Novelist's Boot Camp Intro Workshop Slides

Novelists Boot Camp
Take Command of Your Novel!
www.storytellerroad.com
Novelists Boot Camp maximizes the power of the writing process Writing a novel is a process, a series of steps or events that have a beginning, middle, and end. So you dont have to write a novelyou just have to do the best you can wherever you are in the process!
We operate at both strategic and tactical levels

Novelists Boot Camp gives you an improved writing process to guide your efforts And specific Drills to get specific things done!
A really, really important idea
Tools not rules!
Novelists Boot Camp Battle Plan Phases

1.Battle Plan Alpha: Mental Preparation and Mission Planning 2.Battle Plan Bravo: Invention 3.Battle Plan Charlie: Development 4.Battle Plan Delta: Drafting 5.Battle Plan Echo: Revision and Rewriting 6.Battle Plan Foxtrot: Editing and Proofreading 7.Battle Plan Golf: Staying Battle Ready
Battle Map for Novel Writing Click to edit Master title style
Line of Contact
BATTLE PLAN BRAVO Invention
Click to edit Master text styles

Second level
Third level
Fourth level Fifth level
BATTLE PLAN ALPHA Mental Preparation/ Mission Planning
OBJECTIVE 3
MASTER STORY SUMMARY
BATTLE PLAN CHARLIE Development
2006 NOVELISTS BOOT CAMP www.storytellerroad.com
Battle Map for Novel Writing Click to edit Master title style
BATTLE PLAN FOXTROT Editing and Proofreading
NOTES: Click to edit Master text styles

BATTLE PLAN DELTA Drafting
Second level
Third level
Fourth level Fifth level
BATTLE PLAN ECHO Revision and Rewriting
FOLLOW-ON MISSION
BATTLE PLAN GOLF Staying Battle Ready OBJECTIVE 4 DRILLS #99-101
Writers Block
QUALITY DRAFT
2006 NOVELISTS BOOT CAMP www.storytellerroad.com
So what are Drills?
Drills: How to do
specific tasks
There are Drills in each phase: Mental Preparation and Mission Planning - Invention Development - Drafting Revision and Rewriting - Editing and Proofreading.
Battle Plan Alpha

Planning & Mental and Mental Preparation From Mission Planning Preparation
MISSION: Get
your imagination in formation
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 1-13 1-
Drill#2 Adopt a principled approach

Principles guide decisions and direction 7 Smart principles in NBC Today: Never fight fair!
Drill#2 Adopt a principled approach

Never fight fair--overpower your writing goal List your current daily writing goals(s). Write what your daily goal might look like if it was 50% smaller-75%-- 90%. Write how easy this would be to accomplish. Write how you would you feel if you accomplished your goal.
Exercise!
Battle Plan Bravo

Planning & MentalInvention from Preparation
MISSION: Invent
your comprehensive concept
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 14-25 14-
Our goal (Objective)

Invent a Comprehensive Concept
Find your path (genre) Find the opposition Find your character Choose a macro setting Invent a better story idea
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 14-25 14-
Invent a better story idea

A character with a goal in conflict with opponents Novelists Boot Camp
Drill #20
Who must do what against whom (implied is taking action/doing things)
How they work together

Opposition
Novelists Boot
Drill :
Genre
Your comprehensive concept Character
Story idea
Macro setting
Battle Plan Charlie

From Development
Develop a character matrix Develop your
BIC
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 41-48 41-
Character Matrix
Name / Role Objective Personalit y Points Window Character Oppositio n Other Opponent s
Character Matrix Huck Finn

Name / Role
Huck Protagonis t Pap Opponent
Objective
Personalit y Points
Window Character
Oppositio n
Pap
Other Opponent s
Judge, Widow D, Duke and King, Tom Judge
Freedom -
Jim, Tom Moral, creative, liar, honest Immoral, con man, violent, drunk Nave, wise, honest Imaginativ e Huck
Huck s $$
Huck
Jim window character Tom
Freedom Cairo, IL Fantasy
Huck
Slave owners Huck
Duke and King
Huck
Novelists Boot Camp Drill# 39
The BICyour Book on an Index Card

