Every week during National Novel Writing Month, we will post a list of one word prompts from our November Novel Planner to inspire you to get the words down. If you’re struggling a little more with writer’s block than usual, take advantage of these suggestions and probing questions to help you on your way to completing your NaNo novel draft.
For the rest of the prompts, daily planning pages, and more, download our FREE Digital November Novel Planner to help you stay focused and track your word count this NaNoWriMo.
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Day One: Angle
- Your protagonist being offered something they can’t resist? What’s the angle?
- Or maybe your protagonist is stuck in a rut, and what they really need is a new angle.
- A common misspelling of angle is angel. Who’s the angel, and are they really as angelic as they seem?
Day Two: Birthday
- Dig into your characters’ backstories: did one of them have a life-changing birthday?
- Whose birthday could be celebrated or forgotten in the current chapter?
- Or maybe what we ought to be talking about is a birthday suit!
Day Three: Crimson
- Did you know crimson is also a verb? It’s a synonym for blush!
- Is your setting home to crimson clover, crimson sunbirds, or some other species of your own invention?
- Speaking of crimson clover, you may find this song’s use of it inspiring!
Day Four: Drop
- Drop, drop, drop—what’s that dripping on your character’s head?
- Gazes can drop, stomachs can drop, hearts can drop…
- Is your character a klutz? They might drop something important!
- What could one character drop off that could change everything?
Day Five: Ember
- Are the embers of an old flame still aglow?
- Need a name for the minor character who just popped into the narrative? You could call them Ember!
- What could a character remember—or forget to remember—that would affect the scene?
Day Six: Fallen
- Now that whatever was dropped from Day Four has fallen, what’s different?
- Maybe one of your characters has fallen for something—or someone.
- Fallen can also refer to someone who’s been killed or murdered. You know what they say: kill your darlings! Wait, what do you mean that’s not what that means?
Day Seven: Golden
- Gold is typically associated with wealth, luxury, and elegance. How could you use the color as symbolism in your story?
- Of course, not all that glitters is golden. Perhaps your character is being deceived.
- Or maybe your character is in the clear—they’re golden!
