November 2023 — JPC Allen Writes

As November 30 bears down on us, do you need a climax for NaNoWriMo? I think a climax is the payoff for readers. If they’ve been interested enough to get this far in my book, I feel it’s my duty to provide a action-packed climax. Now packing in action may not work for your story or genre, but the climax should be the most intense part of your story, where the problem the main character (MC) faced is solved or not.

I also like to add some surprise to my climax, so although it’s action filled, I hope I resolve my character’s problem in a way that readers weren’t expecting.

Some ways to make your climax intense and surprising:

The MC receives help from an unlikely character.
The antagonist receives help from an unlikely character.
Something changes and the antagonist is no longer the antagonist.
The MC’s code or personal philosophy comes under crushing pressure.
The MC realizes the problem isn’t what he thought it was.
The MC is in physical danger.
The MC’s loved one is in physical danger.
A chase–the MC is pursed by the antagonist or is pursuing the antagonist.

What other ways can you intensify the climax of a story?

For more plot prompts, click here.

May you be blessed this day with good eats and good company.

As you pass the half way mark in NaNoWriMO, National Novel Writing Month, you may find some of your characters aren’t behaving as you planned. I usually start to build a character because I find a face that intrigues me. If you need a new character for NaNoWriMo, study the photos below. If you find one that inspires you, let me know!

For more character writing prompts, click here.

Knowing how to take a break during NaNoWriMo is critically important if you’ve hit writer’s block and want to hit your word count by the end of the month. Your break can come in two ways–you can take a break from your novel and deliberately take actions to reignite the creative spark. Or you can take a break and deliberately take actions that have nothing to do with your story. Either approach will work.

Reigniting the Creative Spark

When your inspiration runs dry, you can take actions that you think will prime the pump of your imagination. Since I’m a mystery writer, I might review interviews I’ve already conducted with law enforcement and legal professionals, google new questions that have popped up since I began writing, or consult books I own in this area. I might reread my favorite mysteries to see if I can learn something new about plotting, setting, structure, or how to handle characters or dive into writing books and study any of those techniques.

Make a Clean Break

But maybe what you need is a clean break. That might sound crazy when you have a 50,000 word count to achieve, but trying to run a marathon without any fuel is crazy too. I’ve also thought it was crazy that this writing Olympics takes place in November. NaNoWriMo was created by an American, and he should know that only December is a busier month in our country. But the fact that Thanksgiving forces most people to take a break from their regular schedules can work in your favor if you’ve hit a wall of unproductively in your novel.

If you have to take off from writing for the holiday, make a clean break. Don’t do anything writing related for a day or two, which should be easy if you’re attending or hosting a Thanksgiving dinner. Force yourself away from your pen or computer. Try not to think about your novel at all.

Or you might try this approach. If I’ve run into a scene going nowhere, I tell my brain what the problem is and then stop thinking about it. Very often, ideas will begin to bubble and then rise to the surface. I’m not sure how this works, but I’ve had a lot of success by turning my brain loose from my conscious efforts.

After your clean break, you may be surprised at how eager you are to get the words flowing again. And at how easily they flow.

If you need a break from writing, what do you do?

For more tips on NaNoWriMo, click here.

We’re almost halfway through NaNoWriMo, and you may have hit a wall of writer’s block. It often happens when you are pouring yourself into a creative effort. Never fear. I’m providing writing prompts this month to break that block. Sometimes, a writer needs a new setting to suggest new characters and plot points to get their creative juices flowing again. In my first novel, A Shadow on the Snow, I had to watch how many scenes I had take place in vehicles and while eating. So examine the photos below for setting inspiration for NaNoWriMo. If you find something that snags your attentions, please leave your ideas in the comments.

For more settings prompts, click here. What are your favorite settings to write about?