When a causal event happens, an (adjective) character does [or must do] something in the face of opposition,
and so (the character does something), and then (the character or opposition does something), and so.., and thenit works out.
+ genre This is what your book is about!
Novelists Boot Camp Drill# 45
For Example
When an series of brutal murders threaten the safety and wholesome facade of an affluent Chicago suburb, an emotionally traumatized former profiler must solve the crimes to stop the killer from striking again. So he ties together cases hot and cold, risking his fragile sanity to first profile, then personally confront, a hulking madman bent on revenge.
Battle Plan Delta

Planning & Mental Preparation from Drafting
MISSION:
Complete a quality draft
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 49-83 49-
Drills=faster, better drafting

Aim for the gut Go to time-and-a-half Zoom in and out Leverage the intimacy of the senses Drill 82: Mix it up
Drill Drill Drill Drill
66: 73: 79: 80:
Drill#66 Aim for the gut

When using questions in dialog: Fire off specific questions Generally, yes and no are no Fire off open-ended questions gos. Fire off high-intensity questions Dont answer the question Lie Fire back a high intensity response
Drill#66 Aim for the gut

John: Do you think you might love me? John: Do you love me?
Write Marshas reply--
Marsha:
Dont answer the question Lie Fire back a high intensity response
Exercise!
Battle Plan Echo

From Revision and Rewriting
Perform real-world revision
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 85-92 85-
Real-world Revision
Revision: Begins after you have a completed draft Is one of the most powerful tools in writing Is one of the most misunderstood Is a place where novelists are very likely to flail Is where you need a plan
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 84-95 84-
Triage 7 Passes Rewrite
Revising using Passes

A methodical process for you to evaluate your scenes for critical elements Each Pass focuses on one and only one element Conduct the pass from 1st scene to last, then make the next pass the same way Mark changes now, make them later
NBCs 7 Revision Passes

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Make a Character Pass* Make an Objective Pass Make a Dialogue Pass Make a Description and Narration Pass Make an Action Pass Make a Logic Pass Circle Back for a Miscellaneous Pass*
Character pass
Character present? Character pursuing her objectives? Character acting out her Personality Points? POV consistent or changes marked?
Novelists Boot Camp
Drill #85
Miscellaneous pass
Technical detail Historical detail Genre markers Expectations Other notes
Novelists Boot Camp
Drill #92
Battle Plan Foxtrot

From Editing and Proofreading
Perform high value target editing
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 96-98 96-
Seven grammar gotchas

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Run on sentences Novelists Boot Camp Comma splices Drill# 96 Subject-verb agreement Faulty pronoun reference Faulty parallelism Faulty verb tense shifts Misplaced and dangling modifiers
Drill#96 Focus your editing and proofreading - I

He went to stand in line for his buddies and the line was really long and he saw her but she wouldnt speak to him and he was hungry and he was angry and so he waited some more and then he finally ended the run on sentence. Doc stuffed the money in his shirt, soon hed be ready to make his move. Be sure that your dogs and cat is tied up. A writer is encouraged to check their work.
Battle Plan Golf

From Staying Battle Ready
Take care of the troops
Novelists Boot Camp
Drills: 96-98 96-
On maintaining motivation
Motivation and confidence come from:
Commitment Competence Consistent progress Control Celebration
For many, the toughest time is in drafting
Your plan for success
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Battle Plan Alpha: Mental Preparation and Mission Planning Battle Plan Bravo: Invention Battle Plan Charlie: Development Battle Plan Delta: Drafting Battle Plan Echo: Revision and Rewriting Battle Plan Foxtrot: Editing and Proofreading Battle Plan Golf: Staying Battle Ready
What are your questions? ????
Take Command of Your Novel!


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Novelists Boot Camp

Take Command of Your Novel!

We operate at both strategic and tactical levels

A really, really important idea

Tools not rules!

Novelists Boot Camp Battle Plan Phases

Click to edit Master text styles

MASTER STORY SUMMARY

BATTLE PLAN CHARLIE Development

2006 NOVELISTS BOOT CAMP www.storytellerroad.com

NOTES: Click to edit Master text styles

So what are Drills?

Battle Plan Alpha