Welcome back to our Preptober series where we’re discussing the benefits of fast drafting a novel in November and the wisdom of preparing for such a challenge ahead of time. Now that we’ve got you in a fast draft mindset, it’s time to get going on your Preptober strategy. Wondering where to focus your attention?

Here are 5 essentials to focus on in Preptober:

1. Main character / theme

I always say that a strong character is the vehicle that carries the heart of your story: the theme. What’s the point of this book? What’s the lesson to be learned? Your reader may never fully know if you don’t take the time to get to know your character and understand what makes them tick. What do they want? Why do they want it? What (or who) is getting in their way? Once you’ve nailed these things down, you can explore what they truly need and why they (and maybe even your reader) need it.

2. Side characters / antagonist

Your side characters don’t necessarily need to be as developed as your MC, but you might consider digging into the heart of a strong antagonist. All pivotal characters should have an overall goal and motive. This will affect everything they say and do and give your scenes purpose, so take the time to flesh them out.

3. Plot

Bare minimum, figure out your story’s beginning, middle, and end. Bonus points for a sound story structure with a couple plot twists thrown in. This is your road map! Give yourself guideposts to write towards so your scenes won’t meander, and you’ll be on your way to a brilliant story with a tight plot and exciting pace.

4. World

The emphasis you put on world building could more or less depend on your genre. But regardless of the story you’re trying to tell, it’s still essential. Take a little time (even just an hour) to draft up the types of places in your story’s world: climate, community dynamics, restaurant names. In the very near future, your imagination will thank you.

5. Schedule

Trust: You don’t want to get to Day 15 and realize you’ve only written 8,000 words! One of the easiest ways to get ramped up for fast drafting is outlining a schedule full of daily word count goals. (Can you feel the nerd coming out?) Setup milestones and plan a little reward for yourself each time you hit one. You can create a chart to track your progress or download a free printable. There are endless online resources to hold you accountable. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re bound to fall short every now and then, but if you stay as consistent as you can, you’ll get much closer to your goal than you would otherwise.

Conclusion

The clock is ticking with only 3 weeks to go. Have you come up with your story idea yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! We’ve gotta get to the good parts if we want to pe prepared to pen 50,000 words! So what’s next?  Join us next week as we dig into our top tips for Plotters in the Preptober Series.