October Novel Prep Challenge

A plot point may or may not actually happen within your outline. Throughout October, you're creating various lists of data that you will want to refer back to during NaNo, in addition to your outline, to make sure you keep your details consistent. Your character list will help you remember which of your minor characters has that weird eye twitch. Your settings list will help you remember whether Beantown is east or west of Cornville, so you can place the setting sun in the correct direction. And your plot points list will help you remember the miscellaneous things that have significance to your plot, whether they appear directly or indirectly in your story.

Here is a possible list of plot points for the Harry Potter series:

* rules of magic
* the Ministry of Magic
* modes of transportation (apparition, Floo network, portkeys, flying, etc.)
* Harry's scar
* Hogwarts (not just as a setting, but as a school with teachers and routines and history)
* the four Houses
* the unusual behavior of photographs and artwork
* the sword of Gryffindor

In your plot points list, you'll flesh out some details that you'll want to remember later, like - how the heck do you get into the Ministry of Magic, again? Wait... how old did I decide you had to be before you're allowed to apparate? How did Harry get his scar, and what does it mean? Who was Hufflepuff school named after again, and what are the typical traits of a wizard belonging to Hufflepuff? You won't have to dig through pages and pages of scribbled notes to find whatever you decided - it will all be compiled into a neat list / binder / database / note cards / whatever your favorite form of organization happens to be.

Please let me know if this clarifies the plot points assignment for you.

Regards,
Michelle