Nano Questions?

Solidarity and discussion for the NaNoWriMo 2020 Write-Through
Theresa Baumgartner
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:52 am

Subplots vs parallel (B, C, etc) plots

Post by Theresa Baumgartner »

I'd love to hear your take on subplots and parallel plots!

1) Can you explain what each of them are, bearing in mind that I am a person who had zero patience for reading about a gd tortoise crossing the road for a chapter and thus studied engineering and not literature?

2) Are there specific problems that a subplot or parallel plot will fix?

3) I've been writing this novel in a fairly close 3rd POV following one character, and I'm trying to figure out how to get two physically distanced characters some screen time. It seems like a parallel plot (?) might be the way to accomplish this. Without just changing to a different character's POV, do you have any ideas on how to accomplish this? The only thing I've come up with so far is some sort of epistolary technique.

Thanks!
JR Handley
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:11 pm

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by JR Handley »

Another question!! What are some tips for self-editing that could make that part of the process faster? I'd love to jump to the next project after this and not get bogged down in months of re-writes because that part of the process can be so unmotivating and soul crushing!
Theresa Baumgartner
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:52 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by Theresa Baumgartner »

I like JR's question above about self-editing.

If you run out of other topics, I was intrigued by what Gail was saying about her Scrivener flagging process. I have one book published so far and I *know* there are things I could be doing to make the whole process easier. So... what are some things you've learned over the years that you wish you had known earlier? Do you have any process tips that you'd like to share?
JR Handley
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:11 pm

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by JR Handley »

I edited my earlier question but in case you don't read back I'll clear it up here.

Zoomie is a slang term among the military for the US Air Force or any Air Force really.
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Zoomie

Swabbie is a slang term among the military for sailor. In naval tradition, to swab the deck means mopping the deck (floor). So a "swabbie" is someone who mops, ergo a sailor.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swabbie
Theresa Baumgartner
Posts: 31
Joined: Thu Nov 12, 2020 3:52 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by Theresa Baumgartner »

I don't have any more specific questions, but I did want to say thanks for answering the ones I posted and also just for the daily podcast in general. I incorporated listening to it into my daily routine and it has helped me stay motivated during NaNo.
AGBrewer
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2020 5:23 pm

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by AGBrewer »

First, thank you for doing this podcast! It has given me inspiration, new ideas, and it has put me into the right headspace to be creative.

Second, if I’m not too late, a question has occurred to me as I am thinking ahead to the editing of my NaNo manuscript. How would you define head-hopping? How does it differ from using different POV characters? And do you have any techniques to locate and fix head-hopping in a draft?
JR Handley
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2020 7:11 pm

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by JR Handley »

This one's for Alexis, the younger new writer. If I got the names wrong, I sincerely apologize.

Thinking back on your struggles with this story had me wondering; do you think that your troubles with your work-in-progress was just because you were new to writing? Or do you think you bit off too much story for where you are in the journey to literary perfection.

I ask because you're starting much younger than I did. As such, you also lack some of the life experience I'd so painfully acquired before I started my journey into literary insanity. I'm a classically trained historian and so had millions of words, albeit academic ones, under my belt before I tackled science fiction. At that point in my life I was 35 years old and already spent two lifetimes (aka years) in Iraq. That experience made me old before my time and gave me a different point of reference.

Afterthought: It's hard to believe that was back in the Dark Ages of 2016, wow how time flies!
warrosa
Posts: 6909
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 5:57 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by warrosa »

warrosa
Posts: 6909
Joined: Sat May 01, 2021 5:57 am

Re: Nano Questions?

Post by warrosa »

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