October Novel Prep Challenge

NOOOO!!! STOP THE CLOCK! REVERSE IT, EVEN! I REFUSE TO ALLOW THE COUNTDOWN TO BEGIN!!!

Okay, did that help? Did everything stop? I can't tell. It's hard to tell time when you're in the midst of a panic attack.

I'm so sorry you're having trouble, WakeUpAndLive! Is it passion from you for your story or passion within the story among characters or passion within the story as in some sort of excitement to draw in the reader? What are you missing? If you need ideas, the NaNo Adoption Society threads have tons of them--Adopt a Subplot, Adopt a Romantic Moment, Adopt a Last Line, etc. Maybe something there will help?

Olivia, I'm so glad to see you hanging in there! Great work!

What do you mean that you are having trouble with your setting, Dobie Mom? Like, you don't want it set in a small town in the old west, even though it's a western? Or do you mean you need places within that town for new setting ideas? If it's the small town situation, try a big city back then. They often referred to bigger cities, but seldom seemed to set anything there. lol Or if you are in a small town, what about showing scenes in the boot repair shop or the boarding house or the blacksmith's shop (or whatever that was called)? Or you could go with something like Olivia is suggesting, but make it a parallel universe or an alternative history. Maybe the Native Americans weren't decimated and everyone lived together more peacefully because the white people had better morals or maybe the Native Americans even beat back the white people who are now living in little bands, barely surviving, sort of like an old west post-apocalyptic thing. Good luck!

YIKES, Adherennium - Maybe Writing?! That definitely sucks! Do you not like the turn it took? Maybe you can revamp the characters or setting or some of the scenes and try to get things back on track? I know I was a good ways into prep in 2019 when I changed my story completely. Was it as good as it would have been had it had a full month of prep? No. But it did make 50k and I'm pleased enough with it. Maybe one of your characters has a story of their own from a different period of their life that needs to be told instead? Good luck with all of that!