NaNo Prep 101: Wk 1, Pt 2

I did three ideas. The first two I felt were not actually what the exercise was. I left them though because I usually keep any ideas that pop up. I may be able to use them later.

This is from the NaNo Prep 101 workbook. I am going to work through this one step at a time. Please follow along. You can find the workbook and download your own copy at https://nanowrimo.org/nano-prep-101

2. Borrow a Character

Invent a history or future for someone.Maybe it’s a friend you lost touch with after college, a teacher you had, a family member you’ve heard stories about, or just someone you’ve seen in photos or on the bus. I’d like to write a novel starring my great-grandmother someday, inspired by the pictures I’ve seen of her (I’ve never really heard anything about her!).

Who is the person that intrigues you? What was their childhood like? What did they dream of? What was their greatest desire? What obstacles did they face? What was their greatest triumph?

IDEA 1: A woman grows up in a strict authoritarian home. Beatings with a belt were common for the least infraction. She is the oldest of six. Her dreams are to get married, have children of her own and leave her parent’s house. She wants to take her younger sister with her so that she can also be free of the abusive environment. She isn’t old enough to leave yet and her parents aren’t going to let her younger sister go with her when she moves.

IDEA 2: It is a young woman who married young and has two children, a boy and a girl. Times are hard and they are very poor. Her husband works but doesn’t get paid much. One day, her husband gets killed in a car accident on the way home from work. It leaves her and her children without anything. She remarries and things seem to be going well. She has a part-time job and one day when she comes home early she finds her husband in bed with her best friend. So, she divorces him and packs up what little they have and the three hitchhike to a nearby state so she can find work.

IDEA 3: detective Boyd Smith – “Smitty” His work consumes him. Smitty is a workaholic. He married right out of the police academy. His marriage ended after 12 years and one child. His marriage ended because of his obsession with work and drinking. He has one pet (I am deciding between a floppy-eared goat or an Old English Sheepdog), Smitty is dogged. Once he gets on your tail, he will not let up until you are behind bars. He believes in the concept of justice. He is a short fellow of Irish decent. He always dreamed of the home where he would come home to a wife and children, but his work always got in the way.

Finally (since most novels aren’t someone’s entire life story), you have to find the story. What part of that imagined life has the most drama, the most ups and downs? A moment of adventure or possibility or danger, when things changed? Remember, you’re INVENTING this person, so feel free to go wild.

IDEA 1: After being married for two years, she is seven months pregnant when her husband kills her. She moves in with her aunt when she is sixteen and then marries when she is barely eighteen. She is wanting her younger sister to move in with her but she finds her husband is abusive She feels trapped because divorce is not allowed. She loses the baby when her husband beats her.

IDEA 2: The trip to the nearby state is difficult for her and her children. They have just what they can carry. They haven’t any money. The weather is dank and they hope to hitch a ride.

IDEA 3: Detective Boyd Smith – “smitty” There has been two feet of snow dumped overnight. Smitty is getting ready for work when the phone rings. It is his partner, Daryl Onacona. A body has been discovered in a house on the other side of town on the local fishing lake. The state police are on their way with the mobile crime unit. .

The next exercise is Week One, Part 3: News You Can Use. If anyone has any comments on what I have here, I would greatly appreciate them and thanks for stopping by.

You can visit my blog at https://clkottke.wordpress.com/2021/09/15/nano-prep-101-week-one-part-2/