How do I begin?
Following the plan suggested in Janice Hardy’s blog, I’ve planned out the eight chapters that will be Act 1 of my novel: the novel’s beginning. Her ideas helped me make sure I’m hitting all the marks as I lead up to the big, complicated structure that is the middle part of the story. I had done a lot of this work before when I sketched out chapters and scenes, so it went pretty quickly. So I finished early, which is good – I think the middle is going to take me extra time to get organized. Starting now!
Progress so far:
- 3/1/15: Set the goal (a full 50,000-word draft, or half a novel?) – On time
- 3/8/15: Develop my one-sentence pitch line – Early
- 3/22/15: Establish major set pieces/beats – On time
- 4/12/15: Develop a rough synopsis – On time
- 5/3/15: Complete a rough outline or scene sketch – On time
- 5/17/15: Map out each character’s story line – Late 😦
- 5/31/15: Plan the beginning of the novel, from opening scene to first major turn – Early
- 6/14/15: Plan the middle of the novel, including all the twists and complications leading to the ending
- 6/28/15: Plan the ending of the novel, including the climax and the final resolution
- 6/30/15: Get all my logistics in place (word-count log, file formats, backups, and so on)
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