Day 19
Word count: 39,094 words
Word count goal: 38,000 words
Mapping the Hero’s Journey: The Road Back
Save The Cat: All is Lost

#vss very short story

Eagle soared over the mountain. She glided over the back roads and tiny ghost towns. She landed on a picnic table outside an Ivar’s Seafood Bar and screamed until tourists abandoned their fish.

Plotting with Tarot

The Road Back card: The Tower- the change and awakening required to dismantle the artificial; healing, renovation and restoration

What motivates your MC to return: Queen of Wands upside-down- there may soon be a need for you to help out others who are having a problem of some kind. It could also be that an older woman would like to help you with a situation that you are facing, but for some reason she is unable to do so. Her moral support will be helpful.

How the Shadow will attack your MC (his vulnerability): Five of Pentacles upside-down- a welcome sign that change is coming for the better; If you are still in dire circumstances, somebody may come to your help just when you are about to give up all hope of rescue.  You may have to set aside pride in order to accept what is being offered.

My interpretation: This is an interesting reading. My MC has had an awakening. He sees the reality of his situation. He is facing the great truth of his life. He wants to go home to his ordinary life, but it doesn’t exist to go back to. His wife cannot help him, but she does offer moral support. Here’s the most interesting part. Through his trials he has finally learned to ask for help, and this growth becomes a vulnerability because the Shadow will come as someone offering help when he is about to give up all hope. This gives me a lot to think about.

Ask Your Character

• What would you go back and change or do if you had a time machine?
• If you could get away with any crime, what would it be?
• How would you lure someone into a trap?

Word Of The Day

augur: v. to give promise of something to come later

8 Action Verbs:

appointed          collaborated          decided          exhibited

Inspected          Negotiated          represented           supervised

Poem prompt

I like the double prompt from Day 7 of the PAD Chapbook Challenge for today:

1. Write a days of the week poem. Pick one day or work through them all. Have the poem about the days or just name drop a day (or days) of the week in the poem.

2. Write a days of the weak poem. See what I did there with the spelling of “week” to “weak?” The poem could be about weakness in another, yourself, or objects that are weak.

Sunday

A day of rest
To sit as guest
In the Lord’s house
fires of sin to douse
in stiff uncomfortable clothes
shiny-shoed stuffed cramped toes
The longest hour and a half
Warning of the golden calf
When the boring sermon ends
Prayers and tithes to make amends
An early dinner the reward
For all the goodness points he scored

I Don’t Like To Feel Weak

Whenever I am feeling weak
when my voice is but a squeak
my future options all look bleak
all options stink with death-rots reek
aches and creeks of the aged antique
out on display like a sideshow freak
when I’d rather hide with the timid and meek
Emotions like serpents wriggle and sneak
and tears stain my cheek in a black mascara streak

That’s when I search out a critique
Research ways to improve technique
And pinpoint my voice that makes me unique
Every possibility of a secret peek
Into the betterment I seek
Creating strength through my own mystique
To plug every hole through might to leak
Pecked and pecked by doubts stiff beak

Awesome Sentence Challenge

Connotations: I love this quote from Barbara Baig in Spellbinding Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Achieving Excellence and Captivating Readers

If you imagine that putting a word into the mind of your reader is like casting a stone in a pond, then the denotation is the splash the stone makes as it hits the water, while the connotations of the word are like the ripples that follow the splash.

We did the first connotations exercise on Day 6, but exploiting the connotations of words to create ripples of meaning in the mind takes practice and skill, so lets do another one. Read your favorite author paying attention to words chosen for positive and negative connotations. Collect these words in a notebook and practice using them in your own writing.

Today’s Simple Task

MC micro-focused on today: What can s/he do in this moment? It’s time for a new and better plan.

Warm-up Exercise

Set your timer for 5 minutes. Brainstorm all of your MC’s traits. Sort them into strengths and weaknesses.

Choose the trait you see as the main weakness. Set your timer for 5 minutes again and Cluster or Mind Map around that word.

Set your timer for another 5 minutes. Write a scene where this weakness becomes a strength.

Recommended Word Crawl

Today is a good day to read as well as write, so let’s try the Reading Crawl

Sunday Summary

How is your novel coming along? This last week we passed the midpoint and now we are marching toward our hero’s darkest point and the climax of our story. This week, for those of us who will be celebrating Thanksgiving, could bring some extra challenges to finding writing time. If family obligations feel overwhelming, try to spread out the extra words throughout the week. An extra 500 words today could make all the difference come Thursday.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Day 13
Word count: 26,256 words
Word count goal: 26,000 words
Mapping the Hero’s Journey: Approaching The Inmost Cave
Save The Cat: Midpoint

#vss very short story

After a beautiful and inviting trail through the woods led Brenda to a little cave, she decided to give caves another chance. Using the light from her cell phone she admired the stalagmites and stalactites. A musky smell and humphing noise drew her to the innermost recesses where she discovered a lonely Bigfoot. They lived happily in their quaint forest cave.

