Despite the official Nanowrimo shutdown, most of the writing community is continuing on in—what I believe to be—the spirit of the original Nanowrimo: a fun way to get lost in your imagination.
And since I’m a plotter + discovery combo, I wanted to utilize Preptober in the best way possible. This is the road map I’ll be using and I thought I should share:
1. Clarify the Why Behind This Draft
Before diving into structure or word counts, ask:
- What do I want to learn or experiment with this November?
- Do I want to finish a full draft or test a concept?
- Am I exploring a theme (e.g., redemption, justice, identity) or focusing on craft (e.g., pacing, dialogue)?
Write a short “Mission Statement” for November Writing Month. Example:
“In November, I’m writing to learn how to weave mystery through emotional realism.”
2. Get Your Story Skeleton Ready
You don’t need a full outline, but at least decide:
- Who is the main character?
- What do they want?
- What’s stopping them?
- Twist or change?
- Do they succeed or fail or something in between?
- What changes by the end
- What is the moral of the story?
Five W’s (and one H)
Or quickly use the “Five W’s (and one H)” framework journalists use to make sure a story (or report) is complete and clear. It’s one of the oldest tools in journalism, but also really useful for writers of any kind — fiction, nonfiction, even blog posts. Here’s the breakdown:
- Who: Identifies the main people or characters involved.
- What: Describes what happened or what’s happening.
- When: Establishes time, era, or sequence of events (though sequence of events can be also categorized under the “How”).
- Where: Sets the location or setting.
- Why: Explains the reason or motivation behind actions.
- How: Describes the process or method— how it happened.
Other Usual Structures
Or you can pick from the usuals:
- 7-Point Plot: compact and emotionally clear (my personal favorite)
- Save the Cat beats: great for pacing
- Snowflake method: ideal for detailed planners
You can also do a “Scene Cloud” — jot fragments, scenes, and quotes you want, then cluster them later.
3. Create a “Writing Survival Kit”
Physically and digitally.
- Set up a database on Notion (Drafts, Notes, Deleted Scenes, Reference)
- Pre-create document templates (chapter layout, Notion tracker, word count log)
- Gather snacks, candles, playlists, and affirmations that make writing feel ritualistic instead of forced.
4. Decide on Your Word-Count Philosophy
You don’t have to hit 50,000.
Options:
- Classic: 1,667 words/day
- Weekend Warrior: 1000 weekdays + big weekend pushes
- Chapter Count Method: Aim for 15–20 short chapters by end of month
Think momentum over perfection.
5. World, Character & Emotion Drills
- Write 1-page bios for your main cast (motives, fears, contradictions).
- Create a “Moodboard Scene”—just one page that captures your story’s emotional core.
- For fantasy/sci-fi: make a Lore Quicksheet (5 laws of the world, 3 cultural details, 1 mystery).
6. Build Your Support System
Novel writing is easier when you have:
- A friend to sprint with (or a Discord server)
- A “cheer doc” — a note filled with motivational quotes and your own reasons for writing
- Pre-written affirmations like “Done is better than perfect” or “Every scene teaches me something.”
7. Plan for Writer’s Block
Make a Rescue List:
- A playlist that changes your mood
- Questions to ask when stuck:
- What does my character want right now?
- What’s the worst thing that could happen next?
- What secret is about to come out?
8. Plan the Edit
One of the things that holds me back when fast-drafting is the fear that it won’t make sense later — that I’ll have to scrap everything and start over. Here’s how I plan to approach editing to alleviate that fear:
Mindset Switch: It’s a Discovery Draft, It’s Not a First Draft
Don’t treat it like it’s the actual first draft of the story. Treat it like it’s a discovery draft. It’s one version of the story that you’re exploring. Things can be entirely different than this. So if it doesn’t work from this angle, scrap it and try another next time around.
Keep a Reverse Outline
In Notion, create a database where each new page is a draft of the chapter, scene or plot point. Create a “Square Brackets” column to track loose strings you’ve tagged in your text. For example, [Rewrite this later] or [Add emotional beat here] or [Check timeline consistency]. This lets you see at a glance what deserves priority when revising.
Have a ‘Connection Weaving’ Phase
The stories that stand out to me the most are the ones that are able to connect things happening now to what happened in the past. JK Rowling did this with Harry Potter countless times, one of the most memorable is when Harry had inadvertently interacted with a Horcrux before he knew its significance and it was brought up again at the end, when he, Ron & Hermione were desperately in search of it all while in the middle of an onslaught from Voldemort & his Death Eaters.
I like to leave breadcrumbs in my stories just like that. It makes the story feel like it was meant to be. But sometimes when I’m drafting, I might miss opportunities to plant the seeds, which later make the story feel flat and shallow.
On the other hand, if I get too in the weeds about it while drafting, it slows me down and gets me into an analytical mindset that keeps me from continuing with drafting and dreaming.
The only way to help the situation is to relegate it to the editing stage. Have a phase during editing stage that is dedicated to spotting the potential for, creating or weaving in connections.
For example:
- a location appears only once? Where else can it appear in the story? What other significance can it have? How can it create an emotional layer?
- having running dialogue quirk, an repeated inside joke, etc.
- a recurring object: does it appear at critical points? does its appearance change over time?
This pass turns your story from linear to woven.
Bonus: Post-Prep Reflection
Before Oct 31, write one paragraph that starts with:
“By the end of November, I want to feel…”
It keeps your compass emotional, not just logistical — a reminder that this month isn’t just about word counts or checklists. It’s about why you write at all.
Final Thought
Preptober isn’t about perfection — it’s about positioning yourself to discover.
Make the plan, light the candle, and prepare to lose yourself in the work. Because the magic isn’t in the outline or the word count — it’s in showing up for the story that’s waiting to meet you.
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