March 21st, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 21st! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is kicking off our ten day planning challenge... [Chatter Thread]

Q1. Are you a planner or a plotter or a plantser? Are you willing to try something different this time around to see if it helps or does your method work as is?

Q2. Are you set on your genre? The overarching genre like romance, sci-fi, horror and then the more specific subgenre like contemporary romance, arcanepunk or occupational fiction? (Any blend of genres is good too!)

Q3. What character has the most stakes in the story? Is this person your MC?

Q4. Who is your antagonist and what is their main goal? Is it world domination? Getting the love interest? Stealing something vital?

Q5. Are you setting this in the real world or a second world? Why have you chosen that? Do you want to pull from a lot of real world technology, culture, etc. or make it all up on your own?

Q6. Summarize the premise of your novel the best you can. Examples might be: Boy and Girl fall in love despite family feud. Heroes save the world from evil overlord. Boy goes to school to learn to fight aliens and learns he had been fighting them the whole time.

Q7. What sort of twists in the plot could you use, if you haven't figured it out yet? Which sort of plot twist tropes do you love and want to play around with this time?

Q8. Do you have any secondary characters who have already come forward in your idea generating sessions? Do you think they have any fun subplots with them? Does the sidekick aim to help the hero save the world by defeating a mini-boss who is plaguing his town? Is the best friend of the female main character about to get married, but she needs the FMC to serve as a date for the best man?

Q9. What is the hardest part of finding time to write? Identifying it now will make it easier to find solutions.

Q10. What is your favorite quote to turn to when you're having trouble with writing?

March 22nd, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 22ndt! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. Everyone knows the first step of packing your clothing for a trip is choosing what suitcase you're going to stuff them all inside. Similarly, before you can start to build the insides of your main character, you should have an idea of their outer shell. Tell us about your main character's appearance and fashion!

Q2. Some people are perfectionists when they pack and some throw things in without any rhyme or reason. Both can be considered a bad habit, depending on your perception. Which way would your main character fall and does it benefit them, or hinder them?

Q3. As your main character zips up their suitcase, they consider how dark it is inside and it takes them to an interesting place. What is their darkest memory and how has it shaped their personality or world view?

Q4. Oh no! Your main character almost forgot the most important thing! What one thing would they carry with them all of the time?

Q5. As your main character has finished packing their belongings and is ready to go, they reflect on the trip ahead of them. Why does this journey matter to them personally and why are they going?

March 23rd, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 23rd! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. Was there ever a moment in your antagonist/foe's past where they did something that actually frightened them? What was it and what reaction did it have in the end? Did they find it exciting? Thrilling? Sickening?

Q2. What aspect of your protagonist does your antagonist/foe find absolutely infuriating?

Q3. What is your antagonist's/foe's biggest flaw, which could be exploited to defeat them?

Q4. Is there a line your antagonist/foe would never cross?

Q5. What does your antagonist/foe hope to gain in the end? Really hope for, like control, admiration, power, etc?

March 24th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 24th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. Pretty basic to start off: what is your story about?

Q2. Another essential for Act 1: where and when does it take place? What sort of information might you need to be researching as we trudge forward through this event?

Q3. Obstacles are an element of Act 2 that any good story can't go without. List three things your protagonist is going to have to overcome before their reach their goal.

Q4. But of course, giving up in the face of trouble is easy. What keeps your protagonist going enough to push through those obstacles? What are their goals and motivations to get to the end?

Q5. Finally... Once they've made it to Act 3, how does it all end?

March 25th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 25th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. The best plot twists take what is the expected course of the plot and turns it on its head. By following the "expected" part of your plot, what would be the non-twisted outcome?

Q2. List three ways that this normal course could be twisted. For example: You are writing a romance where Boy Gets Boy. What sort of twists and turns could they encounter along the way? Ex-boyfriends coming back? Secret relationships/marriages?

Q3. Those are probably the "predictable" plot twists, because writers and readers are both prolific with consuming stories. If you thought of them so quickly, the readers probably can spot them. So the next step is to take those twists and turns and think of the exact opposite.

For example: What if your wizard can't access magic, but the opposite is that he's really not able to control magic, which results in some sort of inability to perform the spell?

Q4. Another way to make twisty, turny plots is misdirection. What sort of distractions can you use that will seem important but end up not the main focus, but leading to the main focus? This could be red herrings, false leads, or dead ends (a hard stop on what your readers thought was the direction of the plot).

