenes and images. You DO NOT WRITE THE SCENE (this is the most difficult part for me, because I see details that I want to hold on to, so they have become sub-notes). Instead, you just write a one-sentence summary. And then, conjure more, and write another one-sentence summary of the next scene you see. Once you have 50-100 scene ideas, you can begin sorting them. Which scenes need to come first? Which scenes don’t belong? Which scenes really strike your fancy? This is a way to get some semblance of order and some ideas on the page before November starts, but still allows you to go by the seat of your pants!

What are you doing to prepare for NaNoWriMo? Do you have any advice on how to prep for fellow pantsers? Ideas are greatly appreciated!

Amenhothep IV

April 2, 2012 JaclynLeave a comment

Amenhothep. That was what he had been called. Named after his father. But even his father regretted that. He was clearly not his father’s son. He came out misshapen, with a head too big and the shoulders of a woman. Not fit to be a king. Not even fit to be a prince. He didn’t hope to be invited anymore. He didn’t ask to go to ceremonies or carvings. Family sculptures were for the princely children. Siblings who came out looking normal enough, generic enough that any sculptor could make them beautiful, could make them look like a pharaoh should. Broad shoulders. Small waists. Perfect faces just waiting to be framed by royal adornments. His was truly a face only a mother could love.

And love she did. Fiercely. With a strength and ferocity that scared him.

But Amenhothep (Amenhothep IV, to be precise, because Amenhothep III was every bit the ruler he should have been) was different. Too different. Not eccentric in the way that was permissible for pharaohs. Not egocentric in the right way. His mother Tiye insisted that this second son bore his father’s name. Amenhothep. Amun is satisfied. It felt like such a lie. Even to the boy himself. Just imagine how his father felt. How could his seed produce something so perverse, so… otherworldly.

He spent his time alone. His mother called him special and he was sure that it was not a good thing.

Together, his family was set in stone. Older brother, two sisters, Mother, Father… without Amenhothep. Festivals, reliefs, religious ceremonies. Left alone, staring at the sky.

It was always Sopdet that caught his eye. The Dog Star. Sirius, Sothis, Sopdet. How could it not? The brightest star in the sky felt like home to him. It seemed to shine for him, to call his name in whispers in the night. The days when Sopdet disappeared were the worst. 70 days straight without that bit of comfort, that tiny speck of support from afar. Each year it brought a winter to his heart.

One night his mother even caught him.

“Your world is here, Amenhothep.” Tiye surprised him.

“I know,” he said, nearly disappointed.

“Are you watching Sopdet?”

“Yes,” he looked at the ground.

“It’s special to us. The birthplace of Isis.” He had heard the mythology. It was not new.

“And of your father,” she intimated. He turned to look at her. Was she being mythological? Spouting the stories that kept the pharoahs divine? That was unlike her, he knew. His mother was straightforward, powerful, and not prone to indulging folklore. And yet… His father was just a man normal and mortal, as much as he pretended otherwise, Amenhothep knew. He narrowed his eyes and Tiye sensed his suspicion.

“Not that father.” She walked away, ending the conversation.

Creative Commons love to Archer10 on flicker for the photo! Thank you!