Dragon Relic

by Jenai May

Main Content

A fantasy series by Jenai May

Agenda & Timeline

Plan & Outline

Sort and gather ideas, concepts, plotlines, and chapter outlines. Research science, history, and figure out as many character names ahead of time. When I don't, these elements tend to eat into my time during NaNoWriMo.

Consult the Audience

For this novel I'll be talking a lot with my children about dragons, science, diversity, time, etc. I want this to be a longer youth novel, so I need to gain insight into plot lines and ideas that might hold their interest.

Prepare the Template

Sometimes I begin writing without any template preparation. However, years of using Scrivener has taught me that a good template with bookmarks really helps to organize ideas while writing. This year I'm using Word.

Gather Sources of Inspiration & Motivation

Music playlists, art, movies, tea, and even this website will help to hone my focus.

Sort the Schedule

Work & homeschool limits my writing time. I also need to determine my Camp NaNoWriMo word count goal.

July 1st - Write Your World!

Camp NaNoWriMo begins on July 1st. If I've not already begun writing, then this is the day.

July Outlined.

By

No really, I’ve spent July outlining the second half of the first Dragon Relic book. NaNoWriMo now allows us to set time goals and shift those goals right up to the end (for Camps, not the November event).

Via outline and sketches, I introduced of a new secondary main character, who will not only be crucial to this story arc, but also star in another splinter series that I’m devising. The best part? The character, both in concept and name, spawned from a client’s typo. This is a longer story best saved for another post. In short, I loved the typo-name so much, I’m immortalizing it in Dragon Relic. These humorous tidbits can sometimes lend much-needed fuel to a limping project, and this was no exception.

My pace wasn’t stellar, and many days coasted by without a thought toward Dragon Relic. However, nothing came to an utter halt, and the overall story moved in a forward direction. To this, I say and feel, “Yay!”

Dragon Relic

Cont.

5733 of 25000 words (23%) complete

Now

  • Thinking and Planning. For November’s NaNoWriMo, I’m mostly laying the foundation for the second half. Outlines, research, and acquiring trinkets that help me to connect with the story.
  • Work. When I’m not writing or homeschooling the children, I am the Web Commander at Silver Rockets Web & Graphic Design, where I design lots of websites.
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NaNoWriMo

While I have written short stories since I was a child, I owe my ability to “go the distance” to National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo. It is a writing event that challenges people to spend the month of November “writing 50,000 words in 30 days.” These intensive writing challenges have become a household tradition. It’s so cathartic, so enjoyable, I often whine during the non-NaNoWri-months (the main writing event is in November, and they also hold “camp” sessions in April and July).

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