Q5. One big twist is usually character death. Do you have any character deaths (or perhaps, completely character betrayals) in mind? What other way could you potentially take someone that is "safe" and prove that they are very much not safe?

March 26th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 26th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. Is there another aim/goal (a secondary story) that your MC may end up purusing? They may want to save the world, but are they also trying to overcome the grief of a loss of a family member?

Q2. Often, subplots revolve around relationships, be they romantic, antagonistic or friendly. It could be a budding romance, the starting/ending of a relationship, or the betrayal of someone thought safe. Which relationship of your MC could potentially be a good subplot which will bolster the main plot?

Q3. Sometimes, subplots can be reflected in nature. Is there a growing storm which mimics the tumultuous relationship between your two MCs? Is there a drought that, as they wait for rain, reflects the lack of power the MC feels?

Q4. Depending on the genre/main plot of your story, you might find a subplot within the character's school/business/close social circle. Is there a threat of job loss? Are they failing out of a class? While this may not be the main plot, it may feed into some of the stress (the pinches) given to the MC.

Q5. Lastly, a subplot may be found in a smaller antagonist's story. Maybe they are the antagonist/foil, doing what they do, because they want the same goal the MC does (the same job, for example). When they vie for it, they create trouble for the MC. How could a mini-boss create a subplot?

March 27th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 27th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. What is the general climate of your area? Is it tropical, arctic, temperate? Do they have more rain than normal or more drought? More storms or nice, calm sunny days?

Q2. Physical features may play a part in your story. Name some physical features (either general, like mountains, or more specific, like Mount St. Helens) that are around your story's location.

Q3. The people in the world are also important. Do you have an all-human cast? Are you using standard fantasy races (Dwarves, elves, etc.)? Did you make something up completely?

Q4. What sort of animals might your characters run into? Do they hear beautiful songbirds? Do they have feral cats sneaking through the alleyways? Are there snaildragons? (Mine has snaildragons)

Q5. How easy is it for your characters to go from where they are to a new location? Do you have things like cars? Domesticated horses? Airplanes?

Q6. What are the celestial features around your main location? One moon, one sun? Many moons? Are they in space with many planets (and if so, which ones are important)?

March 28th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 28th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official first day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. We spoke about climate in the last party. The climate has a large effect on what customs end up being created by a people who live in that climate. Name one habit or custom that may arise from your climate. (For example: does your really cold climate mean that they do most of their work midday when it is warmest?)

Q2. What does a normal dinner look like for your MC, both in content and social aspect? (What are they eating, drinking? Is it sit down? Casual? Full family or grab and go?)

Q3. Are there practices or food that is forbidden in your world, either from religion, experience with poisoning, etc?

Q4. What sort of greeting is common for two people who know each other? Shaking hands, kisses on cheeks, hugs? What about two people who have never met?

Q5. Are there things acceptable in this world (presently, in this time period) that are considered unacceptable in your novel's world or vice versa? (could be anything like dueling, drugs, open relationships, etc.)

March 29th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 29th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official penultimate day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. How many days per week *will* you realistically write? (Taking family, work, mental health, fun, days off, etc. into consideration)

Q2. Using the information from Question 1, count the number of days during the month of April you plan on writing. How many is it?

Q3. Now, calculate your daily word goal by dividing your total monthly goal from your intro by your answer from Question 2. How many words per day are you expecting yourself to write (or pages / time editing, etc.)?

Q4. Does this goal feel too easy, just right, or overwhelming? How might you adjust to make it fit into the "just right" category?

Q5. Now that you have your daily goal established, we're going to look at a typical day in your life. This is going to vary for everyone, and for some, it's different day-by-day, but... What do you *think* you do during the day? Give us a breakdown of how you spend your time (note: this does not have to be down to the minute perfect for this question, but for your personal schedule writing, I recommend getting as close as possible).

Q6. Compare your schedule to your daily goal. Seeing how much time you have for writing written down, would you say your daily goal is too easy, just right, or overwhelming?

Q7. Hypothetically, say you would like to double your time to write in an "average" day for you. How would you adjust your daily routine to make the extra time for writing?

Q8. What would be the "consequences" of this change? Would those consequences outweigh the benefit of doubling your writing productivity?

Q9. Imagine you are living your dream life. Write out your dream daily schedule and share it with us below.

Q10. Compare your dream schedule to your current schedule. What steps can you realistically take to make your normal routine closer to your dream one without compromising your quality of life?

