Look at you, you have decided to try National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)! In Part 1 of this series, I discussed my past experiences with doing NaNoWriMo and how much they empowered me as a writer.
In Part 2, I walked you through some simple questions you can use to create a character you love to write. Trust me, if you love a character, you will want to write for them a lot. We writers create connections with our characters; they are like friends we root for and want to share with the world.
Today, I will walk you through ten storytelling beats you can use to outline your novel and give you a storytelling framework to help you stay motivated and confident in your writing.
Ten story beats
There are many approaches to creating a narrative structure, and if this list is overwhelming to you, feel free to do some research and find a system that works for you! I love this system because sometimes having more plot points means I am less likely to get lost along the way.
- Ordinary world of the hero
- Upsetting the apple cart
- Crossing the threshold
- Twist
- Midpoint
- Escalation
- Dark night of the soul
- Hero’s new plan
- Final showdown
- The new world
What does this list look like when writing a novel or screenplay? Let’s go through it using the classic The Fellowship of the Ring.
- Ordinary world of the hero. Frodo in the Shire. Your character’s ordinary world may be good or bad, but it’s “normal” and familiar. Your character knows how the world works, what to expect, and how to survive/live in it.
- Upsetting the applecart. Gandalf shows up, and Bilbo gifts Frodo the Ring. Your character’s normal is broken by something unexpected; they can’t keep going with the status quo.
- Crossing the threshold. Frodo leaves with the Ring for the village of Bree. Your character has made a commitment that leads to a larger journey, and going back is not an option, the die is cast.
- Twist. Gandalf isn’t waiting at the Inn of the Prancing Pony, but Strider is. Your character didn’t see this coming, and they aren’t yet sure if this is good or bad.
- Midpoint. The Fellowship is formed. Some tough stuff has already happened, and your character doesn’t know what the resolve will be yet, but they have to pack it in and keep going to find out!
- Escalation. Battle in the Mines of Moria and internal conflicts among the Fellowship with Boromir and others. Things are getting worse, who can your character trust, maybe someone dies, the enemy is approaching, etc.
- Dark night of the soul. Gandalf falls while fighting the Balrog in Khazad-dum, the Fellowship is in trouble, and Frodo feels isolated. Your character believes all is lost, there is no hope, and things are broken that cannot be undone.
- Hero’s new plan. The Fellowship seeks refuge in Lothlorien and takes the river to save time on the journey. They are given Galadriel’s gifts and wisdom, and they have a bit more hope. Your character does not know if their new plan will work, but at least they have a plan.
- Final showdown. Amon Hen. Frodo escapes from Boromir, the Urukai show up and the battle takes place, Merry and Pippin are taken, but Boromir redeems himself and Aragorn accepts the mantle of protecting Gondor, creating resolve between the two men. Frodo also has to fully accept the role of the ringbearer, even if it means going on alone, which is a final showdown with his own doubts. Your character has a big showdown, it may end perfectly, or it may end with some things better, and some things worse.
- The New World. Frodo and Sam are setting off alone and determined to finish this come hell or literally high water. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas are off to “hunt some orcs.” They will remain true to their Fellowship in their hearts, but their paths forward have diverged. Your character is facing a world different from the one they began in, maybe they are pleased with this, maybe they are not, but they must accept it either way.
These story beats may not always look as upfront and obvious as they are in The Fellowship of the Ring. You should consider this storytelling technique a guideline that you can adapt to fit your story.
I have applied these ten story beats many times, and they make mapping out a story arc so much easier. These beats are proven to create an effective storyline that satisfies an audience, especially when paired with an exciting character. These beats helped me unlock the “good story” formula, and they are a ninja sword in your collection of writing tools.
Use the beats, plan your story
Your next step for NaNoWriMo prep is to take the character you created with the questions I listed in Part 2 and bring them over to this list of story beats. How does the story you have in mind match with these beats? Do you need to add or remove things? Does the ending need some spicing up? Do you want your character to be fully triumphant at the end? Play around with your character’s story and these beats, as you tweak them, a story outline will emerge, and you’ll be so proud of yourself.
A lot of people are afraid of this part of the process of writing. They worry if they plan too much, they will lose the joy or creativity of writing.
I think this is a false fear and assumption. I have written with no plan before, and there are times and places for that (I’ll write about that one day), but for NaNoWriMo, I think having some level of plan is actually freeing.
What you are attempting here is monumental, and awesome, and it keeps you very busy. You don’t want to have to stop and think a lot, you just want to write. With this creative writing technique, you aren’t spending time thinking about where to go and if it makes sense or not, you are just joyfully running with a simple map in your head. If you do some of your thinking now, that’s less you have to do at the moment when you are just writing.
You can do this.
In the final installment of this NaNoWriMo series, I will cover how to write with confidence, overcome writer’s block, and fit writing into your normal schedule.
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