There will be times when you’re completely stuck and there will be times where you may not like where you’re story is going. To help with this issue, I decided to come up with a creative way to break free: the NaNo Jar.
The NaNo Jar sits on my desk and is full of 30 different jumbo popsicle sticks with different instructions. I pick one stick a day and have to do whatever it says on the stick. If I don’t particularly like what it says on the stick for what I have planned that day, I will allow myself to pull one other–with the understanding that I now have to use the original stick the next day. I can only switch out one stick a day and have to keep to that.
Here are the 30 prompts I used!
1. What is your protagonist afraid to admit to himself? Bring it up and make it impossible to avoid.
2. What’s an event that passes with little notice? Invent a dire consequence that no one sees coming.
3. Add: A character that is modeled after someone you know that sparks some sort of emotion.
4. Add: A character from a different social strata, a symbol of these times, a harbinger of the future, or a sign from the gods.
5. What is your character’s conception of god? Humble = reward, Not = punishment, or vice versa.
6. Create an event/action that reminds your character he is not in charge of his own destiny.
7. List 20 things your protagonist notices in the story that no one else does. Plant each one.
8. Have a character act strangely in a scene so that the reader questions/wonders the reason behind it.
9. Make a main character a victim of some event.
10. Write a scene where the main character shows humanistic virtues.
11. Show a character reach rock bottom. All hope is lost.
12. Present the opposite argument as powerfully as the truth, weave it into your dialogue.
13. Reverse a predictable plot. Take any idea and immediately discard the first thought. Do the opposite.
14. What’s the worst thing that could happen to your character right now? Do it.
15. Have something revealed to the characters. Bring in another question to replace the original and make it even more pressing/interesting.
16. Raise the stakes.
17. Set up dangerous work to build tension/increase jeopardy.
18. To give the readers what they want, we must deny characters of what they want. Take something away from them.
19. Add: Roadblock between characters.
20. Put a character in a situation/relationship that goes against his values.
21. Take an emotion that is in the current scene. Replace it with something less expected.
22. Make a character lose something important and can never get it back. Make it something he wants most, but rejects it.
23. Have a character lose control of himself/emotions. What are the repercussions? Make it worse.
24. Make a character do something he finds embarrassing on accident. Who notices, yet says nothing.
25. Spill a secret at the worst possible time.
26. Who is your protagonist afraid to let down? What is the sacred trust between them? Break that trust.
27. There is something your protagonist can’t let go of. What is the reason? Who knows that reason before your protagonist does?
28. What is the hardest action your protagonist will have to perform? Make it something he’s sworn he will never do.
29. Assume the reader saw something coming. Change it to something that will blow their minds.
30. What truth does your protagonist cling to the hardest? Reinforce that truth three times throughout the story. Then destroy it–it’s wrong.
The instructions come from my own personal learnings, but mainly from two outstanding books:
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Awesome post, Carolann! (And congrats on being featured in the Procrastination Station!) Posted a link to this in my “50K in Five Days” group on Facebook. 😉
blog.katmellon.com
Thanks Kat! I had no idea it had happened! Thanks for the link on your site too! Wow 50k in 5 days is amazing! I’m going to follow your journey on your blog! Best of luck!
Love this idea! I’m going to suggest it to my region (Ireland NorthEast). Grace the ML.
Thank you Wordfoolery! Please let me know if it helps! Good luck with your novel!
What a great idea! I love how prepared you are for your NaNoEndeavor. I wish I could say the same for myself!
Best luck.
Thank you Alexandra! You still have plenty of time to prep! Five more days to go! Best of luck with your novel!
These are amazing prompts. I usually have difficulty getting inspiration from prompts, but these are so well-done! Making my own NaNo jar tomorrow!
So glad to hear Sophieweeks! I really, really recommend Writing 21st Century Fiction by Maass. Actually any of his books are fabulous and filled with fantastic prompts. The majority of the prompts came from his book. Best of luck with NaNo and your jar!
!!! This is just amazing! I am so going and doing this. Thank you so much for the idea. Brainstorming before I start writing is always great, and this is a wonderful way for me to start of my NaNo day!
Thank you Dana! I hope it helps! Best of luck with your novel!
This is brilliant!! I am absolutely doing this this year!
Thanks Kelsie! Let me know how it works out for you! Good luck with your novel!
I love your NaNo prompt jar idea! Brilliant!!!
Thank you Ellie! Good luck with NaNo this year!
Fantastic prompts! Thanks so much!
Thanks Mary! Please let me know if they help out with your novel! Best of luck!
Very interesting! I think this might be something that I need to keep myself focused and going during November NaNo 🙂 Thanks!!
Thanks so much! Let me know how it works for you 🙂 I’m working on collecting more prompts for a NaNo Jar 2 that I’ll post about soon! Good luck with NaNo!
What a great idea!
Thank you so much Jeannie! Let me know if it works for you 🙂