March 30th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on March 30th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

It also is the official last day of our ten day planning challenge. You have to get through the entire challenge before you earn your badge! If you want to talk about the challenge check out our Chatter Thread!

Q1. A common one is "Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard" or something similar. The real essence behind this is to make sure you show up to your "work" for day. Showing up and being prepared is half the battle!

What can you do to make sure that you have that time you need each day to hit your minimum word count goal? How can you ensure that you'll at least open the doc, put your hands on the keyboard, and make an attempt?

Q2. "Every first draft is perfect because all the first draft has to do is exist." (Jane Smiley) This is trying to tell you *not* to worry about whether or not your writing sounds good or your plot is completely airtight at this point. Just get those words down so we can correct them alter.

What can you do to stop your inner editor from popping up and causing trouble, blocking your creativity or stalling you completely?


Q3. "It is perfectly okay to write garbage—as long as you edit brilliantly." (C. J. Cherryh) Bouncing off of our last quote, this one hits a little deeper. Will you write things that you never want to see again? Sure. Does that mean everything is a lost cause? *No.*

What sort of self-comfort can you give yourself when you're feeling the lowest about your novel or your writing? Can you find a snack or a happy television show, podcast, or music that can boost your spirits again?

Q4. "Every word counts!" Sometimes you won't hit your goal. It happens. What's more important to remember is that (unless you are on a deadline) it's not "failing" if you've gotten some words down. Even one!

When you fall behind, what can be your contingency plan so you can catch up? Or is it better instead to have an alternate goal that's based not on number but on accomplishments?

Q5. "You are not alone." Community is helpful for *all* things, not just writing. Unlike the quotes about writing being solitary, communities like WriYe and NaNoWriMo have proven that though the act of writing might be solitary, it doesn't have to be done in a bubble.

How will you rely on the community to help you in times of need? Or in times where you want to celebrate?

April 11th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on April 11th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

Q1. Why did you chose this story to revisit of all potential trunked, unfinished, or still working stories?

Q2. Why do you think you put down this story all that time ago? If you haven't put down the story, which part of it has become the most difficult to write?

Q3. What was your favorite part about this story when you wrote it the first time? What is the thing that you know you have to keep?

Q4. Did you (or will you) chose to start over from scratch? Reoutline? Continue where you left off? What method are you going to take to try and breathe life into this story once more?

Q5. Is the POV you're writing in still the best POV for your story? Do you have to take a look at who is telling the story and see if maybe it was stalled because there's another POV that would be a better fit?

Q6. What is the conflict in your story? What are your characters battling? Is that still what you think the most interesting conflict will be?

Q7. What is your MC's character arc? Is your MC's character arc fitting for the type of novel you want to write? If you have to change it, how might you tweak it?

Q8. Do you find that your story has tropes in it? Do you think the addition, or removal, of tropes may help you revisit the story and give it more spark and/or originality?

Q9. Look at the tense of the original novel. Would bringing it to present tense or changing it to past tense help deliver something that you wanted to deliver in your first go round?

Q10. If you've reread your trunked story and then look at your writing today, what aspect of writing do you think you've improved on since then? (Things like plot, characterization, grammar, etc.)

It's the middle of the month, so let's check in with how we're all doing. First catch up with everyone is a reminder of your project!

Title:
Genre:
Camp or Res April?:
Where are you in the novel right now?:
Favorite Scene so far?:
What have you binged lately? (Book, movie, or both!):

There is a lot of resurrection / summoning mentioned because of ritual mention. This doesn't mean you don't belong if you are not writing fantasy; this is more of a fun take on the themes of the month - one of a resurrection spell and one of a summoning spell because that's what one does at camp when bored.


Q1. In our previous planning party, you were asked why this novel. Thinking on your project, is the magic still there? Are you hitting snags that you found in previous drafts and what is the countermagic you are using against them?

Q2. What has been the high point of your novel so far? This could be the favorite scene you mentioned above, so explain why. But it could be a new character or an old one that you brought new shine to, or perhaps you're doing something different writing this one. Maybe you've changed from computer to handwriting. How is this helping you shape what the spell will either resurrect or summon?

Q3. As we are midway through our resurrection spell - or, in the case of camp, our summoning spell - do you feel that your novel is keeping it's magical spark as you hit what might be your novel's midpoint? If you're having problems with this, what do you think might help push you through to the other side?