Plotting with Tarot

Approach To The Inmost Cave (The emotion your MC feels as he has to traverse this last corridor to the cave): Ace of Pentacles- seed of your future fulfillment

Leap of faith your MC must take: Queen of Pentacles- enormous good sense and problem solving energy. Be confident that if you express your truth, you will not have to worry about the consequences. You will remain safe and sound – from tarot.com

Old angst that MC revisits: Four of Wands- the teamwork card

My interpretation: As my protagonist approaches the inmost cave, he still feels hopeful. He is planting the seeds of future fulfillment and believes he is on the way to reaping the benefits of a life of hard work. The leap of faith he is taking is leaving his responsibilities behind to pursue vital answers and using his good sense and the problem solving energy of an engineer, he is confident he won’t need to worry about the consequences of jogging away from his previous plan. He encounters some issues that need teamwork, but he doesn’t want to get family and friends involved. His entire mission is to protect the ones he loves. He will need to revisit these feelings when he needs some help.

Ask Your Character

• What are your special talents?
• How do you use these talents?
• Are they a gift or a curse?

Word Of The Day

sonorous: adj. loud, deep or resonant as a sound.

8 Action Verbs:

analyzed          chose          corrected          established

implemented          modeled          received          spoke

Poem prompt

Theme: Approaching the Inmost Cave

Have your character write a poem about approaching a cave. It may be their feelings about physical caves or approaching a dark place in their soul or psyche.

The Beast Inside

I cannot believe I threatened a man
Where did that darkness come from
I have lived with God the best I can
I run, my legs jelly and mind numb

I have lived a long life of peace
Defending my lines through fairness
What trigger did my fire release
The whip one too many for tameness

A beast in a cave deep within
Roused from its sleep for my pride
The power behind my fist to his chin
Did I mean that I wished he had died?

Now, what of me in its freedom?
Perpetual edge of fight or flight
Am I to bow to an enraged demon?
Or embrace it and taste every bite!

Awesome Sentence Challenge

Identifying Independent and Dependent Clauses

Using serial descriptive clauses, try to write the longest sentence you ever have.

Today’s Simple Task

Reversal of yesterday. Show that whatever your MC discovered yesterday, the opposite is actually true.

Warm-up Exercise

Try this prompt from Is Life Like This?: A Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months by John Dufresne.

Answering Machine: Your character is troubled as usual. What is today’s specific problem? Write about it. Now, he has a voice mail message and is surprised to learn that the message solves his problem, alleviates his trouble. Play (write) the message.

Recommended Word Crawl

I got very excited when I saw there was an Invader Zim Word Crawl. I decided to use it today, Monday, to start the week off with a crawl I really look forward to doing.

I love the Invader Zim cartoon. If you enjoy crazy misfit aliens trying to take over the world, I highly recommend Invader Zim: Complete Invasion Collectors Box Set (6DVD). 

I wish everyone a fun and productive week. I hope you’ll check back often for inspiration to keep going. I would love to hear from you in the comments. How is your novel writing going? If you’re not doing NaNoWriMo, what are you working on? How is your project going?

Happy Reading and Writing!

Day 12
Word count: 23,791 words
Word count goal: 24,000 words
Mapping the Hero’s Journey: Test/Allies & Enemies
Save The Cat: Fun & Games

#vss very short story

Harold couldn’t make the pieces fit. All he could do was listen to his heart. His heart kept singing, “Go beat the crap out of that idiot.” It wasn’t a very good song.

Plotting with Tarot

My next scene is a confrontation from the antagonist’s point of view, so I decided to do a Test, Allies and Enemies reading for the antagonist.

Test: Page of Cups – the muse

What antagonist learns from the test: Knight of Cups upside-down – a fight for the heart or soul, once won quickly forgotten; reversed

Allies: Ten of Cups – a supportive community or group of friends

Who antagonist’s main ally is: Wheel of Fortune – luck- both good and bad

Enemies: Eight of Pentacles – diligence and craft, hard work

His enemies’ motivations: Ace of Swords – an intellectual breakthrough, the moment of truth.

My interpretation: This was a fun reading. It holds insights and predictability. My antagonist and his allies are all about the Cups. I think, in today’s scene, this represents their music. Perhaps my antagonist’s test is the muse because he is having trouble finding inspiration ever since the horrible event that led him to meeting my protagonist. Maybe today’s encounter leads him to searching for long-term redemption instead of trying to cover up what he did. I see his allies as his band-mates, but his true ally is luck. Some sort of luck, be it good or bad, will lead him to this better decision. The enemies card obviously represents my protagonist and his motivations for today’s scene have to do with needing answers. His moment of truth is confronting the antagonist.

