JLNICH blog beats article, NaNoWriMo Confessions: When Plotting Fails
JLNICH blog beats article, NaNoWriMo Confessions: When Plotting Fails

The NaNoWriMo Diaries:
Overcoming Self-Doubt and Perfectionism

Ah, NaNoWriMo – that glorious, chaotic, and exhilarating journey for new and experienced writers from all walks of life coming together to tackle the monumental challenge of penning a 50,000-word novel in just one frenzied month. As November arrives, many of us diligently use PrepTober to outline, build character profiles, and generate plot arcs, determined to conquer this literary mountain. But what happens when your characters decide differently?  Or your meticulous plotting take a detour?  What do you do?

Welcome to ‘NaNoWriMo Confessions: When Plotting Fails.’ In this blog, we’ll embark on our paved road toward our goal, and at times we may find ourselves on a dirt road leading off into the hills.  But that Goat track keeps meandering.  And at one point or another, we eventually find LackofPlanning Swamp Land.  How are we to get out of the bogs, therein?  

Those brave souls who dare to dive into the writing fray without a roadmap (aka Pantsers) may know the answer.  But we plotters never saw it coming.  Make sure to join me as I uncover the hilarity, the challenges, and the unexpected joys that arise when we can’t find the road, the wheels fall off the car, or we find we need to abandon our vehicle and start a glorious walk to let our creativity run wild.

Picture this…You’ve been writing for a week. The first act is done. You are so happy.  You dabble your toe into the deep pond of Act Two and suddenly you think up some additional idea to add to your novel.  Why not?  It’s NaNoWriMo and you have to write 1667 words a day, minimum.

 

Here is a visual timeline of Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austin.

Stick to the plot.  Or at least stick to your idea of the plot.  If the paved road leads to a dirt road that leads to a goat track that fizzles out to vast grasslands, you may be so far away from your plot that you can’t find your way back. It happens.  While some writers find that wandering off their outline can lead to creative discoveries, it can also have detriments, especially during the fast-paced challenge of NaNoWriMo. Here are three potential drawbacks:

  1. Loss of Focus and Time: NaNoWriMo has that strict daily word count goal minimum, and wandering off your outline can lead to writing tangents that don’t contribute to your story’s progression. This can result in a loss of precious time and energy that could be better spent advancing the plot or developing characters.  And you have a plot drift happen, where the story meanders away from its core conflict and central narrative arc. This can confuse both you as the writer and your readers, as the story’s direction becomes less clear.  During editing later, tangents you went on during the drafting phase may need to be addressed and potentially removed. Readers can also be affected becoming frustrated if they feel the narrative is veering off course or if they’re not seeing progress in the main storyline.  Have you, as a reader, ever skipped parts in a book to get back to the “good stuff”?  As a writer, you want to strike a balance between creativity and staying on track with your main plot.  If you find you’ve lost yourself on a dirt path, take steps to refocus on your primary narrative goals road.
  2. Inconsistent Plot Development: Straying too far from your outline can lead to inconsistencies in your plot. You might introduce subplots or characters that don’t align with your original vision, causing confusion and making it challenging to tie up loose ends later. This can lead to a messy and disjointed narrative.  Think of quality and the reader.  A reader may find it difficult to follow the story’s progression and it can disrupt their immersion in the fictional world.  Or you can have characters with inconsistent character behavior.  I watched a music video once that described Filipinos who think forks are only decoration because everyone in the Philippines eats with their hands.  But the ending scene had the main character eating with a fork.  It still bothers me.  Inconsistencies also create significant challenges during the editing and revision process. Readers who encounter these things may leave negative reviews or feedback.
  3. Writer’s Block and Frustration: If you wander too much without a clear direction, you may find yourself facing writer’s block or feeling frustrated. This can occur when you’re unsure of where your story is heading or how to resolve the plot threads you’ve introduced. Writer’s block can be particularly discouraging during NaNoWriMo when time is of the essence.  You end up losing word count, having increased stress, loss of motivation, self-doubt about your writing abilities, and risk of burnout when the pressure to produce a large volume of words daily can be mentally and physically exhausting.  Or you may not complete your novel during NaNoWriMo and never finish it.

Here is a sample of a Pantser timeline to utilize,
by Celeste Barclay

Starting NaNoWriMo without a clear outline or plan for your novel can lead to all three of the issues above. Having a basic structure and plot in mind can help prevent this.  Even for Pantsers.  I want to mention here the use of PLOTTR software.  I love, love, LOVE it.  It is really easy to learn and use and has a visual timeline that keeps you on track and moving.  And best of all it integrates into Scrivener.  You generate your plotline and import it to Scrivener. 

Check out the software on a 30-day trial.  Use my PLOTTR affiliate link and I may get a small commission.  Thanks.

In the end, dear fellow writers, let’s not forget the NaNoWriMo challenge is a wild ride through the jungle of our creative minds. Taking unexpected tangents might lead us into the tangled vines of confusion.  So, embrace shiny ideas with caution.  Make a note to detour after NaNo.  Explore them with the fervor of a curious explorer, but stick to your plot and theme.  And remember that, even if plotting fails, the beauty of NaNoWriMo is in the journey that unfolds. Who knows, your tangential detour might offer more book for the buck than a reader realizes until they reach the last page.  But don’t chase literary gold during NaNoWriMo.  It’s a sprint and you want to finish with success.  Those shiny ideas will be there during revisions—or at the very least, they might become an entertaining anecdote to share with your fellow writers over a cup of coffee. Example: I was going to have him begin to fly but then I drank some coffee and it turns out he found a rope to swing to the other side of the canyon.  

Happy NaNoWriMo adventures, my friends, and may your writing path be as wonderfully twisty as a rollercoaster designed by your inner muse!

Maybe you just want to use a template to keep you on track? There are tons of these.

I also want to give a quick shout-out to PLOTTR software which is very intuitive.  My new favorite writing aid. This plotting software is da bomb.  Use any of my affiliate links below and I might get a small commission. Thanks. 

PLOTTR 

Scrivener 

ProWritingAid 

Check out my Youtube channel for PLOTTR videos @jlnichauthorsff 

Joseph Michael’s Learn Scrivener Fast e-course

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