Fast Fixes for Plotting Problems in NaNoWriMo
How to Fix a Plot – and Even Improve It – On a Tight Deadline
Oct 19, 2009
Lessons learned in National Novel Writing Month can stand writers in good stead for years – especially knowing how to administer a quick fix to an ailing plot. There will be many times in a writing career when an author has to come up with solutions in a tight time frame, so why not get some practice during NaNoWriMo?
Plotting problems can be particularly sticky, because the planned solution can affect hundreds of pages of content. Luckily, the 50,000 words due by the end of November are not meant to form a polished final draft.
The three plotting dilemmas and quick fixes shown here address common problems at the beginning, middle and end of the story.
Plotting Problem #1: The Story Beginning is Slow
Quick Fix: If the beginning of the story seems slow to the author, this is often due to the stakes not being high enough. Why should the readers care? What will make them keep turning pages? Stop writing and start brainstorming. (The daily quota of 1667 words will flow a lot more smoothly when the plot is sorted out.)
- What could immediately make things worse for the main character?
- How can the author tap into the emotions of the readers? How can the main character's problems relate to more readers?
- Is there some way to give the main character more of a dilemma upfront? Can he/she be torn between two loyalties? (A "damned if you do and damned if you don't" situation is excellent – the main character is up against it from the very start!)
Plotting Problem #2: The Story Middle is Dragging
Quick Fix: Countless writers have been cast into despair by the dreaded 'sagging middle'. Obviously, what is needed is a quick injection of conflict, or more challenges.
- Introduce a new plot twist. (There'll be plenty of time after November to go back and insert any necessary foreshadowing. The extra scenes could also be put towards the final total of 50,000 words.) Hit the hero with something totally out of left field – something that will show how he performs under pressure. This can be something from his past coming back to haunt him, or a new (and unforeseen) threat, or perhaps even a betrayal by someone who had seemed like a friend.
- Introduce a new character. It is important to make this person's arrival on the scene seem inevitable. (It might help to go back and write an extra scene or two from this character's point of view, to show how his path will eventually intersect with the hero's.)
Plotting Problem #3: The Predictable Ending
Quick Fix: There's nothing worse than an ending that readers can see coming when they're still only halfway through the book. Some suggestions to counteract this:
- Stop and create a list of unexpected twists. It doesn't matter how far off the wall they seem. Anything that is totally unusable can be discarded later. The longer the list gets, the more likely a writer is to come up with a twist that will surprise and delight readers.
- Tie up as many loose ends as possible well before the end. This includes sub-plots or minor plot twists. Don't drag out the ending with tedious explanations.
- Backtrack a few chapters and see if the plot can move in a different direction. What is an equally satisfying, yet less predictable, outcome? This may involve inserting a new twist earlier, or even bringing in a new character.
Even a writer who is well prepared for National Novel Writing Month will find that there are many challenges to face during the thirty days. Plenty of seasoned WriMos still come unstuck, so having a few ideas in place for quick fixes can make the month not only more fun, but more likely to result in a viable first draft!
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