This reading provided a lot of insights into my antagonists emotions and motivations. It also gave me some ideas for the effects of the encounter. I think this was the most helpful reading, in terms of plotting, I have done so far.

Ask Your Character

• What traditions have been passed down in your family?
• Who were your favorite relatives?
• Do you remember any of the stories they used to tell you?

Word Of The Day

recidivist: n. repeat offender

8 Action Verbs:

allocated          checked          coordinated          enlarged

immunized          mediated           raised          specified

Poem prompt

Compare your protagonist to your antagonist in rhyme.

No More Time For Doubt

What is that old, wrinkled mess doing here?
I start to shake as bleak future draws near.
A life without long, luscious hair is my fear.
How does he look at himself without tears?

His stringy long hair makes him look like a fool.
Up on that stage, he thinks he’s so cool.
I can tell that his band-mates think he’s a tool.
Wasting his time, he should go back to school.

He looks so weak with his skin hanging off
Does he think he can fell me with one sickly cough
I’m here with my boys, a cocktail molotov
Whatever he wants, his words will get scoff.

Look at him preening and looking around
I can’t wait to throw that foul smirk to the ground
I’ll shock him with muscle. I won’t make a sound.
One hit and he’ll leave all that pride in a mound.

You think you know me?
Got me figured out?
Come at me. I’m waiting.
No more time for doubt.

Awesome Sentence Challenge

Look at the last paragraph you wrote yesterday, or a paragraph you wrote this morning. For each sentence in the paragraph, write ten different sentences to say the same thing. You can use different words, but don’t change the meaning. Choose your favorites of the new sentences and combine them to reform the paragraph. Compare and contrast.

Today’s Simple Task

MC compares self to other characters in story – false sense of achieving goal

Warm-up Exercise

Set your timer for 15 minutes. What problems are coming for your protagonist that s/he is not aware of yet?

Recommended Word Crawl

Fallout 3 Word Crawl – Part 1

If you haven’t played it yet, but love post-apocalyptic adventures, you might want to get yourself Fallout 3: Game of the Year Edition as a reward for winning NaNoWriMo.

Sunday Summary

So how did your week go? Did you use some of the prompts? Which ones are your favorites? I found a combination of the tarot reading, action verbs, poetry prompt and either the simple task or the warm-up, got me focused on aspects of the day’s scenes.

This week, I had a couple days that writing did not come easy. It was tough for me to see that my sweetie was so excited about his story that he finished a novella, and my writing buddy on twitter’s words are flowing like a river to the ocean when I was not having the same experience. My words are a steady trickle making me push and prod the stream along like kicking at puddles. However, everyone is different, and I’m right on track to reach my goals.

I may not have reached my daily writing goals every day, but I have written every day and that is what NaNoWriMo is about; the practice. Some days, some scenes, will be easier than others. Speaking of practice, I hope you’re trying out some of the Awesome Sentence Challenges. Not only do they help you write better sentences, they inspire creativity.

We have an exciting week ahead on our Hero’s Journey. We’re going to hit the half-way point in our own NaNoWriMo adventure and we’ll be ratcheting up the suspense and conflict as our hero approaches The Inmost Cave or the Supreme Ordeal. I know you’ve fallen in love with your characters, but you’re about to get really mean, making their lives harder and harder until they may even be staring death in the face. Like I said, we have an exciting week ahead of us. Buckle your seat-belts.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Day 9
Word count: 15,847 words
Word count goal: 18,000 words
Mapping the Hero’s Journey: Crossing the Threshold
Save The Cat: B-story

#vss very short story

Business trademarks finally reached right into Brenda’s life. She could no longer see the colors gold or black or say the words “Brenda”, “food” or “happy”.

Plotting with Tarot

Subplot Crossing the Threshold: Ten of Cups – a promise of prosperity to come

What secondary character risks losing by Crossing the Threshold: Eight of Cups upside-down – we have to leave what we have to go searching for what we lack; reversed. You may fear intimacy and have difficulty making and keeping your commitments.

Most compelling reason to cross the threshold: Eight of Pentacles – diligence and craft

My interpretation: My secondary character decides to travel across the country to try to clean up his subordinate’s mess. In attempting to fix a business relationship, he could reveal that his business is not above board.

Ask Your Character

• Did you enjoy school?
• What kind of student were you?
• How would your classmates remember you?

Word Of The Day

rapprochement: n. establishment or re-establishment of harmonious relations.

8 Action Verbs:

administered          chaired          converted             elicited

highlighted          marketed          publicized           solved

Poem prompt

Turn on the radio to any channel. Write a poem inspired by the first thing you hear. – from Kelli Russell Agodon at agodon.com

This is similar to the creative writing assignment that inspired my flash fiction story Your New BAM-AG Home.

