Parts of Plot Diagram

If you are writing a novel, novella, or any other type of story there aren't set rules. You don't have to make sense and you don't have to start with the beginning.When most authors are composing their books, they usually start with the end. You know, you always half to know how the story ends before you figure out how the rest falls into place.

A good way to plan out your own story is a parts of plot diagram. The beginning spikes up into the rising action. Which means, all the events leading up the to main event in the story. The peak of the diagram is the climax, the middle. When the diagram stoops downhill it is called falling action. Otherwise known as all the things that happen after the climax, including how the conflict (if there is one) is solved. Personally, I think that these diagrams are the best way to plot out your story line. You can substitute in what happens in the middle for the word climax. Also with the rest, rising and falling action, beginning and end. When and if you plug in all the events on a diagram like this one, you see kind of how your story line is going to be laid out. Right in front of you. I, personally, think that this method is the best way to plan out your story line beforehand.

Everything Needs Patience

I have a while till my 365 day goal starts so I thought I would talk about some necessities I would need to write a novel. When I first think about writing a novel I need to research, just like anything else. Buy English grammar books and catch up on my reading, noticing the elements of fiction and elements of plot. There are many different types of books out there and I will need to decide which type of book I want to write. For example, some books are non-fiction, fiction, bibliography, and autobiography. When I go to the library and look at all the books there are I think that mine could one day be among them. My name could be on the spine of the book for all to see. That is another thing you need in order to write a book, inspiration. In my case I'm inspired by listening to all the different authors rise to fame stories. How J.K. Rowling started out in a local coffee shop and Ishmael Beah in his book “A long way gone”.

If I am to finish this book I will need to publish it of course. Everyone says that publishing things are really hard. I mean look at Julia Child. She is this historical woman who had this amazing idea and wrote the book but she got turned down many times. I am plenty aware of this task I’m beholding and need to be patient. So to practice my patience I half to wait until February 1st, 2011 to start writing. For now I might as well go and eat some breakfast. Until then!

My 365 Day Deadline

Starting February 1st, 2011, I will have 365 days to write a novel. My deadline is February 1st, 2012. If I am to write an hour or two every morning for three hundred and sixty five days, then I should have a good amount of work done. Ever since I was little, I have wanted to be an author. My greatest inspiration was being able to transfer your dreams onto a stack of paper. Especially with little children having all that imagination in their heads. From flying pigs with mustaches to living in an igloo on the North Pole, all that imagination has to go somewhere. As you get older that imagination seems to fade, just like in the movie "The Polar Express",as the kids got older they stopped believing. My project is to transfer all my imagination onto a stack of paper of my own within the next year.

My guidance throughout this journey is a book written by Walter Mosley, "This Year You Write Your Novel." In Walter Mosley's book, he states "Ideally, the time you decide on is also the time when you do your best work. There are two reasons for this rule: getting the work done and connecting with your unconscious mind."(1) It is true about getting the work done, since this has been a life long goal for me. This is the first time I'm pursuing it. Connecting with your unconscious mind is a phrase that took a while for me to come up with the fact that when you write think positive and your subconscious mind thinks positive as well. This meaning, don't take time to think about what you're saying just write it. When and if you connect with your unconscious mind while you write you're more in tune with yourself as well as what you write down. Another way of looking at it is "Don't take time to smell the flowers."

There are thousands of blogger's out there, each with their own blogs. This being said it does take some time to think of a title that is unlike any others. It is just like when you create your email for the first time; your email has to be different and something that you like. After I spent some time thinking of a title that fit my blog and was catchy, I was satisfied with my decision. The "365" at the beginning represents my deadline. That being three hundred and sixty five days for me to write my novel. Now I could have put those three numbers in front of anything to make a title, but it wouldn't have been the same. For example, "365 Days" or "365 Days Until My Deadline", these don't have the same appeal as "365 Coffee Shop Napkins."

The three words after "365" in my title are Coffee Shop Napkins. You always hear these stories about how famous authors first started out writing their stories on a napkin in a local shop. For example J.K.Rowling, who is the author of the "Harry Potter" series, first started writing her books on a napkin in a coffee shop. Who knew that sitting in a local coffee shop can inspire such great work.

When you're young many different things can get in the way of your "To Do" list. Being perfectly honest I would know, but to keep me on track with this task I will blog everyday about how its going, keep you up to date. Day to day updates will help me meet my deadline. A year passes by faster than you think it would. As Walter Mosley says, "The process of writing a novel is like taking a journey by boat. You have to continually set yourself on course."(2)

(1),(2)-Mosley, Walter. "The General Disciplines That Every Writer Needs." This Year You Write Your Novel. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007. 1, 14. Print.