Preparing for NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is coming up. November is fast approaching, so I'm going to begin plotting the story I'll write this next month. During NaNoWriMo I will become well acquainted with the characters, settings, and plot. I've always had a tendency to be a "pantser" rather than a "plotter", but I've also had a tendency not to finish my stories. The last NaNoWriMo I participated in was in 2018 I believe. I never finished, but I got further than any other time because I had an outline to turn to whenever I lost my way with the storytelling. Hitting a brick wall isn't that bad if you already brought a ladder to climb over it.

I have an infatuation with sci-fi, so my story will certainly involve speculative absurdities relating to advances in technology that aren't nearly yet possible. Without spoiling too much, here's a rough plot (a dust jacket summary, if you will):

> The world has been changing rapidly. Technological advances in medicine, electronics, and even space travel have escalated faster than seemingly humanly possible. Life on Earth just two generations from now is starting to look unrecognizable. No one uses electronic devices directly anymore. Mining companies have taken over Mars after the international MARTIAN agreement allowing private colonization of nearby planets. Meanwhile, world peace finally seems to be on the horizon as an international police force may be approved by the UN. Madelyn finds herself in the middle of all of this when she discovers the cause of it all.

Half of that summary was developed on the spot, but it should give a feel for the basics of the story.

I probably won't participate in NaNoWriMo anywhere else online, including the website, Mastodon, or elsewhere, simply because I want to avoid the distractions. Other people can be incredibly supporting and inspiring, but it also provides a convenient excuse to check forums and social media rather than just write. If I get stuck, I'll take a walk in the park.

As October has only just begun, I've only just started with plotting. The story could go anywhere from here. By the time the end of the month comes around, however, I'd like to have a good idea of where I'm taking it, along with some fascinating twists.

During this month I'm also going to be reading a book or two on fiction writing from the series called The Elements of Fiction Writing. I've already completely read two of them and have got my feet wet in two others.

I'm also looking forward to the release of Orson Scott Card's new book The Last Shadow which should be available this month. Maybe that will inspire me further.

That's all for now. I may post more updates later on, depending on whether or not I decide to post plot details on the capsule before I write the story.

See y'all later.