“Beside myself with excitement”

Beside Myself

With excitement I observe
Outside of the physical
Free of sensual bombardment
Floating free of pain and pressure

With myself beside

Awesome Sentence Challenge

from Spellbinding Sentences: A Writer’s Guide to Achieving Excellence and Captivating Readers by Barbara Baig

Revise for phrases: Take a look at yesterday’s words; the thousands of words you were inspired to write yesterday. Are there any ways in which you could replace single words with phrases, or add phrases to your sentences to make them clearer or more powerful?

Today’s Simple Task

Secondary character – sub-plot. Make a list of possible sub-plots. Come up with at least five ideas for each secondary character.

Warm-up Exercise

Set your timer for 10 minutes. Write in first person from a secondary character’s  perspective. Have that character talk about their relationship with the MC.

Recommended Word Crawl

Stranger Things Chapter One

Don’t Forget To Read!

There’s a great chapter in Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence by Lisa Cron titled “Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch that discusses subplots.
There’s a good section on subplots in The Plot Whisperer: A Groundbreaking Approach to Story Structure That Any Writer Can Master by Martha Alderson in the chapter called “The of the Journey.”
And there’s a whole chapter on subplots in Building Better Plots by Robert Kernen. I found this chapter to be the most informative.

If you would like to continue reading about subplots, her are some links to what other writers have written about them:

Lessons from Lucy: subplots from Dan Alatorre (make sure to read the comments)

How to Write Subplots with Author with Author Kristen Martin from Benjamin Thomas (starts at 1:55 in video)

On Sub-plotting from Thomas Edmund

“But I Wanted To Tell That Story, Too”: When A Sub-Plot Is Really Just Another Plot (Lesson Learned)from Matt Frick

Happy Reading and Writing!

Day 7
Word count: 13,308 words
Word count goal: 14,000 words
Mapping the Hero’s Journey: The Mentor
Save The Cat: Act II

Until it was placed at this angle, it was an ordinary bench. It was an ordinary bench until it was placed at this angle.

#vss very short story

After digging for hours, it dawned on Brandon that even his best friend was lying to him.

Plotting with Tarot

Mentor card: Magician upside-down – the creator dictating from the heavens. Reversed, the Magician can indicate greed, deceit, manipulation and using one’s skill and ability for negative ends. It can reflect trickery and cunning, untrustworthiness and mental confusion. – from biddytarot.com

How the hero sees the mentor at first: Two of Swords upside-down – requires that a decision be made. Reversed, Be sure that you are dealing with the right people and until you are absolutely sure – put off making any decisions. Your balance has been lost – you have been knocked over by the people and problems charging your defenses. The blindfold has been removed so that you can see the truth and communicate. This has been an emotionally shattering experience for you – you will need outside help. -from crystal-reflections.com

Most important lesson the hero will learn from the mentor : The Star – A time of rest and recovery. You are exactly where you should be and doing exactly what you should be doing. You have reached a state of balance.

My interpretation: It doesn’t look like my MC has a good mentor. He probably shouldn’t listen to his advice. The lesson he learns from his manipulative and untrustworthy mentor is that he’s on the right path and doing things right on his own.

Ask Your Character

• Do you have a love of your life?
• When did you first fall in love?
• Can you tell me about your first kiss?

Word Of The Day

petrichor: n. a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground.

8 Action Verbs:

adapted          cataloged           controlled          educated

handled          maintained          prosecuted          showed

Poem prompt

Theme: learning and teaching – Who were your mentors? What was the most important lesson they passed on to you?

Today I’m going to attempt an Italian form called Rispetto.

The Mentor and Mentee

She volunteers to educate
Her art from years of practice show
To translate plans as patterns state
Important skills to cook and sew

Combining all the lessons learned
Early habits overturned
To leave mistakes to plague the past
An exponential knowledge vast

Awesome Sentence Challenge

Try sentences with these three different types of Verb phrases:

1. Add two or more finite verbs together: verb+conjunction+verb
2. Add a finite verb and an adverb: verb+adverb
3. Add auxiliary verbs to the main verb: auxiliary verb+main verb

Today’s Simple Task

Raise another question for your MC to answer.

Warm-up Exercise

Set your timer for 10 minutes. Your MC receives an unexpected package. What does he do with it? Does he open it? What’s inside? – inspired by Kaori Leosarka (NaNo poster)

Recommended Word Crawl

Today feels like a good day for The Fall Crawl by Azombieatemyshoelace. It made me think of the great fall pairings I wrote about last month in my October pairings posts:

October Pairings (#OctPairs): Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles and Spooky Movies

October Pairings (#OctPairs): Halloween Candy and Books

October Pairings (#OctPairs): Movies & Drinking Games

Time to get a nice hot beverage and introduce my MC to his mentor.

Happy Reading and Writing!