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 Fifteen: Oblige
- What could your character be bound or obligated to do?
- To whom with your character be grateful?
- Who owes your character a favor, and how will they repay it??
Day Sixteen: Pattern
- What patterns are found in the nearby fabrics of sofas, curtains, or clothing?
- Is one character beginning to notice another character’s pattern of behavior? Are they disturbed or intrigued?
- What might look like randomness to one character could appear to be a pattern to another. Who’s right?
Day Seventeen: Quirk
- What quirk is actually hinting at something deeper?
- Is that character’s eccentricity authentic or merely a performance?
- A quirk of the mouth or the eyebrow can say so much, can’t it?
Day Eighteen: Reputation
- Does your main character care about their reputation? What is it, anyway?
- Whose reputation could completely change? How?
- We suggested listening to a particular Taylor Swift song back on Day Three. Today, take inspiration from an entire album!
Day Nineteen: Soul
- Does your character believe they have a soul? Or has it already been lost?
- What might your character sell or gamble their soul for? Are they really going to get it?
- What wouldn’t your character tell a soul?
- Or perhaps your story could use an inclusion of soul food or soul music!
Day Twenty: Tattoo
- Which character has a tattoo, and what’s the story behind it?
- What should your character have tattooed across their forehead and why?
- What has lingered for your character for so long, it may as well be tattooed on them?
Day Twenty-One: Undo
- If your character could undo one thing in their past, what would it be? How do they think that would make things better? Are they right?
- What can’t a character afford to come undone, and how can you make that happen?
- How can your character try and fail to undo their most recent mistake? What are the consequences of this failure?
