Week 1: Set-up
Week 2: Conflict
Week 3: Character
Week 4: Change
So, we've all decided what kind of Austenesque novel would work for us. We've talked about the 3 Cs of plot: Conflict that forces your Character to Change. By now, you should have a basic story idea in mind.
What next?
If you're a plotter like me, you'll spend the next few weeks playing around the idea, figuring out exactly how your story will happen. You might check out books like Book in a Month, which help you flesh out your ideas.
If you're a pantser like some other writers I know, you'll let the idea sit in the back of your mind, and somehow (in a method that is as mythical as magic to me), your plot will spring up from the ether. You might be helped by No Plot? No Problem!
But even a fully developed outline isn't a book. Eventually, you have to sit down and write. That's where National Novel Writing Month comes in.
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org,) is a crazy challenge to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. This will be my tenth year participating, and my fourth year leading my local region. As November approaches, I'll be blogging occasionally about NaNo and all the ways it can help a writer.
For you, the biggest help it offers is a deadline. You've got a story idea, now you have a time offered to write it. When the new season starts in October, I will post a thread for Austenesque authors, likely in the historical fiction forum. Be sure to check back here and on IndieJane.org, as I'll definitely be posting the link as soon as it's up.
Oh, and if you're wondering--yes, I will be writing my Col. Fitzwilliam story this year during NaNo. His Good Opinion was my 2008 NaNo novel, and I'll be publishing it this November. November and NaNo play a large part in my life as a writer.
Happy noveling, my Austenesque friends.
