Here we go! This week, you're taking your characters from their current day-to-day life to their decision to go after their external goal. Act 1 should set up your story, covering exposition, the inciting incident, the "debate," and the introduction of your first main plot point.
What to write today
Today, you're writing the set-up [0-1667 words]:
Grip your reader right from the start by opening with some action
Introduce your protagonist in their everyday life
Show us what their world looks like
Introduce your protagonist's external goal – give us a sense of what is important to them
Hint at the broken thing in your protagonist's world – the thing that needs fixing (this is the central conflict)
Hint at the thing that is going to change for them later, and which will subsequently force them to accept the call to adventure (that thing is called plot point 1).
Want a different sort of prompt? Write a scene that begins with a party, from the point of view of a character who was definitely not planning to be there. 🍸
Create a running editorial note
While editing should wait until at least December, it's a great idea to create a running editorial note for your future-self. These daily notes will be invaluable during the editing process, helping you to remember insights that are no longer fresh when you come back to the manuscript later.
Create a new note, and jot down any off-course deviations, potential inconsistencies, areas to research further, or moments of inspiration to revisit when you start editing.
More resources
💛 Remember: All NaNoWriMo participants get 20% off a premium subscription throughout October and November. Use the discount code NANOWRIMO2023 to claim it!