A Unique Way to Develop Conflict in Your Novel for Pantsers
Welcome to an 8-post series on preparing or planning your novel for Nanowrimo (or anytime.)
This series is part of our PLAN YOUR NOVEL: 30-Day home study course and annual October workshop, now in it’s fifth year. Details at the bottom of the post.
Today is the sixth in an 8-post series on preparing your novel for Nanowrimo. Or anytime. If you missed it, the first step in your novel preparation is your elevator pitch and the second step is crafting your story synopsis. The third post on preparing your characters is here. The fourth post is here on world building. The fifth post on plot and story building tips is here.
Keep in mind: Take note of your genre and review the information you drafted about your characters.
Time to budget: I recommend you spend at least of 10-20 minutes to do this exercise for your story. It’s a timed writing exercise. (My favorite!)
I touched on this exercise on the plot and story building tips here. But in this article I go into greater depth.
Uncover Your Character’s Worst Fears to Discover Your Story Conflicts
I’m a pantser. That means I like to write my stories by the seat of my pants.
The problem was, when I started writing novels, the inspiration for my story and the love of my characters wasn’t enough. I needed a way to figure out the story, but all the standard plot tools didn’t work for me, or not very well.
I was still stuck on how to create a compelling story that would keep me and my readers riveted to the page and caring what happened to my dear characters.
One day at a writing workshop, the teacher had us brainstorm our character’s worst fears, and then think of the worst thing after that, and even further, think of the worst fear after that.
I did this exercise and shuttered in fear at all horrible things I dreamed up for my character.
And then I experienced an Aha. The Aha wasn’t that I scared myself with my imagination, even though that’s what happened.
My Aha was about using my strength of knowing my characters well to craft the story from start to finish.
So that’s what I do now.
I start the novel preparation process for all my novels and novellas with drafting my characters. Then I spend extra time on uncovering their worst fears.
Here’s how you can do the same…
Exercise: “List of 20”
On a piece of paper or on your computer, list from 1 to 20.
Then set the timer for 10 minutes.
Now brainstorm your character’s worst fears. Keep moving your hand across the page to uncover more worse possibilities.
You may be surprised at what you discover.
Review your work, and if need be, organize the fears from bad to worse.
This is how I start to get a clear idea and feel of my story’s structure — all based in who my characters are.
YOUR TURN:
Brainstorm your character’s worst fears with as much or as little detail as you’d like. You can always come back and fill in the blanks when you edit your book.
Share fun details or your Ahas in the comments below.
You can also post it on my Facebook page to enter into fun weekly giveaways.
Want help planning your novel?
Then consider joining us in our upcoming Plan Your Novel 30-Day Writing Challenge. We start October 1st.
You can also do this course anytime in the home study version here.
If you found value in this post, please comment, clap, or share. You’ll be helping me, but more importantly, you’ll be helping your fellow writers. Thanks!
