National Novel Writing Month is coming up fast – just a month away – and I'm getting excited. Whether you have trouble meeting the 50k word goal or want to stretch yourself a bit more, this month's blogs were tailor-made for you.

First up is the 7 Point Plot Structure, styled after the popular “Save the Cat” format. There are many plot structures (my personal favorite is the Hero's Journey) but I will be using this one because of its conciceness. I will cover inner and outer turning points, touch on reader psychology, and look at the diffferent narrative paths that these plot points can take.

        Next up are Character sketches that go beyond physical description to attitudes and personalities, public and work and private lives, even important skill sets. I designed these character sketches based on the various books that I've read. I encourage you to modify the sketches for their own needs and share those changes so that other people can take advantage of your insights.

          Third will be an overview of world building. Namely, creating history, myth, cultures, geography, politics, religion, and potential fantasy elements. Even writers who write in the contemporary world can benefit from these articles since these elements (except, potentially, the fantasy portion) are present in the real world as well and could impact the story.

         Finally is a crash course on creating your writing philosphy. Your writing philosophy includes why you write what you write. I find it a valuable resource to return to when I am feeling discouraged or frusterated. I hope developing your own personal writing philosophy will give you clarity of thought, peace of mind, motivation, and something to say when people ask you why you write and why you write that?

Enjoy!