Thank You NaNoWriMo for the term, PlotOber. I’m not even sure I am using it as you meant for it to be used, but
I appropriated it for my own purposes. The Phoenix NaNo group put up three
plotting methods to aid those using October for plotting and planning. I
checked them out, but I’m sticking with mine.
Yes, it’s that time of year
again. I just love this fall event—National Novel Writing Month, affectionately
known as NaNoWriMo (or just NaNo to many of us). What’s the big deal? And why
am I so excited about it every year at this time?
I get to officially start a
new book on November 1st!
Right, I can start a new book any time I want,
but NaNo is special. Somewhere upwards of a quarter to a half million people,
worldwide, will embark on the adventure of writing 50,000 words in 30 days. I
am part of this great zeitgeist of word energy. About 13% of us will “win”
(meaning you got to goal). But the other 87% won, too. Because on December 1st
they have more words written on a novel than on October 31st. That’s
a win!
The novel I am starting is Tequila Mockingbird, book five in the
“Dinner is Served” culinary mystery series published by a yet-to-be-determined
publisher. I will share lots of recipes using alcohol, but I don’t promise
there will be other recipes as well.
Early October is sign-up
time. That means that almost all of October, for me, is spent plotting twists
and turns and red herrings. I have an extensive plotting and planning process
that I have described before for Potluck, book three in my culinary mystery
series that powers me through to
November 30th. No more saggy, soggy middles. Wahoo! No more
wondering after chapter three what I’m going to write next. No more waiting for
the muse to strike. My muse showed up in October and left behind a tidy pile
for me to write about.
I was eating lunch with
friends at an outdoor creperie in Flagstaff, Arizona and talking about my
mysteries. My friends wondered at how I got my punny titles. I told them they
just pop out at me, like Tequila
Mockingbird. They laughed and then, “Did you just now make that up,” my
friend asked suspiciously. “Oh, yeah. It happens that way all the time.” Making
up titles is easy, but then I have to have a concept that matches the title.
That takes more time.
For those who don’t know, a
mockingbird mimics the calls of other birds, pretending to be someone else. In
my story, Emilie, a woman who escaped arrest for the murder of her husband has
resurfaced with a new identity after 25 years. I have her living in the
neighborhood of my personal chefs, Alli and Gina and Gina’s mother, Maria. As
her past is revealed, Alli takes on the responsibility of trying to clear
Emilie’s name even while Alli’s fiance’s boss is seeking to prosecute her. This
is the cold case he could never stop thinking about, so he wants closure.
So I have my premise and
concept. Next for me in PlotOber is planning the theme and sub-themes, ten key
events, writing my story treatment, writing the microblurb (elevator pitch),
writing character sketches, and planning the 40 or so scenes on a grid (Expanded
from 10 key events: who’s there, where are they, when is it, the point of the
scene to advance the story, and what happens in the scene).
Busy month for me, right? But,
oh, what fun! I just love beginnings! Join me in NaNoWriMo? Add me as a “buddy.”
Facebook:
If you are a National Novel Writing Month participant, do you plan in PlotOber?
Check out how I’ll be spending this month preparing for NaNoWriMo. http://bit.ly/2fmMiJ9
Twitter:
PlotOber is when you get ready for #NaNoWriMo2017 by doing big planning. With
prep, the 30 days/50K words fly by. http://bit.ly/2fmMiJ9
