NaNoWriMo Preparation

 

I finally have an idea for a story to write during NaNoWriMo. Yay! Now, I'm busy thinking about the plot and the characters I will write about. For me, I have to know my characters before I even start writing the story. The first step, is picking a name, and for some reason, this is proving hard for me.

My critique and blogger partner here on DNA Writers, Erica, has her names all picked out. Why am I having such a hard time? Well, I'm limited. The picture above is a hint about the theme for my new story. I want my characters to have names that go with the theme and fit their personality. To me, the name of a character is pivotal. I'm sure I will find the perfect ones, but, for now, it's giving me a headache.

The next part of my preparation is jotting down a plot arc and determining settings. After I know what characters and settings I'll be working with, I'll fill a note book full of pictures, bios, and scenes. It really helped last year to have the story note book with me while I wrote. I had a plan, and I worked from it, which kept me on schedule. I could see an image of my character to help me describe her or him. And, through the pictures of settings I had, I could imagine the places where my characters interacted in.

Sure, I could probably just put words down on page until I reach 50K, but that's not me. When November is over, I want to have a viable arc developed, and all I have to do is add some meat to the story.

That's it, for now. Next time, I'll talk about plot.

So, are you doing NaNoWriMo this year? And, if you are, how do you prepare for it?

You can find Brenda on her blog: http://brenleedrake@blogspot.com 
or on twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/brendadrake