NaNoWriMo 2016

So I am actually doing it. I’m excited. I’ll be writing my first novel next month. I made my profile at nanowrimo.org and everything.

I have no idea what kind of novel writer I am yet; someone who plans, or someone who just sits down and write. So far, for my short stories I’ve done both. Sometimes I plan, sometimes I just sit down and write. To be honest I don’t see much difference in the ease or the outcome of my writing between the two.

Therefore I decided I will plan, on the premise that it will be better to have a plan and not use it, than discovering I need a plan and not have it.

So yesterday evening, I sat down with paper, pencil and a pen, to start taking notes. What came out weren’t notes at all, but a drawing. Since I am setting my novel in a ‘perfect’ little town, I drew a map of what this town is going to look like. With some (what I think will be) key locations on it. Maybe the town will change a little as I’m writing, but I can see it before me now.

I’m not sure if it’s as obvious to everyone else as it is to me, but something should stand out: its cemetery is much too big for a town this size.

Next, I’m going to tackle the thing i always have problems with; naming things and people.