Brainstorming for NaNoWriMo
So you’ve decided to enter NaNoWriMo this year, Congratulations! Writing 50,000 words in 30 days may seem intimidating to some but with a lot of hard work and dedication it can be done!
The best way to get yourself ready to write 50,000 words is to get some Brainstorming done. It’s best to do this before or during the very first week of NaNoWriMo, that way you can focus on the bulk of your story as the month progresses.
Ideas for stories can come from literally anywhere at anytime! That’s why it’s best to have a notepad and pen nearby at all times so you can jot them down. Or you could always just stick it as a note in your phone, but try your best not to let those ideas slip away! Some of these ideas may be inspired by what you’re reading, watching on TV, listening to, or from your daily interactions with other people.
Over time, this list of ideas can get a bit lengthy and I should caution you by saying that not every idea that you come up with will work for your story. Figuring out what ideas would work best together for your story is part of brainstorming and that is why I consider it one of the most important steps in writing.
After you have some ideas jotted down, you should go through and decide which ones work best together. I’d encourage you to write little snippets about these scenarios or ideas to see if they pair together well. Not only will this help get your word count up but it may help inspire scenes closer to the end of your story which in turn will give you an idea of where you want your story to end up.
Another important thing to think about when brainstorming is what perspective your story will be told from. Think about all your favorite books and what styles they are written in. I’d recommend choosing a style that you prefer to write in because there’s nothing more tedious than trying to write a book in a style you’re not used to and then having to go back and rewrite multiple scenes because you accidently wrote it from the wrong perspective.
Genre. Genre. Genre. One of the best ways to get really good ideas for your story is to figure out what genres intrigue your interest the most. The more interested in a genre you are, the better and easier your writing will be. I’d suggest making a short list of at least 3 genres that you would like your story to be, then write a short except of your story from each genre and see which one works best for your overall idea of the story. Sometimes the genre you’d least expect ends up working the best for your story!
Does your story require you to do any kind of research? If so now would be the time to gather as much information as you can. Remember no detail is too small. One tiny detail could end up being the one thing that really brings your story to life! These details could also be used to fill up dead space between chapters or big scenes in your story.
There are so many possibilities when it comes to brainstorming for your story. I hope that I have given you a few ideas that you can use when it comes to writing your own story for NaNoWriMo this year. Happy Writing!
