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The calendar of daily challenges accompanying the October NaNo Prep Challenge for 2010. |
OBSOLETE. Please see the current year's calendar linked in the contest instructions:
October NaNo Prep Challenge 2010: 2010 Entry Log  Your list of daily challenges is below. If a challenge does not apply to your novel project (for example, if your story takes place in a single setting, and you can't describe three separate settings), post "Challenge not applicable" in the forum for that day. You will still be eligible for the grand prizes. BRAINSTORMING TOOLS:  http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page http://raenidaystorystation.com/thelittlestpumpkin.aspxhttp://www.inspiration.com/vlearning/index.cfm?fuseaction=techniques -("webs" and "idea maps") http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/quickrefs/25-brainstorming.xmlWRITING PROMPTS: "Invalid Item" "Invalid Item" "Invalid Item" http://www.seventhsanctum.com/index.phpTHE CALENDAR: Friday, Oct. 01The general premise of your novel. Summarize the following: Who is your protagonist (or protagonists)? What will happen to him/her/it/them? Why? How will it turn out? What does that tell us? Is there a moral to the story? Resources to help you: http://howtowriteanovel.wordpress.com/2007/09/28/how-to-write-a-novel-developing... and "Premise" .Saturday, Oct. 02Outline: first draft. Basic overview of main events. Check out the section on Outlining in this free ebook: http://www.lazette.net/Free%20Stuff/NaNo.htm Sunday, Oct. 03Character sketch: Your protagonist. A couple of resources to help you: "Invalid Item" (thank you, Shanachie  !), "Invalid Item" (thank you, Seisa-sleepingcatbooks.com !), and http://www.engl.niu.edu/wac/char_sk.htmlMonday, Oct. 04CONTEST ROUND: Write a background story about your protagonist. Make your readers relate to him or her in such a way that we would be devastated if he or she were to experience conflict (which, ultimately, sometime in November, he/she will.) The object of the contest is to make your judges root for your protagonist! Simply put: the character we like best, wins. If your protagonist is an assassin or someone similarly "unlikeable," never fear! I love Vlad Taltos, the professional assassin (reference: "Dragaera" series by Steven Brust.) You can make us love your character, too. *Submit your BITEM link by 1200 noon WDC time on Tuesday, Oct. 05 to compete. If you miss this deadline, or choose not to compete, you may still enter your challenge completion within three days for the grand prize, per the standard Challenge guidelines. Tuesday, Oct. 05Marketing exercise: Describe your target audience. Explain in detail what aspects of your novel will appeal to this particular audience, and why. Wednesday, Oct. 06Get out your pencil (or Excel or Visio or Autocad if you're the nerdy type) and draw a physical sketch of any setting in your novel, which we will call Setting #1. This can be a map of a town, woods, or valley, a layout of a room with furniture and walls, a floor plan of the castle, or any other physical setting. It doesn't matter if your art skills are lacking. Just get a feel for where obstacles and objects are in relation to one another. Thursday, Oct. 07Describe Setting #1 (with words.) Use all five senses, and make your reader experience the setting as if he or she were there. Friday, Oct. 08Character sketch: antagonist. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write about what it is and how it will create conflict for your protagonist. Further clarification: "ANTAGONIST (Re: A LOT of confusing things)" Saturday, Oct. 09Outline, second draft. Revise and add detail to the beginning, climax, and end. Sunday, Oct. 10OFF/Freebie. Take a break, catch up, or download and browse this free ebook: http://www.lazette.net/Free%20Stuff/NaNo.htm Monday, Oct. 11CONTEST ROUND: Write a background story about your antagonist. Make your reader empathize with the motivations of the antagonist. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. *Submit your BITEM link by 1200 noon WDC time on Tuesday, Oct. 12 to compete. If you miss this deadline, or choose not to compete, you may still enter your challenge completion within three days for the grand prize, per the standard Challenge guidelines. Tuesday, Oct. 12Write any background story that sets up your plot. An example of this: The Lord of the Rings story revolves around the One Ring, its significance, and how it's destroyed. But how did Frodo get the One Ring in the first place? ...that background story is in The Hobbit. You obviously can't write a full-scale novel in 15 minutes, but you could write the scene where Bilbo encounters Gollum and stumbles across the ring. That would be a background story that sets up the plot in Lord of the Rings. Wednesday, Oct. 13Character sketch: supporting or minor character #1. Thursday, Oct. 14Background story: supporting or minor character #1 Friday, Oct. 15Physical Sketch: Setting #2. Saturday, Oct. 16Outline, third draft. Fill in some of the gaps. Sunday, Oct. 17OFF/Freebie. Take a break, catch up, or download and browse this free ebook: http://www.lazette.net/Free%20Stuff/NaNo.htm Monday, Oct. 18CONTEST ROUND: Describe Setting #2 (with words.) Use all five senses, and make your reader experience the setting as if he or she were there. *Submit your BITEM link by 1200 noon WDC time on Tuesday, Oct. 19 to compete. If you miss this deadline, or choose not to compete, you may still enter your challenge completion within three days for the grand prize, per the standard Challenge guidelines. Tuesday, Oct. 19Character Sketch: Minor or supporting character #2. Wednesday, Oct. 20Background Story: Minor or supporting character #2. Thursday, Oct. 21Describe the political setting in your novel. What kind of government rules your world? What laws or rules of society are in place? Who enforces them? How successful is enforcement of laws and rules? Friday, Oct. 22Describe, in detail, an object that is critical to your story Saturday, Oct. 23Outline, fourth draft. Start to build the middle. Sunday, Oct. 24OFF/Freebie. Take a break, catch up, or download and browse this free ebook: http://www.lazette.net/Free%20Stuff/NaNo.htm Monday, Oct. 25CONTEST ROUND: Write a commitment letter to yourself, promising to do your best during the month of November, and vowing to not allow distractions or procrastination to keep you from your goal. Explain in the letter why you are awesome, how you plan to complete NaNo 2009, and what you will do to celebrate when you win. *Submit your BITEM link by 1200 noon WDC time on Tuesday, Oct. 26 to compete. If you miss this deadline, or choose not to compete, you may still enter your challenge completion within three days for the grand prize, per the standard Challenge guidelines. Tuesday, Oct. 26Physical Sketch: Setting #3 Wednesday, Oct. 27Description: Setting #3 Thursday, Oct. 28You are a journalist. The story of your novel is complete. Interview your protagonist and ask the following questions: How did the events of your story change you?How is life for you now?Friday, Oct. 29Write a list of all the things you tend to do to procrastinate, and establish a schedule for the month of November outlining when you are and are not allowed to procrastinate. Schedule time to write and put your schedule in writing. Saturday, Oct. 30Outline, fifth draft. Flesh out the logistics of how your protagonist gets from the beginning of the story to the climax of the story. Sunday, Oct. 31OFF/Freebie. Take a break, catch up, or download and browse this free ebook: http://www.lazette.net/Free%20Stuff/NaNo.htm Monday, Nov. 1Start writing your novel! The calendar accompanies:
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