Q4. For every good side, there's a bad side. How are your antagonists holding up? Are you remembering to give them some love? Or have they been pushed off to the side? What are your future plans with them?

Q5. As we come down the other side, towards the end of the ritual, what are your future plans? Not just to finish the novel but the next steps after that.

Q6. As we close this mid-ritual check in, let's go personal. Are you keeping up with self care during this time? Feel free to share a way or two that you are unwinding or how you would like to unwind in the future that you aren't doing now.

April 26th, 2020

These are the questions from the MerMay planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on April 26th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

Q1. What is your version of "mermaid"? If you don't know yet, what sort of mermaids do you want? Aspects such as are they friendly? Vicious? Beautiful? Fishy? What other characteristics?

Q2. What role do your mermaids play? For example, are your mermaids the POV species? Are they a mystery that is being hunted for? Are they the enemies?

Q3. What is the general premise of your story? This can be either a single line (Boy finds Mermaid and Falls in Love) or a paragraph with a little more details.

Q4. If you removed the mermaids, would your plot still stand? What would be the biggest change that couldn't be recovered?

Q5. What sort of setting do your mermaids live in? For example, are they in a lagoon? Are they in the ocean? Are they in a complicated cave system? Are they not in water at all, but another viscous solution?

Q6. What sort of society do your merpeople live in? For example, are they in a monarchy? A democracy? Do they have feudal lords that rule over rivers and lakes?

Q7. What is your merpeople's weakness? For example, are your merpeople unable to breathe air? Do they have to stay in the water at all times?

Q8. What is your merpeople's strength? For example, are they sirens with magical voices? Are they able to use magic involving water?

Q9. What is your main character's reaction to the opposite species (whether the opposite species is human, mermaid, or something new entirely)? For example, do they find them fascinating? Disgusting? Frightening?

Q10. What is one unique thing your mermaid would keep in their version of a bedroom?

May 10th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on May 10th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

Q1. As a child, what was your character's favorite toy and why?

Q2. As it relates to your plot, what would completely break your MC and cause them to give up on their quest?

Q3. Who is most important to your character? (It may even be themselves.)

Q4. What is more important to your character: happiness or success?

Q5. When we talk about character flaws, the big one is the major flaw. This is the flaw which they have to battle every step of the way, and usually is going to cause them to make a decision at the greatest point of conflict. Hereos usually must overcome this flaw in order to succeed and grow. For villains, it is the reason for their ultimate downfall. What is your MC's major flaw?

(Examples: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Character_flaw#Examples)

Q6. What is your character's every day carry? What's in their pockets at any given time? What do they never leave home without?

Q7. What is your character's deepest desire as it relates to the main plot? What is their deepest desire overall?

Q8. Did someone leave a lasting impression on your character in their childhood? Who was it and what impression did they leave?

Q9. In regards to your overall character arc, does your character grow for the better? Stay the same throughout? Descend to a worse place than where they started?

Q10. Why is this character your main character? Why does the plot happen to them specifically, or why are they the only person who can solve this problem?

May 24th, 2020

These are the questions from the planning party hosted in the WriYe Discord chat on May 24th! Feel free to answer these on your own, or keep them somewhere to be answered when you feel the urge.

Intro:

Title:
Genre:
Status: (Plotting, drafting, so on)
What do you consider to be a spoiler in a work and why? (Can be stories in general and not solely your own. In this part only, you want to stick to general moments and not specific spoilers like what actual characters die in a specific book.)

Q1. Spoilers are often tied to secrets, what’s the biggest secret being kept in your novel?

Q2. What would happen if this secret were to get out?

Q3. Twists and turns can be considered spoilers. What’s the worst moment that your main character experiences in this novel?

Q4. Thinking of twists and turns, how could that worst moment get even worse?

Q5. The unexpected can also be a reason for a spoiler. What event in the novel is the most unexpected for your character?

Q6. Looking in the future for the moment, what do you think the reader is going to be the most shocked by?

Q7. Now that we’ve looked at how to come up with spoilers, what’s your biggest spoiler in this novel?

Q8. Why don’t you want anyone in writing chat to know about this fact? (Obviously you wouldn’t want the reader to know about it ahead of time, so we’re setting those future readers aside for now and focusing on just crafting the novel.)

Q9. Does your main character know about this spoiler from the start of the novel?

Q10. If your main character doesn’t know about the spoiler at the beginning, at what point of the novel do they learn about it/experience it?